Crimson Carries Unbeaten Ivy League Record into HYP Meet

Photo courtesy: Harvard Athletic Communications

Live Results of HYP Meet
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The Particulars:
In the final action of the regular season, the Harvard men’s swimming and diving team travels to Princeton, N.J., for the annual HYP meet against Ivy League rivals Yale and Princeton. Harvard boasts a 6-1 overall record and 5-0 mark in Ivy League action, while Princeton is 4-0 overall and in league meets. Yale, meanwhile owns a 1-3 Ivy League mark and stands at 3-4 overall. The meet, held at Princeton’s DeNunzio Pool, begins Friday at 6 p.m. and concludes Saturday, with action getting underway at noon. Harvard, Yale or Princeton have won every Ivy League title since the 1988 season.

Last Time Out:
The Crimson, which is receiving 13 votes in the latest CSCAA national poll, posted a 13-victory effort in a 201-99 win against Boston University at Blodgett Pool Jan. 23. Four Harvard team members won two events, including Niall Janney (200 butterfly, 400 IM), Robert Newell (100 and 200 backstroke), Mason Brunnick (200 and 500 freestyle) and Zac Ranta (one – and three-meter diving). A day earlier, Harvard outlasted Brown, 127-116, at Blodgett Pool.

Scouting The Crimson:
Harvard has successfully defeated each of its five Ivy League opponents so far this season. The Crimson opened the year by sweeping Cornell, 177-123, and Dartmouth, 237-63, Nov. 14, in a tri-meet in Ithaca, N.Y. A week later, Harvard topped Columbia, 167-133, Nov. 20, and then returned from the holiday break by downing Penn, 183-117, Jan. 9. In other action this season, Harvard finished fourth at the prestigious Georgia Invitational Dec. 6, and fell to Texas A&M in the season opener, 131.5-102.5. Most recently, the Crimson won 13 of 16 events to breeze past Boston University, 201-99.

Scouting The Tigers:
Princeton, which is receiving 28 votes in the latest CSCAA national rankings, has competed against four opponents this season, winning each meet. The Tigers opened the year with victories over Cornel, 191-104, and Penn, 193-102, at DeNunzio Pool Nov. 20. The team then defeated Brown, 224-91, Dec. 6 and most recently traveled to Dartmouth and won, 181-119, Jan. 24. Against the Big Green, Colin Cordes, Will Lawley and Jon Hartmann finished 1-2-3 in the 500 freestyle, while Hartmann, Cordes and Lawley also placed with the top three times in the 50 free.

Scouting The Bulldogs:
Yale is coming off a close, 152-142, loss at home to Navy Jan. 23. The Bulldogs had won three of their last five meets entering the dual with the Midshipmen. Yale topped Southern Connecticut, 178-120, Nov. 23, Massachusetts, 193-107, Dec. 5 and Dartmouth, 234.5-65.5, Jan. 16. In other Ivy League action, Columbia edged Yale, 151-149, in the opener Nov. 14, and the Bulldogs fell to Cornell, 169-131, Jan. 10, and dropped a meet to Penn, 170-130, Jan. 16. Three of Yale’s divers – Drew Teer, Colton Staab and Eric Olson – qualified for the NCAA Zone Diving Championships in March.

Schedule of Events:
Friday, Jan. 29
200 Free Relay
1 Meter Diving
200 Free
100 Back
100 Breast
200 Fly
50 Free
200 Individual Medley
1650 Free
400 Medley Relay

Saturday, Jan. 30
400 IM
100 Free
3 Meter Diving
200 Back
100 Fly
500 Free
200 Breast
400 Free Relay

30 And Counting For 2010:
The Harvard senior class of 2010 has contributed to 30 dual meet wins for the Crimson, including a 9-0 undefeated season in 2007-08 and a 6-1 mark this winter.

Open Water Title:
Senior co-captain Alex Meyer of the Harvard men's swimming & diving team claimed victory in the one-mile race at the St. Croix Dolphins Sea Swim, held in the U.S. Virgin Islands earlier this month. Meyer completed the warm-water race in 19:53 to win the open-water competition. Harvard teammates Blake Lewkowitz, a junior, and Mason Brunnick, a senior, placed second and third in the race, respectively, with times of 20:06 and 20:09.

Up Next For The Crimson:
Harvard will have more than a month break before traveling to Pittsburgh, Pa., for the ECAC Championships Feb. 26-28. The three-day meet will be held at Pittsburgh’s Trees Pool.