Penn swimming and diving hosts Ivy League rivals for senior day

Penn swimming and diving hosted Yale and Dartmouth at home on Jan. 8, a month after the women’s team placed second and the men’s team first at the Zippy Invitationals in Akron, Ohio. 

Competition at Sheerr Pool began after Penn honored its graduating athletes for their accomplishments through their time with the program. Several seniors closed out the meaningful afternoon with notable results.

After setting a meet record in the 500-yard freestyle at Akron, senior William Kamps couldn’t repeat the win at home after falling second. But he instead achieved his win in the 1000 yard-freestyle, with fellow senior Jack Loveless right behind to take second place.

Senior Hannah Kannan placed second in both the 100-yard and 200-yard backstroke at 56.41 and 2:03.35. Kannan also contributed to the third-place team in the 200 medley relay that featured all four classes, with freshman Vanessa Chong, sophomore Jenessa Schwarz, and junior Margot Kaczorowski.

Collective results as a team weren't limited to the relays. Catherine Buroker, Grace Giddings, and Anna Kalandadze swept first through third, respectively, in the 1000-yard freestyle. Buroker’s win was her first time in competition all this season, and she finished eight seconds ahead of her teammate in second.

The women’s team continued its success in distance events, as Lia Thomas, Buroker, and Giddings closed out the top three in the 500-yard freestyle. Thomas placed first in the 200- and 500-yard freestyles, and maintained her form through the afternoon to close out the 400-yard freestyle relay lineup, which finished third.

The men’s 200-yard medley relay was an event to look forward to for the Quakers, whose relay teams took first and second in their prior meet. But the team of Jack Hamilton, Matthew Fallon, Benjamin Feldman, and Nicholas Malchow fell just short of the win by less than half a second at 1:31.14.

Feldman went on to tie for second in the 50-yard freestyle, and missed the win in the 200-yard butterfly by a second; ahead of Andrew Dai who finished .71 seconds later in third place. Feldman finally found his win in the 100-yard butterfly at 49.97.

While the afternoon was dedicated to the graduating seniors, many Penn underclassmen stepped up and achieved impressive results as well.

Freshman Vanessa Chong took third in the 200-yard butterfly, and reached close to a win twice later in the day, placing second in the 100-yard butterfly and the 200 individual medley.

Freshman Anna Boeckman placed second in the 200 breaststroke at 2:20.60, ahead of senior Grace Estabrook, who placed second in the 100 breaststroke earlier in the afternoon.

Junior Olivia Francella and freshman Madeleine Parker both scored points for Penn in the one-meter dive, finishing second and fifth, respectively. Parker improved in the three-meter, and placed third behind Francella in second.

Freshman Cody Hopkins won both diving events, with sophomore Jack Williams close behind scoring second in the one-meter and third in the three-meter.

A trio of juniors took the stage for Penn in the men's breaststroke events. Jason Schreiber placed first in the 100-yard breaststroke at 56.53, with Neil Simpson following in second at 56.78. Eric Wang fell just short of third.

The women's team placed third, and the men's team replicated its first-place team standing from the Zippy Invitational.

With the large presence of media at the event, spectators were limited to the top stands and not allowed to the lower levels near the pool.

Coach Mike Schnur and the athletes have continued their decision to not speak with media, as the team looks ahead to the important late stages of the season. Penn swimming and diving will next compete at Harvard and West Chester before the Ivy League championships.