NCAA Div. I Women: Princeton Romps Over Harvard, Yale -- February 2, 2003

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Feb. 1. AUBURN, 16-straight women's dual-meet wins; Stanford, 21 out of 23 women's dual-meet victories?

Pretty impressive numbers one would think.

Yep, not too bad but these teams don't hold a candle to Princeton coach Susan Teeter's Lady Tigers (with apologies to David Marsh, Maggie Bowen & Co.).

Coach T's Tabbies have now won 40 consecutive dual meets and improved to 8-0 this season with a 199-120 win over Harvard and a 217-102 drubbing of Yale in the annual Princeton-Harvard-Yale tri-meet that concluded here this afternoon at the Crimson's Blodgett Pool.

(Princeton's men, double-defending Eastern Intercollegiate champs, similarly are in comand over both Harvard and Yale in the men's meet, which began this evening here.)

Four Princeton swimmers scored first-place finishes and several other Tigers scored points as the Tigers cruised to victory.

Entering Saturday's events with a comfortable lead, the Tigers went to business with Claire Pearson winning the 200 yard backstroke (2:03.59) early in the day. Chrissy Holland then led a 1-2-3 Princeton finish in the 200 breaststroke with her 2:20.46. Whitney Ryan and Lauren Rossi placed second and third.

Sarah Fraumann won the 500 freestyle (4:56.11) and Molly Seto -- sister of former Princeton All-America Carwei -- won the 100 yard butterfly (55.78) to cap Tiger victories on the day.

Harvard defeated Yale by a 194-124 score to give the Crimson a second-place finish. Princeton, Harvard and Yale will travel to the Goodwill Games pool in Nassau, Long Island for this year's Ivy League Championships, scheduled for Feb. 27 - March 1.

The Tigers are three for three for the century in the conference championship and figure to make it four-for-four come the Ides of March.

Princeton conclude its regular season with Columbia in their home DeNunzio Pool next Friday, Feb. 7 at 6 p.m.


-- Bill Bell