The men's swimming team opened its season Saturday in fine fashion, placing second in its annual tri-meet against Navy and Brown in Providence.
Having lost to Brown last season in the same meet after leading the Bears the entire time, Dartmouth was out for revenge. With a more powerful determination and different attitude, the Big Green were successful overcoming the Bears 129-109.
The win gave Dartmouth its first Ivy League victory in four years.
"We won the close races," Captain Grier Laughlin said.
"That was what it took to win. I am just happy to be a part of an ivy win. It has been a long time waiting," he said.
Laughlin clearly demonstrated the team's determination as he entered the 200 backstoke, his best event, despite having a painful broken foot and not having practiced the last week.
From the beginning of the event, Laughlin's injury was clear. Teammate, Eben Darling '99 took fifth in 2:03.66. Laughlin, propelled by his arms and one foot, finished eighth in 2:06.37, scoring a few points for the Big Green.
The day opened with the 400 medley relay powered by Jon Kenyon '97, Eric Bruner '97, Geoff Walford '99 and Doug Doucet '98. The team swam a 3:38.12 for second place, pulling away from a pursuing Navy team in the last hundred.
With Dartmouth leading Brown at that time, Big Green's Michael Hooper swam a strong race in the 1,000 freestyle finishing third with a 9:55.96.
On the one meter board, Toby Hays '99 dove in his first collegiate meet. Despite some nervousness, justified by the fact that he was diving against Navy's Nate Smith, a perennial national qualifier, Hays finished fifth with 241.80 points.
It gave Dartmouth a 57-51 lead. Last year, Dartmouth held a similar advantage against Brown -- an advantage they later relinquished. But this year, Dartmouth responded to the lead by extending it. Hooper returned for his second event of the meet, the 200 butterfly, and responded to the pressure by winning the event in 1:56.75.
Not to be outdone, Kenyon returned for his third and final event of the meet, the 100 freestyle and finished second overall, behind Navy's top freestyler, in 48.33.
Hays returned to the diving board on the three meter, in which he finished fourth with 258.65 points, just 10 points off second. Dartmouth was still leading 108-94.
To clinch the victory over Brown in the second to last race, Eric Bruner finished the 200 breaststroke in 2:13.33 for second place.
The Big Green's next meet is against the University of New Hampshire at Durham on Dec. 7. They take a 1-1 record into that meet and a 1-0 record against Ivy League opponents.
