The swim and dive teams swept the competition this weekend, with both the men and women coming in first at the annual Dartmouth Invitational held at the Upper Valley Aquatics Center in White River Junction.
As a team, the men scored 1,274 points, far ahead of second-place University of Massachusetts with 825.5. The women scored 1,106.5 points, ahead of second-place Northeastern University, which finished with 778.
“I thought we did amazing,” co-captain Christine Kerr ’14 said. “I thought our performance was much better, so I’m happy, and I think all the girls are happy. We beat all five teams, and that’s exactly what we wanted to do.”
Olivia Samson ’16 broke Kerr’s 2012 200-yard freestyle pool record of 1:52.79 by posting a time of 1:51.96. Teammate Madeleine Wall ’16 broke the same record in an earlier heat by swimming a 1:52.76.
“I was actually happy to be able to watch two of my teammates break my own record,” Kerr said. “It was a really cool thing to see.”
Kerr and Charlotte Kamai ’16 took third and fourth in the event, respectively, for a clean sweep by the Big Green.
On the men’s side Brett Gillis ’16 helped the swim team tower over the competition by taking first in the three-meter dive by a landslide, earning 326.30 points — 40.5 points ahead of the second-place Boston College diver. As an entire team, the men brought home 15 first place finishes, including a first place finish by Jay Schulte ’15, who rebounded from two unnecessary laps in the 200-yard breaststroke after another swimmer didn’t set in time and the race had to be restarted. The last heat in which Schulte swam had to be rescheduled after the next set of women’s heats in order to allow him and others to recuperate.
“It was kind of a nice confidence booster for the team,” co-captain Andrew North ’14 said of the meet. “We know we’re tired because it’s been a tough week at training, but to see some good times was exciting.”
When all was said and done, the Big Green splattered the record board with new names nine times, including an exact tie by rising star James Verhagen ’16 in the 100-yard backstroke with Patrick Murphy’s pool record from 2009 of 50.31.
“Ultimately, I’d like to break the record,” Verhagen said, “but overall I’m still happy with my time.”
The budding NCAA-caliber swimmer went on to steal the 200-yard backstroke pool record by swimming a 1:50.77 after swimming the backstroke legs of the 200-yard and 400-yard medley relays.
With a time of 1:32.80 in the 200-yard medley relay, co-captain Nejc Zupan ’14, Verhagen, North and Daniel Whitcomb ’16, reintroduced Dartmouth’s name into the record book after Keene State College took the honor in 2010. In the 400-yard medley relay, Verhagen, Zupan, Ian Woon ’15 and David Harmon ’17 refreshed an old pool record set by Verhagen and Zupan in 2013 by swimming a 3:22.78.
“Pretty much the records are a collection of swims that Dartmouth has done over the years,” North said. “It’s always cool to see little chunks of history being made on a small level.”
Senior powerhouse Zupan broke a record in every event that he entered. In addition to the team relays, Zupan shattered his own 2013 record in the 200-yard individual medley by finishing almost five seconds ahead of second-place teammate Aaron Athanas ’16 with a time of 1:49.50. Zupan surprised no one when he repeated this impressive medley performance in the 400-yard event, shaving an entire second from Drew Ledwith’s 2012 record of 3:59.16 with a time of 3:58.12.
Zupan carved his name into not only the walls of the Aquatic Center but the foundations of Dartmouth itself when he claimed the team varsity record in the 200-yard butterfly by swimming a 1:49.29, seconds faster than Ledwith’s record 2012 time of 1:51.50. The win came despite the fact that it isn’t one of Zupan’s primary events, North said.
As it was the last home meet of the season, friends and family came to bid farewell to senior members of the team. Seniors swam a special 50-yard relay with their parents. Cheers and whistles from fans and swimmers of all teams shook the bones of the Aquatics Center as parents raced down their leg of the relay in swim trunks and speedos. North swam with his father.
Danielle and Christine Kerr jumped off the starting block together to swim toward their father waiting at the end of the first leg.
“My dad never really swam before,” Christine said. “It was really just funny to watch him.”
The Big Green hopes to take the momentum to its next meet at the University of Connecticut on Feb. 1.
