Jumbos squeak past Bowdoin for third straight win

The women swimmers can concentrate on studying for finals now that the first part of their season has come to a close. And they can do so with a clear conscience, knowing that the first part of the season was successful, after the team posted a 3-0 record.

This record included two wins over the past week. First on Wednesday, the Jumbos defeated the Blue from Wellesley. Then on Saturday, they handed Bowdoin its third loss in as many games.

Neither victory came easily though.

"We swam well and our times are going down," sophomore Erica Weitz said. "I think we were all excited because it was our last meet before break."

Although it was the weaker of the two opponents, Bowdoin almost stole the victory from Tufts, losing by just 16 points, 158-142. The meet in fact, could have changed hands in less than a second, .66 of a second to be exact. This miniscule amount of time determined whether the Jumbos got their third win or their first loss. In the 50 yard freestyle, Tufts sophomore Suzi Ascoli edged Polar Bear senior Anna Podore for first place. Podore finished in 20.85 seconds, just .45 seconds after Ascoli.

"I don't know if we expected it to be quite that close," Weitz said. "However, we knew by the last relay that we would be okay."

Another ten-point swing could have occurred in the 200 individual medley if Bowdoin freshman Erin Turban were just a little faster. Another Jumbo sophomore, Kate Fergusen, came through to just beat out Turban for the win. Fergusen came in with a time of 2:21.49 while Turban managed a 2:21.70.

Besides the win in the 200 IM, Fergusen had an impressive meet. She was a member of the victorious 200 IM relay team, and finished second to her teammate, freshman Katie Mims, in the 200 freestyle.

The meet was not supposed to be this hard, especially after Tufts' 177-112 blowout of Bowdoin last year. This year was different though, largely due to excellent performances by the new faces on Bowdoin. In the 100 breastroke Bowdoin freshman Katie Eshelman took first place by a slim margin over Tufts sophomore Erica Weitz. Victoria Tudor, another Bowdoin freshman, also stepped up for the Polar Bears, as she twice bested last year's honorable mention All-American Beth Wecksell in the diving events.

Tuft's younger swimmers would not be outdone, though, as seven events were won by either Jumbo freshmen or sophomores. Junior Mika Sumiyoshi accounted for the eighth win, a victory in the 100 butterfly. Freshman Meghan Wallach and sophomore Sarah Ferranti finished first and second respectively in the 50 freestyle. Both also were part of the 200 IM relay team. Freshman Katie Seyboth coasted to an easy victory in the 1000 freestyle, besting her next competition by over 20 seconds. The nine points for first place in the 500 freestyle also went to the Jumbos thanks to freshman Beth Lopez.

On Wednesday the Jumbos defeated non-conference opponent Wellesley 161-128. The win was the Jumbos' second consecutive victory over the Blue, after they won last year's meeting, 157-143. Tufts won twelve of the sixteen events. They were led by Sumiyoshi, who won three events. She won the 200 freestyle, 200 backstroke, and was on the 200 IM medley team.

Sumiyoshi, twice a veteran of the NCAA Championships, has tried to lead the team with her performance. Although she has not been able to practice with the team as much as she would like because of scheduling conflicts, the unity between her and her teammates is strong.

"When I am in the pool with the team, I hope that I do lead by example," Sumiyoshi said. "The girls in my lanes push me to my limit and it's encouraging to swim with the team. We all support one another in practice."

Besides Sumiyoshi, the team received great performances from an array of swimmers. Mims won both the 100 and 50 freestyle and also anchored the 200 IM relay team. The Jumbos took the first three spots in the one meter diving event, with Wecksell leading the group. Another two-time winner was Weitz, who took both the 500 freestyle and the 200 butterfly.

After the break, the Tufts women's swimming season will heat up, as matches against conference rivals Wesleyan, Trinity, Bates, and Williams loom. It will be a good measuring stick for the Jumbos.