Princeton's swimmers dominated the first night of the 2025 Big Al Invitational, claiming victory in an impressive 10 out of 14 events!
The Tigers' Triumph
This year's Big Al Invitational kicked off with a bang, as Princeton's swimmers showcased their prowess across a range of disciplines. From relay races to individual events, they left their mark on the competition.
Event Winners:
- Women's 200 Freestyle Relay: Princeton's team, including Sophia Sunwoo, Sabrina Johnston, Edie Simecek, and Veronique Rossouw, took the gold with a time of 1:29.60, improving on their previous year's performance.
- Men's 200 Freestyle Relay: The Princeton men's squad, comprising Yanning Zheng, Jake Tarara, Lucas Tudoras, and Mitchell Schott, clocked an impressive 1:17.93, just shy of their record from last year.
- Women's 50 Breaststroke: Amy Qin from Penn dominated with a time of 28.70.
- Men's 50 Breaststroke: Watson Nguyen of Penn also shone, winning in 24.80.
- Women's 500 Freestyle: Anna Moehn, a Penn senior, claimed victory in 4:43.58, a close race.
- Men's 500 Freestyle: Mitchell Schott, a Princeton senior, took the win in 4:15.55, a personal best!
- Women's 50 Backstroke: Delaney Herr of Princeton powered to the finish in 24.45.
- Men's 50 Backstroke: Derek Hitchens from Columbia secured the win with a time of 21.90.
- Women's 200 IM: Eleanor Sun, a Princeton sophomore, dominated with a time of 1:56.55.
- Men's 200 IM: Alex Townsend, a Princeton freshman, won in a tight race, finishing in 1:46.08.
- Women's 50 Freestyle: Sabrina Johnston, a Princeton senior, sprinted to victory in 22.41.
- Men's 50 Freestyle: Zion James of Columbia took the gold in 19.49.
- Women's 400 Medley Relay: Princeton's foursome, including Delaney Herr, Eliza Brown, Savannah Skow, and Chloe Kim, held their lead throughout, winning in 3:39.00.
- Men's 400 Medley Relay: Princeton's men's team, with Parker Lenoce, Andrew Zou, Alex Townsend, and Mitchell Schott, secured the win in 3:09.48.
But here's where it gets interesting...
In the non-individual events, Penn's swimmers Amy Qin and Watson Nguyen took the top spots in the 50 breaststroke, while Princeton's Delaney Herr and Columbia's Derek Hitchens dominated the backstroke races.
Current Team Scores:
Women:
1. Penn - 544 points
2. Princeton - 364.5 points
3. Columbia - 209.5 points
4. Utah - 43 points
5. Cornell - 19 points
Men:
1. Princeton - 505.5 points
2. Columbia - 414.5 points
3. Penn - 309 points
4. Utah - 27 points
5. Cornell - 26 points
Princeton's strong showing on the first night sets the stage for an exciting competition. Will they maintain their lead, or will other teams make a comeback? Stay tuned for more updates from the Big Al Invitational!
What do you think? Who do you think will emerge as the overall champion? Share your predictions in the comments!
