Harvard Men ranked #22 in NCAA DIV 1 Poll
No. 22 Crimson Claims Six Victories in Day One of HYP Meet
Courtesy: Harvard Athletic Communications
           Release: 02/01/2008

NEW HAVEN, Conn. - On the first day of the annual HYP meet, senior Geoff Rathgeber captured three events, including the 100 breaststroke and 200 IM, as Harvard won six of the first ten events of the competition.
Senior Sam Wollner and junior David Guernsey had the two best times in the 200 freestyle, placing in 1:39.19 and 1:39.42, as Harvard grabbed its first event of the evening.
Rathgeber placed first in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 54.95 and finished the 200 IM in 1:49.44. He also teamed with freshman Jordan Diekema, junior Bill Jones and senior Pat Quinn to claim the title in the 400 medley relay (3:17.87), as Harvard finished day one of the meet with three consecutive victories (200 IM, 1650 Free, 400 medley relay). Freshman Will Heyburn was third in the 100 breaststroke (57.40), while sophomore Simone Melillo tied for fourth (57.42). In the 200 IM, senior Michael Bowen was fifth (1:53.49).
Crimson swimmers also took second in the 400 medley relay as freshman Derick Chui, Melillo, junior Dan Jones and sophomore Jordan Waterman combined for a mark of 3:22.56. In the 50 freestyle, Quinn was third in 20.67, Heyburn was fourth with a time of 20.85 and Guernsey took fifth in 20.90.
Bill Jones and Dan Jones finished 1-2 in the 200 butterfly, touching the wall in 1:46.67 and 1:47.73, respectively. Harvard controlled the 1650 freestyle with the top three swimmers, led by junior Eric Lynch who took delivered the first-place points with a time of 15:21.68. Sophomore Alex Meyer was second in 15:25.72 and Wollner placed third (15:32.07). Freshman Blake Lewkowitz was fifth in the race with a mark of 15:37.05.
In the 200 freestyle relay, the team of Guernsey, Heyburn, Waterman and Quinn finished third in a collective 1:21.26. Senior Lucas Sanders scored 326.90 to place third in the 1-mtr diving event for the Crimson.
Racing will resume at noon on Saturday, Feb. 2, in the second and final day of the HYP meet. Live video and results for Saturday's events are available.


No. 22 Men's Swimming and Diving Completes HYP Sweep with Wins over Princeton, Yale
Courtesy: Harvard Athletic Communications
           Release: 02/02/2008

NEW HAVEN, Conn. - After winning six meets on the opening day of the HYP meet, Harvard continued its stellar swimming on Saturday with five titles to complete a sweep over Princeton and Yale. With the victories over the Tigers and Bulldogs, the Crimson improves to 8-0 overall and 7-0 EISL, as Harvard swept the HYP meet for the first time since 2006.
Harvard topped Princeton, 213.5-139.5, and defeated Yale, 227-5-125.5, while Tigers earned a 213-140 victory over the Bulldogs at the triangular meet. The Crimson also earned several NCAA "B" standard qualifying times in the victories and remained undefeated on the season.
Senior Geoff Rathgeber captured three events Friday, including the 100 breaststroke, 200 IM and 400 medley relay, and continued to swim well Saturday with victories in the 400 IM (3:53.18) and 200 medley relay.
Rathgeber teamed with classmate Pat Quinn, junior Bill Jones and freshman Jordan Diekema in the 200 medley relay to capture valuable first-place points, as they finished with a collective time of 1:29.85. Rathgeber's marks in the 400 IM and 100 breaststroke (54.95) were NCAA "B" standard qualifying times. On Friday, juniors Bill Jones (1:46.67) and Dan Jones (1:47.73) swam NCAA "B" provisional times in the 200 butterfly.
In the 100 butterfly, Bill Jones placed second, touching the wall in 48.18, another NCAA "B" mark. Senior Sam Wollner also earned two provisional times, as he led Harvard to a 1-2-3 finish in the 500 freestyle with a top-time of 4:24.45. Junior Eric Lynch placed second and joined Wollner with an NCAA "B" mark. Sophomore Mason Brunnick (4:29.34) finished third.
In the 1650 freestyle Friday evening, Lynch led another Crimson 1-2-3 finish with a mark of 15:21.68, while sophomore Alex Meyer was second (15:25.72) and Wollner took third (15:32.07). All three swimmers grabbed the wall with provisional times.
Harvard claimed the titles in the final two events of Saturday's competition, as Davidson took the 200 breaststroke in 2:04.56 and the Crimson 400 freestyle relay team finished in 3:00.82, as the quartet of junior David Guernsey, sophomore Jordan Waterman, Bill Jones and freshman Will Heyburn earned the win. Freshman Mike Polino was third in the 200 breaststroke (2:06.04).
Quinn took second in the 100 freestyle (44.85), while Waterman was fourth (45.91). The Crimson earned a 2-3 finish in the 200 backstroke, as Diekema swam second (1:49.74) and classmate Derick Chui was close behind in 1:49.87.

In Saturday's lone diving event, senior Lucas Sanders earned 278.75 points to place fourth and freshman Zac Ranta finished with 271.25 for sixth place.

Harvard head coach Tim Murphy, while pleased with the victories, acknowledged that the Crimson has key meets remaining on the schedule. "We've got four weeks to get better," Murphy said, alluding to the ECAC Championships at the end of February and the EISL Championships March 6-8.
In the latest CollegeSwimming.com poll, the Crimson appeared at No. 22 and is gaining momentum as the post season approaches.
 The Crimson will compete in its final dual of the season at Penn Saturday, Feb. 9. Racing will begin at noon.


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