Princeton Women Win 2020 Ivy League Title as Venema, Marquardt Sweep Freestyles

2020 WOMEN’S IVY LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIPS

  • Wednesday, February 19 – Saturday, February 22
  • Katherine Moran Coleman Aquatics Center – Providence, RI (Eastern Time Zone)
  • Prelims: 11:00 AM/Finals: 6:00 PM
  • Defending Champion: Harvard (2x – results)
  • Live results
  • Fan Guide
  • Championship Central

The Princeton women captured their first Ivy League title since 2015 as they defeated rival Harvard at the 2020 Ivy League Championships. There were 3 freshmen who came up with 9 event wins. Of those freshmen, 2 were Princeton swimmers who combined to win every freestyle race and sweep their individual races. Ellie Marquardt won the 1650 free tonight, dropping 10 seconds in 16:06.96. With that, she broke the Pool Record and outswam Penn’s 2019 champion Catherine Buroker, who knocked a couple of seconds from her best in 16:09.76 for silver. Marquardt won the 500 free, 1000 free, and 1650 free at this meet.

Freshman teammate Nikki Venema broke the Pool Record as she won the 100 free, clipping her best by a few hundredths in 48.55. She came from behind to out-touch Brown’s Taylor Seaman (48.85) and Yale’s Izzy Henig (48.90) at the finish. Venema won the 50 free, 100 free, and 200 free at her first Ivy League Championships.

Harvard also had a freshman triple. After sweeping the IMs, Felicia Pasadyn dominated the 200 back. She took over a second off the Ivy League Meet Record, posting a lifetime best 1:52.56. Teammate Samantha Shelton, who won this race and set the Meet Record as a freshman in 2019, was the runner-up this season in 1:54.91.

Jaycee Yegher swept the breaststrokes for Harvard. She took down the Meet Record in the 200 breast by nearly a full second. Yegher, who placed 5th last season in the event, broke 2:10 for the first time in prelims. She dropped over 3 seconds throughout the day, winning the final in 2:08.47.

Teammate Miki Dahlke then won the final individual event of the meet for the Crimson. Opting for the 200 fly instead of the 100 free this season, Dahlke took down a Pool Record as she dominated in 1:55.51. That was her first swim under 1:56. Behind her, Princeton freshman Christina Bradley, who took 2nd to Dahlke in the 100 fly, earned another silver. She dropped over half a second in 1:57.25. Dartmouth’s Mia Leko was just shy of her best in prelims in 1:57.92. She went on to take bronze in the final with a 1:58.70.

Harvard closed the meet with a new Ivy League Meet Record in the 400 free relay, winning in 3:14.48 to swim under the NCAA ‘A’ cut. Pasadyn broke 50 for the first time as she led them off in 49.27. Kennidy Quist took on the 2nd leg in 48.61, followed by Shelton (48.47) and Dahlke (48.13).

FINAL TEAM SCORES

1. Princeton University 1569
2. Harvard University 1462
3. Yale University 1139.5
4. University of Pennsylvania 949.5
5. Brown University 843
6. Columbia University 755
7. Dartmouth College 598
8. Cornell University 543

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flyer501
4 years ago

Harvard’s comments after HYP were quite comical. “We didn’t try!” “They don’t know we are going to win ivies!” It takes true grit and character to win championships and obviously they just did not have it there this year. Princeton made a decision this year to win and never let up.

4000
4 years ago

So proud of the Tigers. Princeton is an up and coming program with a lot of young talent. Congratulations to all of the athletes who competed last week!

Alum
4 years ago

Way to go Tigers!!! Very impressed with our freshman class!
Wanted to point out a bit of an under-the-radar swim since she ended up in second, but major props to Christina Bradley in that 200 fly – according to the USA Swimming database, her best time in the 200 fly from before college was a 2:08 from 5 years ago. Went a 1:57 low with just a few months of training for that event!

Alum
Reply to  Alum
4 years ago

Ok I don’t like getting downvoted so here are some other non-first place highlights for swimmers from other teams this weekend! I know the Ivy League doesn’t get the same level of in-depth analysis as some of the larger conferences, but there were lots of breakthrough swims and performances at this meet that I just think are nice to highlight. just trying to be nice

1. Kennedy Quist from Harvard had an awesome breakthrough meet – broke 23 for the first time in the 50, nearly broke 49 in the 100, and almost outtouched for first in the 200 free
2. Catherine Buroker from Penn (99% most likely) punched a repeat ticket to NCAAs in the mile! It’s always… Read more »

Alum
Reply to  Alum
4 years ago

(slight amendment: Kennedy went a 22.99 at the Minnesota Invite this year so not the first time breaking 23 but still broke it by a bigger margin at Ivys)

Karen
4 years ago

Weird, I thought swimswam predicted Cornell would take 7th.

Benedict Arnold Schwarzenegger
Reply to  Karen
4 years ago

Dartmouth fans are the most smug I’ve ever seen a program be over getting second to last at conference. Congrats, I guess?

swimgirl23456
4 years ago

Hell of a week for the tigers. So impressed by the professionalism shown in their swims and deck presence. Way to win the close races ladies!! Well deserved.

About Lauren Neidigh

Lauren Neidigh

Lauren Neidigh is a former NCAA swimmer at the University of Arizona (2013-2015) and the University of Florida (2011-2013). While her college swimming career left a bit to be desired, her Snapchat chin selfies and hot takes on Twitter do not disappoint. She's also a high school graduate of The …

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