The Tufts men’s and women’s swim and dive teams won their first meets of the weekend, with the women’s meet ending 146–68 and the men’s meet ending 111–97.
Both teams chartered up to Lewiston, Maine to take on Bates on Friday. The match between the men’s teams was anyone’s to take, with a few key victories securing the Jumbos’ overall win. For the women’s Jumbos squad, however, there was no stopping them as they piled on the points against the Bobcats.
Graduate student Jillian Cudney decided to take first in not one but two events on the day, winning the 50 butterfly and 50 freestyle. Plenty of her teammates tallied victories of their own: Sophomore Elena Harrison set a new personal record to win the 200 individual medley, juniors Quincy Wheeler and Madeleine Dunn won the 100 and 200 freestyle and first-year Lila Strober bested her opponent in the 500 freestyle.
Diver Malia Leung passed the NCAA qualifying score with her win in the one-meter event, while her first-year teammates Luci Karp and Riley Metz occupied second and third place to fill the rest of the podium with Jumbos.
The women’s swim and dive team continued to fill the leaderboard throughout the meet, stacking on more than double the points that Bates secured. Despite a speedy run in the 50 breaststroke from Bobcats Sarah Palmer, the Jumbos won the meet as though it were destiny.
The men’s teams featured some impressive swims of their own. Senior Eric Lundgren captured two wins in the 50 butterfly and 50 backstroke. Senior Brian Uribe and sophomore Evan Wang were right behind Lundgren in the 50 backstroke event for a Jumbos 1–2–3 finish in the event. Sophomore Dan Godino dominated the freestyle events, winning both the 200 and 500.
Diver Cameron Yuen won two events, scoring 263.18 in the one-meter and winning the three-meter with an impressive score of 284.55.
A few key relay wins, along with podium placements from the men’s teams, pulled the Jumbos just far enough in front of the Bobcats to end the meet with a win, although the Bobcats were a mere 14 points behind.
When asked about preparation, graduate student Elijah Houlton mentioned “training hard through the meet” to push towards goals that extend far beyond the win against Bates.
The men’s team arrived at the meet with fewer swimmers than anticipated. “We knew going into it that we were shorthanded, and we’d have to swim extra fast,” Houlton said, explaining that every point would have to be earned without the whole team present. Despite not having a full squad, the Jumbos ground out enough points to stave off the Bobcats.
Regarding the women’s teams’ performance, Cudney gave credit to the team’s ability to dominate from start to finish even with fewer athletes than expected.
“We were really strong,” Cudney said, “even with fewer people.”
The swim and dive teams only have one more set of meets before their NESCAC Championships begin. The women’s championship begins on Feb. 13, while the men’s championship will start a week later on Feb. 20.
The meets left will still be crucial events to prepare some of the athletes for NESCACs.
“We first want to see people crush it at BU,” Cudney said regarding the team’s goals for the season.
Some athletes who perform well at the meet hosted by Boston University will be added to the roster for the NESCAC championships, and Cudney knows that plenty of her teammates can earn a spot. “I think we all want to see the team return to being on top in the conference,” she added.
Houlton was no different. Always looking at the bigger picture, he stated, “We want to win NESCACs,” verbalizing what he and his teammates have had their eyes on since October in what will be his final season as a Jumbo.
As individuals, both Cudney and Houlton are sprinters, and they each shared their desires to improve the little things in their technique so that in the short burst in the water where a winner is determined, they can be flawless and, in turn, as fast as possible.
Both teams appear poised and determined to reach their goals. Both graduate students are ready to make each moment in the water count as the Jumbos prepare mentally and physically for the NESCAC Championships and beyond.
