Yale Hayes Hyde enjoyed her first taste of individual success at the Ivy Women’s championship after qualifying second in the 200y Butterfly with a time of 1:58.20. She then navigated the waters to emerge in a race that consisted of the defending champion in the event and the meet record holder during the nightcap.
The freshman swam a slightly slower 1:59.15 in the final round, but that time was solid enough to hold back challenges from Harvard’s Sophie Morgan and Princeton’s Monika Friedman, the defending champion.
Curiously, it was Kate Mills that faltered in the final after putting together a meet record in the preliminary round.
One can only speculate, but something happened to the Crimson star during the second 50y portion of the race. After getting out and back in 26.76, the sophomore swam a 34.72 second 50y split, indicating that something was seriously wrong. Mills finished valiantly with 33.28 and 32.74 splits the rest of the way, but an 11-second drop-off in pace is not a normal occurrence. She finished 8th.
But it was Hyde’s shining moment. A championship as a freshman is no small feat.
Congratulations Hayes!
