The Ivy League Dual Meet Showdowns are in full swing, and week two has delivered some jaw-dropping performances that are reshaping the leaderboards. With pool records falling left and right, the competition is fiercer than ever. But here’s where it gets controversial: as Princeton and Harvard continue to dominate, could we be witnessing a season where the championship comes down to a single meet? And this is the part most people miss—the underdog teams are quietly making waves, setting records, and proving that this race is far from over.
As we approach the one-month mark of the showdowns, the second week of meets brought unexpected twists. Heading into the weekend, Princeton’s men’s and women’s teams were sitting pretty at 2–0. Fast forward to now, and while the Princeton men have held their ground, the Harvard women have surged ahead, boasting a flawless 3–0 record. Princeton’s women remain at 2–0, but the battle for the top spot is heating up. These two powerhouses are likely to trade leads throughout the season, with the ultimate showdown set for the Harvard-Princeton-Yale meet at the end of January. Mark your calendars—that’s where the championship will be decided.
The weekend kicked off with Princeton’s men facing Columbia and Brown’s men taking on Yale. Princeton dominated, winning every event except the final relay, which they would have claimed if not for a disqualification. The Tigers also shattered three school records: Mitchell Schott clocked an impressive 8:47.46 in the 1000 freestyle, the 200 medley relay team of Yanning Zhang, Keian Lam, Logan Noguchi, and Patrick Dinu set a new record of 1:24.70, and Aidan Wang made waves on the 1-meter diving board. Yale’s men defeated Brown 193–107, improving to 1–0 before their Saturday meet with Columbia, while Brown fell to 1–2.
Yale didn’t stop there—they swept Columbia, setting five new records in the Lions’ pool. Highlights included Lars Kuljus, Charlie Egeland, Nick Finch, and Daniel Nankov in the 200 medley relay (1:26.50), Noah Millard in the 200 free (1:34.44) and 500 free (4:20.05), Nick Finch in the 50 free (29.71), and Kevin Li in the 200 IM (1:46.92).
Brown’s men and women then faced Penn, with Penn emerging victorious in both meets. The men’s meet was a nail-biter, with just 13 points separating the teams (Penn 157, Brown 143).
The weekend concluded with double dual meets between Dartmouth, Harvard, and Cornell. For the second weekend in a row, Dartmouth’s pool record board was rewritten, with six men’s and four women’s records falling. Harvard’s men and women swept their meets, while Dartmouth’s women beat Cornell, and Cornell’s men took the win.
New pool records were set across the board:
- Women: Carolina Daher (Harvard) in the 1000 free (10:00.27), Carinn Bethea (Dartmouth) in the 200 free (1:48.82), Izzy Mundee (Dartmouth) in the 500 free (4:51.76), and Kiley Wilhelm (Harvard) in the 200 IM (2:00.11).
- Men: David Schmitt (Harvard) in the 200 fly (1:44.14), Joshua Chen (Harvard) in the 200 breast (1:57.65), Pablo Martinez (Harvard) in the 500 free (4:22.60), Maro Miknic (Harvard) in the 100 fly (46.65), and Jacob Turner (Dartmouth) in the 200 IM (1:47.28).
Current Standings:
Women’s: Harvard leads at 3–0, followed by Princeton and Penn at 2–0. Brown (2–3), Dartmouth (1–2), Yale and Columbia (0–1), and Cornell (0–2) round out the rankings.
Men’s: Princeton tops the chart at 3–0, with Yale and Harvard close behind at 2–0. Penn and Cornell are at 1–1, while Columbia (1–2), Brown (1–3), and Dartmouth (0–3) trail.
This week marks the first full slate of midseason invitationals, but there’s still plenty of action to catch. Harvard and Columbia face off on Friday, while Princeton, Cornell, and Penn dive into a two-day double dual meet starting Friday.
Weekend Schedule:
- Harvard vs. Columbia (21st)
- Princeton vs. Cornell vs. Penn (21st-22nd)
Thought-provoking question: With Harvard and Princeton dominating, are we underestimating the potential for an underdog team to rise to the top? Share your thoughts in the comments—let’s spark some debate!
