• About
  • Editorial Board
    • Staff Writers
  • Advertise
  • Join Us
  • Archives
The Wellesley News -
  • News and Features
    • The Wellesley (COVID) 100
      The Wellesley (COVID) 100
    • In memory of Professor Rebecca Summerhays
      In memory of Professor Rebecca Summerhays
    • Trans flag controversy: College power washes staircase after trans flag is painted over Harry Potter spray paint
      Trans flag controversy: College power washes staircase after trans flag is painted over Harry Potter spray paint
    • News
      • News in Brief
      • Nation & World
      • President’s Corner
      • Senate Report
    • Features
      • Alumnae Spotlight
      • Eye on Science
      • Faculty Focus
      • LGBTQIA+ Column
  • Opinions
    • The News in Conversation: Wellesley Against Mass Incarceration
      The News in Conversation: Wellesley Against Mass Incarceration
    • Editorial Board calls for keeping up trans flag murals
      Editorial Board calls for keeping up trans flag murals
    • No, Elon Musk’s Twitter will not restore free speech
      No, Elon Musk’s Twitter will not restore free speech
    • Staff Editorial
    • Letters to the Editor
    • The Elephant in the Room
  • Arts
    • Be/longing Centers Connection and Care
      Be/longing Centers Connection and Care
    • No image
      Birds Falling Upwards: Wellesley College Theater’s The Moors is a Must-See
    • No image
      Sometimes you just need to read a YA “Groundhog Day” to feel something
    • Arts In The News
    • Reviews
    • Music Peek
    • Books Before Boys
  • Health and Wellness
    • February Student Athlete of the Month
      February Student Athlete of the Month
    • Athletics Update
      Athletics Update
    • Victoria Garrick Speaks on Mental Health
      Victoria Garrick Speaks on Mental Health
    • Athlete of the Week
    • Boston Sports Update
    • The Vegan Digest
    • The SHE Corner
  • The Wellesley Snooze
    • Wellesley News Leadership Changes Completely Peacefully Without Any Suspicious Disappearances At All
      Wellesley News Leadership Changes Completely Peacefully Without Any Suspicious Disappearances At All
    • Solve Your Connection Problems With Wellesley Insecure
      Solve Your Connection Problems With Wellesley Insecure
    • Mayhem strikes Wellesley as paper towels removed from campus
      Mayhem strikes Wellesley as paper towels removed from campus
  • Miscellanea
    • President’s Column: The Butterfly Effect
      President’s Column: The Butterfly Effect
    • Administrators shocked to learn that students dislike being left in dark
      Administrators shocked to learn that students dislike being left in dark
    • 50 Lies You Tell Yourself in Order to Survive Until Graduation
      50 Lies You Tell Yourself in Order to Survive Until Graduation
    • The Dose
    • The Olive Branch
    • Multimedia
      • Galleries
      • Infographics
      • Videos
By Laurel Stickney Sports and WellnessNovember 15, 2017

Blue Swim and Dive focuses on positivity as their season begins

Wellesley Swim and Dive launches into their season with a 1-1 record Photo courtesy of Frank Poulin

The Wellesley College Swimming and Diving team is off to a mixed start this season, sweeping its Nov. 4 meet against Franklin Pierce University before falling to Simmons College this Saturday for a 1-1 overall record.

The team began the season in captains practices as soon as school began and proceeded to tryouts in mid-September. Wellesley gained a good crop of new swimmers to help bolster the team’s success this season. The team is fairly young, with only one senior swimmer and one senior diver leading the team this season.

Newcomer Claire Whitaker ’19 joined the team this season after spending two years on Wellesley’s club water polo team. She came to tryouts in search of a more competitive athletic experience, one like her high school water polo team’s. So far, she is excited by the progress that the team has made thus far. “The whole team is very dedicated to both the sport and each other,” said Whitaker. “The upperclass members are welcoming and helpful towards the first years. As a whole, we are a group that is dedicated and enthusiastic about what we do, and that is what will drive us to have a successful season, in and out of the pool.”

This weekend, the swim team fell short with an 132-167 loss to the Simmons Sharks, who are 4-1 on the season, despite Jessie Feng ’19’s victories in the the 100 and 200 fly events, with times of 2:166.10 and 1:02.50 respectively. Several other Blue swimmers were also successful at the dual meet, which was held at Simmons College’s Holmes Sports Center.  Emily Yeager ’21 earned first place in the 200 backstroke with a time of 2:14.85 and took second place in the 100 backstroke with a time of 1:03.98.

Additionally, Kayleigh Svensson ’20 captured second place in the 1000 freestyle with a 11:34.73 time and Danielle Peterson ’20 took second in the 100 freestyle in 1:10.87. Solveig Stensland ’21 swam to second place with a 26.06 50 freestyle and Sunny Chiang ’19 took second in the 200 IM with a 2:19.28.

Despite the loss, Swim and Dive remains committed to finding a positive outlook during the meets and encouraging each other along the way. They have used the motivation from their first meet, a landslide victory of 239-18 against Franklin Pierce University, to fuel their progress this season. The meet provided the team with a unique opportunity to test each other in competition as Franklin Pierce has just started their program and only raced with four swimmers at the meet.

Multiple Wellesley swimmers recorded victories in several events and the team won all 15 races. Danielle Peterson ’20 took first in the 200 free (2:03.22), the 100 breaststroke (1:10.51) and the 200 IM (2:18.01). In her team debut, Emily Yeager ’21 won the 50 backstroke in 30.24 and the 100 backstroke in 1:03.43. Teammate Jessie Feng ’19 captured first in the 100 fly in 1:01.78 and the 500 free in 5:34.17.

Diver Maura Sticco-Ivins ’18 also started the season strong, continuing her history of success. Sticco-Ivins was honored as the NEWMAC Women’s Diver of the Week for the week ending Nov. 12. This is the 18th time the senior has received the NEWMAC distinction. At the Simmons meet, she finished first in both the 1M and 3M dives, scoring 295.85 and 288.65 respectively. In the season opener, Sticco-Ivins ’18 dominated the 1- and 3-meter boards, recording scores of 286.60 and 265.20, respectively.

The senior is returning this season after earning the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) 2017 Women’s Diver of the Year award, as well as the NCAA diving title, earlier this year. The senior is a three-time NCAA Division III National Champion, a first in Wellesley College history.

This season the team welcomes new Assistant Swimming Coach and Assistant Aquatic Director Emily Altier, who spent the last year working in various positions within the NCAA’s Postgraduate Internship Program. Head Coach Bonnie Dix is returning for her 31st season with the Blue and Diving Coach Jack Lewis, who was last season’s CSCAA Division III National Diving Coach of the Year, is back for his second year with the team.

The team will next compete on Nov. 18 when they travel to Western Mass. to face off against the Mount Holyoke Lyons.

Share on

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Google +
  • LinkedIn
  • Email
Previous articleFall athletes impress in conference season honors
Next articleFemale athletes fight for equal pay across sports

You may also like

February Student Athlete of the Month

Athletics Update

Victoria Garrick Speaks on Mental Health

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Email Newsletter

Sign up to receive our weekly digest in your inbox

* indicates required

Top Articles

Sorry. No data so far.

Recent Tweets

Tweets by @Wellesley_News

The independent student newspaper of Wellesley College since 1901.

Sign up to receive our weekly digest in your inbox

* indicates required

  • About
  • Editorial Board
    • Staff Writers
  • Advertise
  • Join Us
  • Archives
COPYRIGHT © 2022 THE WELLESLEY NEWS
Back to top