The lanes to success: Princeton men’s swim and dive team looking for a first-place finish this year
PRINCETON, N.J. — Of the many collegiate sports, Swim and Dive is captivating to watch. The body control that is displayed when divers drop from the platform, combined with the speed and grace that swimmers possess between the lanes, will leave you in awe. The Princeton University Men’s Swim and Dive Team is looking to cap off a strong year with a statement. The Tigers have been progressing over the years and have become very competitive in the Ivy League Conference, but are looking to take the next step and establish their presence.
Men’s Head Coach Matt Crispino joined the Tigers in May 2019 after being at leading William & Mary University for the previous 11 years. During his time at William & Mary, Crispino made their program a powerhouse. Not only was his team’s success astonishing, he also founded the William & Mary Hazing Prevention Coalition and organized an open water swim fundraiser event that contributed nearly $15,000 per year for cancer research.
In his third year with Princeton during the 2021-22 season, the Tigers placed second in the Ivy League Championships for the second year in a row. The following season, the Tigers ended the year with a program-best No. 24 ranking nationally. This was the first time in program history that the men finished a season among the top 25 teams in the country.
This season, the 25th ranked Men’s Team took home second place at the Ivy League Championships, ending the meet with 1321 points. They would fall to No. 22 Harvard who tallied 1682 total points in the meet. Aidan Wang was one of the many bright spots for the Tigers. The freshman swept the field in the diving events.
Several other members on the team earned top-five finishes in their respective events, including John Ehling, who finished fifth in the 1650 Freestyle with a time of 15:08.38, and Mitch Schott, who finished fifth in the 100 Freestyle and clocked a time of 43.49.
The Tigers were able to pull out a win in the 200 Medley Relay at the ECAC Championships. Yanning Zhang, Kael Mlinek, Finn Dowdall and Billy Swartwout put together a group effort to come out on top of the field.
The team is also finding ways to shine outside of the pool and James Pan is a primary example. The sophomore pre-med student who swims the breaststroke is making strides for the university. Pan has been interested in cancer research for a few years and was able to connect with Yibin Kang who is one of the team fellows. Kang is the leader of the lab that conducts cancer research on campus and took Pan under his wing last summer. Crispino helped Pan form a connection with Kang which allowed Pan to stay on campus over the summer months to research while continuing to train using the athletic facilities. In an interview with Princeton Athletics, Crispino stated, “When we think about the holistic experience for Princeton, it’s not just about what you do in the classroom and what you do in the field or in the pool; in our case, it’s what other communities can you be involved in here? What other ways can you enrich the overall experience?” This is a testament to the emphasis that Crispino puts on developing well-rounded student-athletes. Not only are the Swim and Dive athletes excelling in the pool and on the dive boards but they are exploring areas that challenge them to grow as young adults and future professionals.
Crispino has built a strong program that is very competitive in the Ivy League Conference. With several second-place finishes in the Ivy League Championships, Crispino will try to guide his team to first place.
This is an unedited user writing submission. The views, information, or opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Best Version Media or its employees.
