While their teammates had finished the season weeks ago, junior diver Jing Leung and freshman freestyler Miki Dahlke kept training in preparation for NCAA championships, where they competed as the lone Harvard and Ivy League representatives.
The rookie swam in three freestyle events, competing in formidable fields which included Olympic champions Simone Manuel, Abbey Weitzeil, and Katie Ledecky. The California native found herself in rough waters in the 50 free, where she came in 51st of 53 women in 22.99 seconds.
However, the 100 free proved a more contentious race. The finishers in places 34 through 38 were separated by 0.05 seconds, and Dahlke touched the wall in a dead tie with Boise State senior Brittany Aoyama. The duo shared 36th, and Dahlke posted a personal best of 48.78.
The freshman’s highest place came in the 200 free, where she finished 31st in a pool of 54. Her time of 1:48.98 missed a top-30 spot by 0.01 seconds.
On the platform, junior Leung came in 32nd in a field of 45, and her score of 221.50 missed the top 30 by less than a point. The veteran has competed in three straight NCAA championships. In 2016, she made it to the A finals, coming in eighth overall, while she finished 26th her freshman year.
The duo represented the Crimson in a field dominated by Pac-12 and SEC schools. While powerhouse Stanford took the team gold, Harvard’s showing both in the water and on the boards raised a new standard for Ivy League swimmers on the national stage.
—Staff writer Isabel DeLaura can be reached at idelaura@college.harvard.edu.
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