As the men of the Yale swimming team prepare to meet their two biggest rivals coming to town this weekend, they have history on their minds. With 999 wins, the men’s team is just one victory shy of setting a new standard in collegiate swimming.

Since they first entered the water in 1898, the Eli men have amassed nine NCAA runner-up finishes and 60 individual NCAA championships. This season the Bulldogs are off to an 11-0 start, with their annual contest against Harvard and Princeton set for Friday and Saturday.

While there is no official NCAA record of all-time swimming victories, it is more than likely that Yale will be the first school to reach 1,000 according to Yale Sports Publicity.

Adding to the significance of the 2002 H-Y-P battle is the fact that both the Crimson and Tigers are also undefeated. The two-day meet begins tonight at 7 p.m. at Kiphuth Exhibition Pool in Payne Whitney Gymnasium and continues Saturday at 1 p.m., with the winner emerging as the front-runner for the Ivy title.

–Yale Daily News