Like the majority of Yale, the women’s swimming team traveled to Boston last weekend. But unlike their classmates who were at the Yale-Harvard football game, the swimming team spent Saturday and Sunday in the pool at Boston University, competing at the Terrier Invitational.
The team finished in fifth place with 407 points. Boston University won the invitational with 865.5 points. The final score reflects the events from all three days of competition, including the Friday sessions in which the women did not compete because of budget restrictions.
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“Our goal was to swim smart races — get hands on the wall and just race,” head coach Cristina Teuscher said.
The relay team of Alex Forrester ’13, Cynthia Tsay ’13, Joan Weaver ’13 and Hayes Hyde ’12 won the 800-yd freestyle relay in a time of 7:33.27. The same squad placed second in the 400-yd freestyle relay in 3:28.03. The 200-yd medley relay team of Tsay, Athena Liao ’12, Hyde and Forrester placed third with a time of 1:47.55.
The Bulldogs also had strong performances in the individual events. Forrester won the 100-yd butterfly, 200-yd butterfly and 200-yd freestyle. Her 53.84 second time in the 100-yd butterfly finals hovered just under half a second above the pool record she set as a swimmer for Bluefish Swim Club in 2008, when high-tech suits were still permitted.
“I’m pleased with my swims, but it’s hard to tell this early in the season. You get up and race, and that’s that,” Forrester said.
Weaver had a fantastic race in the 1650-yd freestyle on Sunday, dropping 22 seconds off of her lifetime best and finished second in 17:02.61.
“I’ve only swum the mile once before,” Weaver said. “I was nervous to go out too fast. I went out slow, felt good, and picked it up, and it turned out alright.”
Meaghan Grimes of Boston University won the race in 16:44.62, setting a meet record. Molly Albrecht ’13 and Abby Nunn ’12 finished in fifth and sixth place with times of 17:15.65 and 17:18.30 respectively.
According to Teuscher, the swimmers proved their toughness and raced well. “We are a small but mighty team,” Teuscher said.
Forrester echoed Teuscher’s sentiments. “I think people got up and raced and definitely did their best given that we weren’t rested,” Forrester said.
Six swimmers who have achieved the necessary qualifying times will travel to Columbus, Ohio for Short Course Nationals on Dec. 2-4, while the remainder of the swimmers and divers will compete in a dual meet at the University of Vermont on Dec. 4.