Relay for Life

ON THE MEN'S FRONT

Nine new varsity records topped this year’s successful EISL campaign that concluded with Dartmouth finishing ninth at the Championships, less than 150 points behind fifth place finisher Cornell. With 534 ½ points, the Big Green outdistanced Army by nearly 200 points and was a mere 32 points short of eighth place Pennsylvania. The swimmers and divers of this year’s squad almost doubled the championship point total they received at last year’s meet. Did we swim and dive twice as well? Almost.

The year started out with a bang as the Big Green took their two opening home meets against EISL foes Brown and Navy by scores of 124-109 and 140-101 respectively. This was the first time ever that Dartmouth had won both ends of an EISL double dual meet. The squad kept up their winning ways against Vermont, 133-100, before leaving on their winter training trip. Being undefeated going into winter trip set the stage for hard-nosed training.

This year’s winter trip was to Honolulu, Hawaii and the sunny pool of the University of Hawaii and equally sunny sands of Oahu.  Click HERE for a full accounting of our 2003 Winter training trip.  photos

The team trained extremely hard both morning and evening, including intense weight room sessions at the beautiful UH strength training facility. Staying at the dorms only 50 yards from the pool and just down the hill from the fantastic buffet meals of Halle Aloha dorms, the guys couldn’t have had a better training situation. And it paid off upon our return to the mainland.

In our first meet after winter break, the team destroyed the competition at the URI Invitational, winning 11 of 19 events and finishing more than 50 points ahead of runner up UMass. Next up was UNH and another dual meet win. Before heading off to tough weekends at Columbia and Penn, the Dartmouth Big Green was sitting atop the league, undefeated at 4-0 (2-0 EISL) and having won the URI Invitational.

Despite winning more events than Penn at the dual meet this year, Dartmouth came away with a loss in Philadelphia. Another loss at Princeton the next weekend evened the Big Green’s record at 4-4.

Getting back to their winning ways the following weekend at West Point, the team crushed league foe Army in what may be the two’s last dual meet ever, 162-136. Later that week, minus a few key swimmers, Middlebury became Dartmouth’s sixth victim in a 124-97 win for the Big Green. Now at 6-4 overall, the 2003-2004 team was assured at least an even dual meet record for the year for the first time since 1985. Losses to Harvard and Cornell at the end of the season brought Dartmouth’s overall record to 6-6 heading into Championships.

Standouts at the EISL Championships at Princeton in chronological order were school records or top eight finishes:

• 7^th        200 freestyle relay (Kemper Diehl ’06, Mike Hipps ’05, Tom Sanford ’04, Ryan Goldhahn ’04) 1:23.16

• 11^th       200 IM, Tom Sanford, (1:51.31p) (new school record)

• 6^th        50 free, Ryan Goldhahn, (:20.41p)

• 6^th        400 medley relay (Mike Hipps, Tom Sanford, Kemper Diehl, Ryan Goldhahn), (3:20.66) (new school record)

• 5^th        200 medley relay (Mike Hipps, Tom Sanford, Kemper Diehl, Ryan Goldhahn), (1:31.11) (new school record)

• 11^th       100 butterfly, Mike Hipps, (:49.87p) (new school record)

• 3^rd        100 breaststroke, Tom Sanford, (:56.03) (new school record)

• 7^th        800 freestyle relay (Peter Laidlaw ’07, Yale Fillingham ’06, Kemper Diehl, Ryan Goldhahn), (6:45.35) (new school record)

• 6^th        100 freestyle, Ryan Goldhahn, (:45.14)

• 4^th        200 breaststroke, Tom Sanford (2:02.24) (new school record)

• 11^th       200 butterfly, John Reidy ’05 (1:49.94) (new school record)

• 8^th        400 freestyle relay (Ryan Goldhahn, Yale Fillingham, Tom Sanford, Kemper Diehl), (3:03.67) (new school record)

Men's Best Performances

SEASON REVIEW- THE WOMEN

On October 1, the captains put this Gandhi quote in every locker: "The future depends on what we do in the present". The team took this inspiration to heart from day one until the last day of the Ivy Championships.

The returning swimmers and divers welcomed nine first years. The Class of 2007 brought with them an outstanding work ethic, tenacity and enthusiasm that excited everyone and raised the bar for training. The benefits of the hard work were reaped at the opening meet of the season. The Big Green defeated Cornell -- the first League win for the seniors. The 200 medley relay posted the best ever in-season time for a Dartmouth team and the swimmers and divers went on a roll, winning 12 of the 16 events. A week later, against Vermont, the Big Green won every event of the meet and finished fall term 2-2.

photos After finals, we headed to Naples, Florida for 9 days of winter training. Despite unusually cold weather for Florida, we trained hard and put the final push on our fall training. Wonderful hospitality abounded in Florida. The women were hosted by the families of alum Julie Kowlasky '03, and current men's team member Sean Robinson '05 and the Dartmouth Club of Southern Florida. Great meals helped us get through almost 200,000 yards in the water.

January kicked off with a repeat first-place team finish in the URI Invitational. The Big Green held off LaSalle, UMass and URI. Winter term dual meets tuned us up for what would be an excellent Ivy Championships. In the process of finishing 7^th at the championships, ahead of  rival Cornell, the team set six new varsity records and put 20 new entries into the All-Time Top Ten. Freshman Lizzie Rippe put her name on the records board 4 times in the 100 fly and all three of the freestyle relays. Fellow ‘07 Melissa Kern was right behind her with record swims in the 1000 and 1650 free and the 800 Free Relay. The record setting relays:

• 200 Free Relay: Lauren Gilhooly, Mariah Cunnick, Lizzie Rippe, Cary Telander

• 400 Free Relay: Lizzie Rippe, Mariah Cunnick, Jenny Kunkel, Lauren Gilhooly

• 800 Free Relay: Lizzie Rippe, Lauren Betzing, Melissa Kern, Jenny Kunkel

• Two divers, Erin Bingham and Katie Brodie saw post-season action in the NCAA Zone Qualifying meet held at Navy.

The thrills of finishing a successful season are always accompanied by the bittersweet emotions of saying good bye to our seniors. A big thanks and all good wishes to our seniors and captains Lauren Gilhooly, Alexis Hawley and Priscilla Zee. All three get their careers going next year. Lauren will work in the art world in New York City, Alexis will be a paralegal in Boston and Priscilla heads into the business world in Minneapolis.

Women's Best Performances

To keep in touch with the goings on of Dartmouth Swimming and Diving, check out our web site: www.dartmouth.edu/~aquatics/

Many of our successes would not be possible without the support of the Friends of Dartmouth Swimming and Diving. 
Thank you for your support, generosity and friendship.
Go Big Green!