The Big Green seized momentum early in the meet, as Valerie Orellana '15, Kendall Farnham '14, Charlotte Williams '13 and Caitlin Nicholson '12 won the 200-yard medley relay with a time of 1:48.97. Williams was key to the Dartmouth victory, coming back later in the day to swim a first-place time of 1:08.09 in the 100-yard breaststroke. Captain Galen Barry '12 said the medley relay played a pivotal role in the Big Green's success.
"The 200-yard relay was crucial in providing momentum for the team," Barry said. "It really helped us get off to a good start and got us focused for the rest of the races."
Twins Danielle Kerr '14 and Christine Kerr '14 also provided a big spark for the Big Green. Danielle Kerr, who earned DartmouthSports.com Athlete of the Week honors last week, won the meet's second event the 1,000-yard freestyle with a time of 10:24.44, her fourth consecutive win at that distance. She later won the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 5:05.15. Christine Kerr recorded a victory in the 200-yard freestyle, touching in at a time of 1:53.28.
Meredith Sweeney '14 came up with a big win in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 59.23. Sweeney, the school record-holder in the event, was the only swimmer to crack the one-minute barrier. Barry nipped Rebecca Butler '15 for second, swimming 1:00.21, with Butler right behind in third in 1:00.22.
Dartmouth's dominance carried over to its divers, who swept the top four places on both the one and three-meter boards. Erica Serpico '12, who recently qualified for the NCAA Zone Championships on the one-meter board against Vermont, posted a score of 267.52 to win the event against the Wildcats, while Madi McClenney '13 took the three-meter event with a score of 262.50.
Dartmouth fell to UNH last year in a close meet, 159.5-139.5. Barry was proud of the team's performance this time around, saying the Big Green performed beyond its expectations.
"We lost to UNH last year, so we took this match very seriously," Barry said. "The middle of the season is probably the most tiring time for us, and I thought we performed really well given those circumstances."
The Big Green next competes in the Dartmouth Invitational, to be held Friday and Saturday in the Upper Valley Aquatic Center in White River Junction, Vt. The meet will consist of Dartmouth, the University of Massachusetts and Bryant University. Barry said she believes the meet will help prepare Dartmouth for the Ivy League Championships, which take place Feb. 23-25.
"The Dartmouth Invitational is a championship-style meet, which I think will really help us get ready for the Ivies," Barry said. "We get to swim in White River, where the pool is much bigger, and we are really looking forward to it. Our goal is to beat both teams and keep improving."
After the Invitational, Dartmouth will take on Princeton University on Sunday in the squad's final home meet of the season.
Barry said her final competition at Karl Michael Pool will be bittersweet.
"I can't believe it's finally here," Barry said. "We have improved so much since my freshman year. It's sad, but it's also exciting because I know I'm leaving a team that will only get better."
