2025 Women’s Ivy League Swimming & Diving Championships: Day 2 Prelims Live Recap

2025 Women’s Ivy League Championships

• Dates: Wednesday, February 19–Saturday, February 22
• Location: DeNunzio Pool, Princeton, NJ
• Defending Champions: Princeton women (2x)
• Championship Central
• Fan Guide
• Pre-scratch Psych Sheet
• Live Results
• Heat Sheet
• Day 1 Recap
• Live Video: ESPN+

As conference season kicks into full gear nationwide, the Ivy League women will begin their first individual session this morning in Princeton, New Jersey. 

After a successful relay session taking the 800 and scoring runner up in the 200 medley, two-time defending champions Princeton will be looking to keep that momentum rolling. They look poised to do so on the top end, boasting the top two seeds in the 200 IM (Eleanor Sun and Dakota Tucker) as well as the 50 free (Sabrina Johnston and Ella Noble).

Defending runner-up Harvard, however, started off the meet on a more sour note. Though they won the 200 medley relay, the Crimson suffered a disqualification in the 800 freestyle relay alongside Columbia. Harvard and Columbia now sit in last place and need to play catch-up today. Luckily for Harvard, they possess the top 500 seed in Alexandra Bastone and two swimmers in the top eight of the other two events.

With Harvard behind, several other teams will be looking to jump into the second place power vacuum. Keep an eye out for the University of Pennsylvania getting off to an early start on this. Quaker juniors Anna Moehn and Sydney Bergstrom are seeded #2 and #4 in the 500. While Yale doesn’t have as many top end swimming seeds, they’ll also be a top contender thanks to their diving prowess.

Women’s 500 free

• Ivy League Record: 4:33.24 — Lia Thomas (Penn), 2022
• Meet Record: 4:36.37 — Ellie Marquandt (Princeton), 2020
• 2024 Champion: Anna Kalandadze (Penn) — 4:37.21

Top 8

1. Alexandra Bastone (HARV) — 4:39.70
2. Natalie Farquhar (PRIN) — 4:47.36
3. Crystal Yuen (BROW) — 4:47.83
4. Sydney Bergstrom (PENN) — 4:47.93
5. Anna Moehn (PENN) 4:48.01
6. Lindsay Orringer (COL) — 4:50.10
7. Heidi Smithwick (PRIN) — 4:50.65
8. Jenna Jacobs (PENN) — 4:51.84

Harvard’s Alexandra Bastone produced the top time of the morning by eight seconds. It marks the first time the sophomore has ever cracked 4:40. Her previous best was 4:40.71 from the Harvard/Yale/Princeton duel three weeks ago. She goes into tonight as the girl to beat.

In a distant second and third, two freshmen stepped up to their first conference swims in best time fashion. Princeton’s Natalie Farquhar clocked a 4:47.36, better than the 4:49.39 lifetime best she registered midseason. Crystal Yuen of Brown had an even bigger drop for third place, going 4:50.50 at a Columbia duel in January to 4:47.83.

In the team race, Penn won big here. The Quakers put three women into the A final, including last year’s runner-up Anna Moehn.

Women’s 200 IM

• Ivy League Record: 1:54.72 — Katie Meili (Columbia), 2013
• Meet Record: 1:55.09  — Katie Meili (Columbia), 2013
• 2024 Champion: Dakota Tucker (Princeton) — 1:56.77

Top 8

1. Eleanor Sun (PRIN) — 1:56.69
2. Dakota Tucker (PRIN) — 1:58.22
3. Aleksandra Denisenko (HARV) — 1:59.33
4. Gabi Augustyn (HARV) — 1:59.51
5. Eliza Brown (PRIN) — 1:59.51
6. Katya Eruslanova (PENN) — 1:59.54
7. Payton Foster (HARV) — 2:00.00
8. Setphanie Iannaccone (HARV) — 2:00.22

Harvard and Princeton dominated the second event of the meet, making up seven of the eight A finalists.

Harvard beat out Princeton in total finalists, but Princeton claimed the top two spots. Eleanor Sun and Dakota Tucker put a gap between them and the rest of the field, with Sun clocking a 1:56.77 to beat last year’s winning time.

Harvard had an impressive slew of new best times. Senior Aleksandra Denisenko and freshman Gabi Augustyn both crushed the 2:00 barrier for third and fourth. Their best times before today stood at 2:00.69 and 2:01.71 respectively. Their teammate Payton Foster nearly joined them, going 2:00.00 exactly for a new best time. Stephanie Iannaccone was the fourth and final Crimson to make the A final.

Women’s 50 Free

• Ivy League Record: 21.83 — Bella Hindley (Yale), 2019
• Meet Record: 21.82 — Bella Hindley (Yale), 2019
• 2024 Champion: Sabrina Johnston (Princeton) — 22.07

Top 8

1. Sabrina Johnston (Princeton) — 22.13
2. Ela Noble (Princeton) — 22.24
3. Kayla Fu (Penn) — 22.40
4. Anya Mostek (Harvard) — 22.68
5. Emily Macdonald (Columbia) — 22.76
6. Sydney Lu (Harvard) — 22.77
7. Blythe Wieclawek (Harvard) — 22.86
8. Sally Ma (Columbia) — 22.88

The Princeton junior duo of Sabrina Johnston and Ela Noble successfully held their 1-2 seeds for the preliminary round of the 50 free. Johnston got within a tenth of her winning time from last year and lifetime best, 22.07. Noble was also only about a tenth off her best time from this meet last year.

Penn freshman Kayla Fu was the only other swimmer under 22.5. Her 22.40 effort beats her 22.56 best time from 2022 when she was a high school junior.

Harvard is doing their best to recover from the night 1 DQ, putting three women in the top eight. Anya Mostek led the way for the Crimson, tying her 22.68 to place 4th. Next to her tonight will be teammate Sydney Lu, who placed sixth, while Harvard’s Blythe Wieclawek will also be competing in the championship final.