W. Swimming rewrites the Penn record books in Boston

Eight records. Eight segments of history that disappeared from existence during the Quakers' tri-meet in Boston, resulting in a 156-144 loss to Harvard and 210-90 trouncing of Columbia.

"It was almost like a dual meet with Harvard," Penn freshman Katie Frazee said. "I couldn't believe we were that much better than Columbia."

This, a Lions team that had beaten the Quakers for the past 11 seasons and once featured Christina Teuscher -- the greatest swimmer in Ivy history. Yet that streak, like the former Penn records, is now ancient history.

These were more than new times to be added to a board in Sheerr Pool -- these were annihilations.

"We expected to break some records," Penn coach Mike Schnur said. "There were a couple [swims] that really stepped up."

Jen Block, Katie Stores, Katie Frazee, Kathleen Holthaus -- all freshmen or sophomores -- are now also the possessors of new segments of Penn swimming lore.

"I think it is very important for all of us," Stores said. "We're in it to win, and that scares the other teams."

Holthaus began the assault on the record books in the second event of the meet, the 1000 yard freestyle. And the times would continue dropping from there.

"There was not one person who had a bad swim today," Holthaus said. "Everyone was so excited for everyone else."

Stores steamrolled over both the 100 and 200 freestyle records in 50.95 seconds and 1:50.64.

"Katie killed the records," Schnur said. "She is number one in the Ivy League right now."

Frazee complimented the efforts with the 100 backstroke record in 57.50 seconds and the 200 backstroke record in 2:04.74.

And that was just the appetizer for the coup d'etat. Going into the meet, Schnur knew that the 100-breast would be the staple event.

En route to her first record of the day, Block grabbed the blue ribbon in the 100-breast in 1:05.24, just .01 seconds ahead of Harvard's Jelena Kristic.

"I didn't know who won," Block said. "I didn't know how close it was.... Knowing how close it was, though, made it even more exciting."

Block went on to obliterate Cathy Holland's one-year-old 200-breast record later in the meet in 2:21.42.

Every non-diving event during the meet featured at least two Quakers in the top five.

The meet did not bring two victories, but the twelve-point loss to Harvard was almost nullified by Penn's best meet in years.

"I wanted to pause the meet and keep it," Frazee said. "It was so exciting."

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