Women's Swimming and Diving 11/6/2021 3:49:00 PM

Women’s Swimming and Diving Tops Columbia in Ivy League Opener, 179.5-115.5

NEW YORK, N.Y. – Harvard University women's swimming and diving topped Columbia University, 179.5-115.5, in its Ivy League opener on Saturday afternoon at Percy Uris Natatorium, completing a 2-0 weekend for the Crimson in its first dual meets of the 2021-22 season.

Following a 170-129 victory at Rutgers University on Friday night, the Crimson (2-0, 1-0 Ivy) capped an undefeated weekend with a win over the Lions (1-1, 1-1 Ivy) behind 12 event victories, nine second-place showings, and seven third-place finishes.

Harvard swept the two three spots in the 100 backstroke and took first and second in six other events – the 400 IM, 200 freestyle, 1-meter diving, 100 freestyle, 200 backstroke, and 100 butterfly.

Senior Felicia Pasadyn (400 IM, 200 backstroke) and junior Samantha Shelton (200 freestyle, 100 freestyle) each won two individual swimming events. On the boards, senior Esther Lawrence took home first place in both 3-meter diving and 1-meter diving.

Sophomore Addie Rose Bullock (100 backstroke), first-year Aleksandra Denisenko (100 breaststroke), first-year Abby Carr (200 butterfly), first-year Mandy Brenner (50 freestyle), and first-year Molly Hamlin (100 butterfly) each won one individual event while Car, Denisenko, Bullock, and Hamlin helped the Crimson win the 200 medley relay.

Harvard Highlights

Senior Esther Lawrence won 3-meter diving with a score of 305.10 while sophomore Elizabeth Miclau came in third behind a 295.65. Lawrence followed that performance with a first-place showing in 1-meter diving (284.48), and first-year Amy Wotovich came in second in the event with a 280.80.
Senior Felicia Pasadyn captured first in the 400-yard individual medley in 4:19.19, and fellow senior Mikki Thompson came in second in 4:25.40. Pasadyn won her second event of the day in the 200-yard backstroke (1:59.81) with first-year Maggie Buckley following in second place (2:01.49).
In the 200-yard freestyle, junior Samantha Shelton and first-year Molly Hamlin took the first two spots in 1:50.63 and 1:50.70 respectively.
In the 100-yard freestyle, Harvard snagged the top two spots in addition to a tie for third place. Junior Samantha Shelton won the event (51.28) – her second victory of the day – with first-year Mandy Brenner (52.24) coming in second and sophomore Addie Rose Bullock tying for third (52.62).
The Crimson swept the top three spots in the 100-yard backstroke behind efforts from sophomore Addie Rose Bullock (56.37), first-year Maggie Buckley (57.26) and junior Athena Ye (58.10).
Harvard went one-two in the 100-yard butterfly as first-year Molly Hamlin won the event in a time of 55.58, and first-year Abby Carr followed in 56.14.
In the 200-yard medley relay, Harvard's "A" relay of first-year Abby Carr, first-year Aleksandra Denisenko, sophomore Addie Rose Bullock, and first-year Molly Hamlin came in first in 1:43.93. The "B" team of junior Athena Ye, sophomore Victoria Eisenhauer, junior Samantha Shelton, and first-year Mandy Brenner finished third in 1:44.65.
First-year Aleksandra Denisenko won the 100-yard breaststroke in 1:04.23 while sophomore Victoria Eisenhauer placed third in 1:05.15.
First-year Abby Carr earned first in the 200-yard butterfly with a time of 2:03.70, and first-year Erin Cavanagh followed in third place in 2:06.63.
First-year Mandy Brenner gained first place in the 50-yard freestyle in a time of 23.71.
Harvard came in second and third in the 200-yard breaststroke behind first-year Aleksandra Denisenko (2:21.50) and senior Mikki Thompson (2:22.76).
The Crimson also took second and third in the 500-yard freestyle with swims from first-years Erin Cavanagh (5:01.38) and Carlie Rose (5:04.30).

Meet Notes

First-year Aleksandra Denisenko finished the weekend with four individual victories in addition to a relay win. She won three individual events at Rutgers before an individual and relay victory at Columbia.
First-year Abby Carr closed the weekend with three individual wins and a relay victory. She won two individual events at Rutgers before an individual and relay victory at Columbia.
Senior Felicia Pasadyn tallied three individual victories on the weekend. She won once on Friday at Rutgers and twice vs. the Lions.
Between the weekend's two meets, Harvard totaled 20 wins, 22 second-place showings, and 18 third-place finishes.
Harvard improved to 35-1 all-time vs. Columbia.
The Crimson has now won its Ivy opener in each of the last seven seasons and in 21 of the last 22 seasons.