Harvard Moves to 3-0 in Ivy League Action by Topping Columbia, 167-133

Pictured: Freshman Greg Roop won the 200 freestyle race.
Photo courtesy: David Silverman Photography

NEW YORK -- The Harvard men’s swimming and diving team used nine victories in individual events, including four by freshmen, to hold off Ivy League rival Columbia, 167-133, Friday evening at Uris Pool. The Crimson, which improves to 3-0 in Ivy League meets and 3-1 overall, received multiple wins against the Lions from Owen Wurzbacher and Niall Janney.

On the three-meter board, rookie Michael Stanton opened the dual meet by scoring 307.80 to claim the event. Stanton also later finished second in the one-meter competition, amassing 301.35 points, just slightly behind Columbia’s Jason Collazo (301.73) for first.  Harvard's divers will compete later this weekend at the Harvard Invitational at Blodgett Pool Saturday and Sunday Nov. 21-22.

Wurzbacher took first in the 100 breaststroke for his first victory of the evening, as he swam a time of 58.06. He then completed his sweep of the breaststroke events, winning the 200 in 2:08.17. Janney led a 1-2-3 Harvard finish in the 200 butterfly, as he grabbed the wall in 1:52.60. Nicholas Tan (1:53.21) and Ross Ford (1:55.42) were second and third, respectively. In the 200 IM, Janney and Wurzbacher went 1-2, as Janney won the race in 1:53.42, and Wurzbacher posted second in 1:53.91.

Other Harvard winners included team co-captain Alex Meyer swimming the fastest time in the 1000 freestyle. Meyer touched the wall in 9:32.53, almost a full nine seconds ahead of the second-place finisher from Columbia. Freshman Greg Roop claimed the 200 freestyle, as cruised past the competition with a time of 1:44.42. Brendan McIntee was a close third, finishing in 1:45.22. Robert Newell began a stretch of five straight Harvard victories by taking the 200 backstroke with a meet-best mark of 1:53.44, just a fraction of a second ahead of Columbia’s Darren Pagan (1:53.46). Mason Brunnick and Meyer had the two fastest times in the 500 free, as Brunnick won the race and earned nine team points with a mark of 4:38.38. Meyer, meanwhile touched the wall in 4:39.06. In the final individual race, Nicholas Tan defeated the competition, winning the 100 butterfly in 50.64.

In the relay races, Harvard took second in the 200 medley relay, as Newell, Wurzbacher, Tan and Nicholas DuCille finished with a collective mark of 1:35.10. DuCille, Eric Taylor, McIntee and Will Heyburn also placed runner-up in the 400 freestyle relay, clocking in at a combined time of 3:09.86. In the 100 backstroke, Newell was the top Harvard finisher, placing second in 53.16. DuCille placed second in the 50 freestyle in 21.70, just ahead of Taylor, who posted a time of 21.75 for third place. DuCille was also the runner-up in the 100 freestyle race, touching the wall in 47.24, while Will Heyburn was third (47.46).

The Crimson, which stands just outside the CSCAA national poll with 54 votes, will enjoy a two-week break before traveling to Athens, Ga., for the Georgia Invitational Dec. 4-6. Harvard will take on some of the nation’s best at the meet, including No. 4 Florida, No. 9 Georgia and Denver, who is receiving votes in the CSCAA poll.