PISCATAWAY, N.J. – In the first-ever battle for the Cannon Trophy between Rutgers and Princeton, it will be the Scarlet Knights keeping the Cannon Trophy at home after defeating Princeton, 163-137, and breaking the 200 freestyle relay pool record at the Rutgers Aquatics Center on Friday night.
 

FROM THE POOL DECK

• Elinah Phillip, Giulia Ghidini, Sofia Chichaikina, and Clare Lawlor – a trio of freshmen and a senior - ended the meet resetting the Rutgers Aquatics Center record collecting a time of 1:31.75. The Scarlet Knights bested the record set by Columbia with a time of 1:31.95. The group was .15 seconds shy of breaking the school record in the event.
• Sophomore Terka Grusova led RU with three first-place finishes, which included a victory in the 100 backstroke (53.95) which was .1 second off a NCAA B cut time. In addition to leading off the 400 medley relay to a win, she also won the 200 back (1:58.54) and finished second in the 200 individual medley (2:01.40) with a career best.
• Big Ten Freshman of the Week Sofia Chichaikina picked up wins in the 100 freestyle (49.85), 200 butterfly (1:59.79) and swam the anchor leg on the 400 medley relay.
• In all, Rutgers won 11 events and captured 24 new bests on the season.

RELAYS

• Rutgers won both relays kicking off the night with the 400 medley relay team registering sizable margin of victory with Terka Grusova, Aleksandra Ignatova, Kasja Dymek and Sofia Chichaikina coming together for a time of 3:42.95.
• Chichaikina would also join Elinah Phillip, Giulia Ghidini and Clare Lawlor at the end of the night for the 200 free relay combining for a Rutgers Aquatics Center pool record of 1:31.75.
   

SPRINTS

• Rutgers went 1-2 in the 50 and 100 free. Elinah Phillip touched the wall in first in the 50 free in 22.89 and was followed by fellow classmate Giulia Ghidini in 50.74. Ghidini was also the runner-up to Sofia Chichaikina in the 100 free in 50.74.
• Ghidini, however, would be the winner of the 200 free posting a time of 1:48.37.
• Simone Lusby followed Terka Grusova in the 200 back (2:03.32) and placed third in the 100 back (56.94).
• Kasja Dymek was the top finisher in the 100 fly logging a time of 55.12./
• Aleksandra Ignatova added to RU's event victories with a first-place time of 1:03.76 in the 100 breast with Delaney Carey capturing third (1:05.60). Ignatova also took second in the 200 breast (2:19.26).

DISTANCE

• Francesca Bertotto paced the 1000 free field (10:03.18) and came in third in the 500 free (4:55.16).

DIVES

• Sam Blanc was the runner-up on both the 1-meter (268.50) and 3-meter (266.54).
  Jenna Douglass dove to a third place performance on the 1-meter with a 266.54.

MEET QUOTES

"All the credit goes toward the team. Their level of preparation this week was exceptional. We trained really hard this week.  I'm not sure what other Friday night meets are going on right now, but that 200 free relay time is second in the Big Ten and 12^th in the country at the moment and they broke the pool record. That's pretty special. There were other great swims too and it seems like every race there was something." – swimming head coach Jon Maccoll
 
"It was an amazing team effort. The swimmers put on their suits on and tore it apart. I'm really pleased with our divers, they were up against some real tough competition and NCAA qualifiers. They didn't back down and scored some valuable points for the team." – diving head coach Frederick Woodruff

UP NEXT

The Rutgers women's swimming & diving team will host the Rutgers Invitational at the Rutgers Aquatics Center on Dec. 4-7. 

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