ITHACA, N.Y. – Having opened up Ivy League competition with a mark in the win column after downing Dartmouth last weekend, the Cornell women's swimming and diving team is ready to challenge Ivy League foes Penn and Princeton in a tri-meet on Nov. 19-20 at Penn's Sheerr Pool in Philadelphia. Diving is scheduled for 5 p.m. on Nov. 19, with swimming action slated for noon on Nov. 20.
Last Time Out:
The Big Red went 1-1 in its first Ivy League competition of the season, falling to Harvard, 213-87, but defeating Dartmouth, 155-143, for its first time in three tries. The last time Cornell defeated Dartmouth was in the 2016-17 season, also marking the first time in five years that the Big Red opened Ivy League action with a victory.
Priscilla Wongso was a key figure in helping Cornell edge the Big Green by 12 points, winning the 100 freestyle in 52.06 for her second-consecutive victory in the event. Wongso also added a third-place finish in the 50-freestyle, clocking in at 24.26 to place third.
In total, the Big Red turned in eight performances that were good for a top-three finish on the day. Just as impressive, Cornell accrued 25 top-five finishes at the meet.
Allie Danko posted a pair of top-three finishes in the 1,000 freestyle (10:29.82) and the 500 freestyle (5:06.45), placing second and third, respectively, in her events. Senior Allison Chang recorded a pair of top-five finishes in her individual events, highlighted by a third-place showing in the 200 breaststroke (2:25.61).
Senior Gillian Caverly led a backstroke group that recorded four top-five finishes on the day, placing third in the 200 backstroke (2:04.91) and fourth in the 100 backstroke (58.38). Tori Zhang (100 butterfly) and Demetra Williams (3-meter dive) were the final two top-three finishers for Cornell, both placing third in their respective events.
The Series vs. Penn:
The Big Red and Quakers will continue a series on Saturday that started in 1979-80. The two teams have met 41 times to date, and Penn holds a 28-12-1 advantage. The two teams have split its last two meetings, with Cornell emerging victorious by a score of 161-139 on Nov. 17, 2018, and Penn coming out on top, 212-88, on Nov. 23, 2019. Penn has won four of the last five matchups, however, as Cornell will look to turn the tides on Saturday.
Scouting Penn:
Penn sits at 2-1 overall on the season and 1-1 in Ivy League competition, having fallen to Columbia in its season opener, 158-142, on Nov. 5 before picking up its first conference victory over Brown (179-121) in its last outing on Nov. 13. The Quakers' nonconference victory came over Villanova by a score of 169-120 on Nov. 10.
The Series vs. Princeton:
The series between the Big Red and the Tigers began in 1982-83, and Princeton has consistently come out on top. Cornell has only beat Princeton one time in 38 meetings. During the 2019-20 season, Princeton defeated the Big Red, 247-53, on Nov. 23, 2019.
Scouting Princeton:
Princeton sits at 3-0 overall and 2-0 in conference action after posting wins over Brown (192-105), Dartmouth (223-75), and Rutgers (186-113). The Tigers won their first Ivy League Swimming and Diving Championship since 2015 during the 2019-20 season.
The Last Time vs. Penn and Princeton:
Elise Jendritz posted the top finish of the day for Cornell, finishing third in the 3-meter diving competition with 275.65 points. Demetra Williams recorded the highest point total among the Cornell divers in the 1-meter competition, placing fifth with 246.15 points. Allison Chang paced the Big Red in the swimming events, placing fourth the 200 breaststroke (2:23.39).
Up Next:
The Cornell women's swimming and diving team will return to the water for the Zippy Invitational, hosted by Akron, from Dec. 3-5 in Akron, Ohio.
