2024 Big Al Invitational: Hosts Princeton Claim Four Of The Top Six Seeds For Finals

2024 Princeton Big Al Invitational

• December 6-8, 2024
• DeNunzio Pool — Princeton, NJ
• 25 Yards (SCY)
• Participating Teams: Columbia, George Washington, Princeton (host), University of Pennsylvania, West Virginia (diving only)
• Results: “2024 Princeton Big Al Invitational” on MeetMobile

The 2024 Big Al Invitational got underway this morning with some of the top mid-major programs taking to the blocks at DeNunzio Pool.

The Penn women’s distance group remains a strength for the Quakers this season. The crew dominated the women’s 500 freestyle, led by 2024 NCAA qualifier Anna Moehn. The junior swam a 4:46.74, the morning’s fastest time by 3.23 seconds. She leads a championship final that will feature two other Penn women. Sydney Bergstrom qualified third (4:50.03) and Jenna Jacobs sixth (4:54.66) for the Quakers.

Penn controlled the top end of the men’s 500 freestyle as well, with James Curreri and Matt Fallon touching first and second overall. The two battled it out in the final heat, with the junior Curreri pulling slightly ahead right at the end of the race, stopping the clock at 4:20.02 compared to Fallon’s 4:20.35. Princeton sophomore Arthur Balva was involved in that heat’s action too, and swam 4:20.74 to qualify third overall.

It was Princeton’s turn to shine in the women’s 200 IM. The hosts led the way in prelims, earning the middle three lanes for tonight’s ‘A’ final. Sophomore Eleanor Sun, a 2024 NCAA qualifier, posted a season-best 1:57.69 as the morning’s fastest time. Her teammates Dakota Tucker and Sabrina Johnston joined her under the two-minute mark, clocking 1:58.91 and 1:59.20, respectively.

Someone else to keep an eye on in this final is Penn freshman Kayla Fu. She’s already written herself into the Penn record books, breaking the 100 fly program record during a tri-meet earlier this season. Her 2:01.55 in the 200 IM is a new lifetime best and made the ‘A’ final in fourth seed.

Princeton claimed the top seed in the men’s 200 IM too, courtesy of junior Mitchell Schott. Schott’s been on fire to start the season, breaking multiple program records and before the first round of invites, held the third-fastest 400 IM time in the NCAA. He and his teammate Tyler Hong sit at the top of the men’s 200 IM after prelims, with Scott swimming a 1:44.26 and Hong three-tenths behind at 1:44.56.

George Washington matched Princeton as each program put three into the 200 IM ‘A’ final.

Ela Noble earned lane four for the women’s 50 freestyle ‘A’ final, clocking a 22.63 to just get ahead of the 22.68 Columbia’s Emily Macdonald swam the heat before. Two other women broke 23 seconds in prelims as Macdonald’s teammate Sally Ma logged 22.83 and Fu swam 22.95 on the back of a tight double.

Princeton’s Brett Feyerick popped a 19.59 in the 50 freestyle, crushing his lifetime best to close the morning session. His previous lifetime best was a 19.77, this swim is a .18 second drop that moves him up Princeton’s all-time ranks to fifth in the fastest swim by a Tiger since 2018.

Elliott Irwin, a transfer to George Washington, slid safely into the ‘A’ final with a 19.72. The time is his fastest as a member of the GW swim team and moves him from sixth in program history to third. He was the only other swimmer under 20 seconds this morning, as Logan Noguchi (20.01), Zion James (20.02), and Conor McKenna (20.07) are all tightly bunched together in 20-point territory.

Top Seeds:

• Women’s 500 free: Anna Moehn, Penn — 4:46.74
• Men’s 500 free: James Curreri, Penn — 4:20.05
• Women’s 200 IM: Eleanor Sun, Princeton — 1:57.69
• Men’s 200 IM: Mitchell Schott, Princeton — 1:44.26
• Women’s 50 free: Ela Noble, Princeton — 22.63
• Men’s 50 free: Brett Feyerick, Princeton — 19.59