The Blue recognized seniors Maura Sticco-Ivins and Patricia Chen prior to the start of Saturday's meet.
The Blue recognized seniors Maura Sticco-Ivins and Patricia Chen prior to the start of Saturday's meet.

Wellesley Swim & Dive Celebrates Senior Day With Dual Meet Win Over Smith

WELLESLEY, Mass. – Wellesley College swimming & diving celebrated Senior Day by defeating Seven Sisters rival Smith College, 200-99, on Saturday at Chandler Pool. The Blue recognized seniors Maura Sticco-Ivins (Framingham, Mass.) and Patricia Chen (Natick, Mass.) prior to the start of the meet before going on to record victories in 12 of the 16 events to improve to 5-3 in dual meets this season.

Sticco-Ivins earned victories in both one and three-meter diving, recording NCAA regional qualifying marks on both boards. Sticco-Ivins scored 274.75 on the one-meter and 303.95 on the three-meter. Chen helped guide the Blue to a pair of relay victories, as the Blue finished the 200 Medley Relay in 1:57.07 to win the day's opening event before capping the day with a victory in the 200 Free Relay in 1:44.32. Chen was also third in the 200 Free (2:06.73) and second in the 200 Breaststroke (2:43.87).

Chen trailed Margaret Harrigan (Chatham, N.J.) in the 200 Free, as the first year recorded the first of her two victories in the meet with a time of in 2:03.87. Harrigan went on to add a victory in the 500 Free, leading the field in the distance event with a time of 5:41.37. Harrigan was one of two first years with a pair of victories on Saturday, as classmate Emily Yeager (Pittsfield, Mass.) earned wins in the 100 Back (1:02.90) and the 100 Free (55.94).

The first years continued to shone on Senior Day, as first year Solveig Stensland (Lino Lakes, Minn.) would go on to record a victory in the 50 Free (26.18). Stensland's victory came after classmate Jessica Wu (Palo Alto, Calif.) finished just tenths of a second off her season best time to win the 100 Breaststroke in 1:11.55.

A victory from sophomore Maggie Haley (Shady Side, Md.) in the 100 Fly (1:03.32) and a win in the 200 IM (2:19.89) courtesy of the junior Sunny Chiang closed out the individual events for the Blue. Chen then teamed with Stensland, sophomore Danielle Peterson (Livingston, N.J.) and Yeager to help the Blue end the day with the win in the 200 Free Relay.

Wellesley and Smith will compete again next weekend at the annual Seven Sisters Swimming & Diving Championship, Saturday and Sunday, January 20-21, at Mount Holyoke College.