Harvard Sweeps Ivy Rivals Cornell, Dartmouth

Pictured: Douwe Yntema won the 200 freestyle, grabbing the wall in 1:42.49.
Photo courtesy: David Silverman Photography


ITHACA, N.Y. – The Harvard men’s swimming and diving team posted victories in nine events to top Cornell and Dartmouth in the Crimson’s first competition of the season against Ivy League opponents Saturday. Harvard edged Cornell, 177-123, and downed Dartmouth, 237-63.

With the sweep, Harvard improves to 2-1 on the season and 2-0 in Ivy League action.

The Crimson claimed the first race of the day, the 200 medley relay, as the quartet of sophomores Robert Newell, Niall Janney and Nicholas DuCille and freshman Owen Wurzbacher cruised past the competition with a combined time of 1:33.67. Harvard then swept the top four slots in the 1000 freestyle race, led by a first-place finish by senior Mason Brunnick. Brunnick won the race in 9:28.86, while classmate Alex Meyer was second in 9:46.63. Juniors Blake Lewkowitz (9:46.78) and Jamie Mannion (9:54.74) were third and fourth, respectively.

In the 200 freestyle, junior Douwe Yntema delivered Harvard’s third straight win, taking the race in 1:42.49. Newell then followed with a victory in the 100 backstroke, touching the wall in a race-best 51.50. After Wurzbacher finished second in the 100 breaststroke (57.41) and Janney was the runner-up in the 200 butterfly (1:53.22), Harvard won its fifth event as DuCille had the fastest time, grabbing the wall in 21.10. Later on, DuCille also earned a second-place finish in the 100 freestyle with a mark of 47.00. Freshman Greg Roop finished second in the 100 butterfly in his first Ivy League tri-meet, touching the wall in 51.42.

Harvard swimmers went 1-2-3 in the 200 backstroke, as Newell won the race in 1:51.30, followed by freshman Greg Pelton (1:53.76) and sophomore David Lynch (1:55.28). Senior Alex Meyer posted the fastest time of the meet in the 500 freestyle, as the Crimson co-captain swam to victory in 4:36.51. Harvard capped the day with a victory in the 400 freestyle relay, as DuCille, freshman Brendan McIntee, sophomore Eric Taylor and junior Will Heyburn had a combined time of 3:07.33. In the diving competition held earlier Saturday, senior Zac Ranta won the three-meter board, earning 317.70 points. Ranta also placed second on the one-meter board, scoring 272.55.

Up next, Harvard visits Columbia Friday, Nov. 20 at 5 p.m.