After suffering two losses in a row, the women's swimming and diving team rallied on Saturday to defeat Brandeis, 165-127. With the win, the Jumbos boosted their record to 6-2 on the season.
"People swam well last Tuesday, even though we lost [to MIT], " coach Nancy Bigelow said. "We continued to swim well on Saturday."
Diver Beth Wecksell led the way for Tufts. In a 10-dive championship round in the 1-meter, Wecksell finished in second place with a score of 392.93. The score was high enough to meet the national qualifier, securing a spot in the National championship this spring.
As with most of the meets this season, the Jumbos started off strong with a victory in the 200-yard medley relay. That team - composed of senior tri-captain Sarah Hertzog, freshmen Katharine Ferguson and Erica Weitz and sophomore anchor Amanda Bloom - cruised into first place (157.64) with a margin of victory of almost ten seconds.
"I love starting off the meet with an IM relay," Ferguson said. "It's great to start off strong and get the team going."
In the past six meets, the Jumbos have won five of their six medley relays (both the 200 and 400). According to the most recent NESCAC listings, the Jumbos hold the seventh-fastest time in the 200-medley relay (1:57.83), clocked on Nov. 28 against Wellesley. The members of that team included sophomores Kierstyn Thayer and Mika Sumiyoshi, and freshmen Ferguson and Susan Ascoli. The team also holds the seventh best time in the NESCACs for the 400-medley relay (4:16.08), a time which it recorded on Dec. 1 against Bowdoin. That team was comprised of freshman Sarah Ferranti, Ascoli, Sumiyoshi, and Ferguson.
The Jumbos have made a habit of more than just strong starts - finishes have brought similar success. The team has closed out its meets with a victory in the freestyle relay seven times in its past eight meets. Even against Bates, Tufts' most difficult challenger to date and the team's worst loss of the season (192-106), the 200 freestyle team (Thayer, Bloom, Ascoli, and freshman Katelyn Stevens) defeated the runner-up Bates squad by more than three seconds (1:46.05).
"We've been switching it up a little," Ferguson said. "Trying to put the best, speediest, most motivated swimmers into the relays."
That flexibility will allow Bigelow to experiment with the relays over the next couple weeks, during which she'll determine which swimmers join which relays for the Feb. 22-24 NESCAC Championships. Tufts will enter A and B squads in each relay.
"My job over the next week will be to find the strengths of the team as well as look at people for their individual strengths to find the best teams," Bigelow said. "The A and B relay teams are a great way to involve the whole team and really make it a team championship instead of just an individual championship."
This past weekend, Bigelow placed her athletes in more sprint swims than usual. Hertzog scored first place points in the 50 backstroke with a time of 30.68. Ferguson touched the wall first in the 50 breaststroke with a time of 33.75. She also took second place in the 100 breaststroke (1:11.37). Throughout the season, Ferguson has filled the shoes of Kristin Horton, the team's leader in the breaststroke last season, who graduated in May.
"I've trained in all the strokes but have put a little extra into the breaststroke," Ferguson said. "I've been happy with my times this season and they have been pretty consistent throughout. Hopefully with the taper and rest, they will get even faster."
Next weekend, Tufts will travel to face NESCAC leader Williams in the team's last regular season meet. Following the showdown against Williams, the Jumbos will have a weekend off before the NESCAC Championships. The team will be boosted by the return of Sumiyoshi, who has been out for the past two meets with a knee injury.
Bigelow said her goal for the team is a sixth place finish at the championships.
