WILLIAMSTOWN, MA - In part one of what promises to be an exciting and fulfilling two-meet weekend for the Ephs, the women's swimming and diving team defeated the MIT Engineers 192-97 in Friday night's meet. The women came into the meet fully charged and ready for some out-of-conference competition from their NEWMAC competitor, who has offered them a constant challenge every season. Both this year and last year, the meet ended with Williams as winner by a respectable margin of points.
Excited to be swimming at home for the first time since their holiday break, the team revved off the blocks race after race, beginning with the lightning-fast 200-yd medley relay. The faithful senior-sophomore combination of Katie Bennett '16, Breanna Nguyen '16, Aly Levine '14, and Faye Sultan '16 touched in at 1:48.00, not their fastest this season but still a comfortable two seconds in front of their closest Engineer competition. The Ephs also took third and fifth in the event, outpacing the opposing relays and enforcing the competitive and energetic atmosphere upon which the team thrives.
With the stands full of both families and the familiar faces of Williams home fans, the women continued to show their depth and endurance throughout the meet. Once more, they were faced with new and grueling events such as the 1650-yd freestyle and the 400-yd IM, and demonstrated their ability to rise to the occasion at every turn. In the 1650, junior Sarah Thompson made waves with her fantastic time of 17:03.60, a forceful season debut for this dependable distance swimmer. Thompson was joined by her teammates Megan Pierce '17 and Erica Bucki '15 in second and third respectively, with Bucki in a tight and exciting race to the end. This trio is a prime example of Williams' strength in the distance freestyle events, and certainly shall be resurfacing at some point in the near future.
Determined to show the Engineers their propensity for speed and racing, the women continued to place well across events. Lauren Jones '17 and Emma Nuzzo '16 took first and third in the 200-yd freestyle, while Katie Bennett '16 and Olivia Jackson '17 went 1-2 in the 100-yd backstroke. The 200-yd butterfly was another showcase of the team's depth in the stroke, as Megan Pierce '17, Sofie Pietrantonio '17, and Paige Haller '16 swept the event with grace. Yet another sweep came later in the 200-yd breaststroke event, where Breanna Nguyen '16, Olivia Clark '17, and Molly Prindle '15 took first through third respectively, all of them posting remarkable in-season times.
Back at it in the distance events, Williams swimmers found themselves another sweep in the 500-yd freestyle towards the close of the meet. Sarah Thompson '15, fresh from her earlier mile-long race, took first with an in-season best of 5:01.50. Behind her were Lauren Jones '17 and Maddy Holker '16, their swims pushing the team closer and closer to a victory over the Engineers.
The meet closed with the fast-paced 200-yd freestyle relay, which gave MIT the chance to show some of their sprinting talent. The Ephwomen raced until the last second, the A-relay taking second to the Engineers but only by fractions of a second. Now, the team takes this Friday night as an opportunity to rest up and prepare for their battle with Middlebury tomorrow, 1 PM at the Samuelson-Muir Pool.
Results
