Cromwell Breaks Pool Record

Two big-time rivals, defeated. A record that stood for seven years, overcome.

To add to his already long list of accomplishments, senior co-captain Dave Cromwell of the Harvard men’s swimming team notched a Blodgett pool record for the men’s 200 backstroke Saturday. With a time of 1:44.93, he bested Charles Barnes of Brown’s 1999 record of 1:45.30 by .37 seconds, and led the Crimson to victories over both Princeton and Yale.

“Dave has really wanted that pool record,” senior co-captain Bill Cocks said. “It’s a really fast time. He always swims the best he can, and is a great leader for us. The 200 back time is not only fast for the pool, it’s fast for the league and the nation.”

After losing a strong 2005 senior class, the swimming team had high expectations for its senior captain and previous Honorable Mention All-American swimmer.

Cromwell has not disappointed.

Already one of the best swimmers in the league, this record only adds to Cromwell’s fame, The co-captain had been an integral part of a team pushing to garner yet another EISL championship and impress at the Eastern Championships, as he consistently has placed in the top three spots in his individual races while bolstering the relay teams with his impressive times.

One such performance occurred at the Bulldog Invitational in Georgia earlier this season-- Cromwell finished first, second, and third in his individual events.

“Dave proved that he is one of the most dominant swimmers in the Ivy League,” teammate Sam Wollner said.

Cromwell supplemented his record-breaking swim with a win in the 100-yard backstroke; he also contributed to the 200-yard freestyle relay and the 200- and 400-yard medley relays.

“When he broke the record, everyone was excited—he swam well and got a great time,” Cocks said. “It got everyone moving, and people can really feed off of that type of energy.”

Yet the pool record meant more to Cromwell than just team motivation. The victory was something personal.

“I have been a little haunted by the pool record for all year, and that just added fuel to the fire,” he said. “I’m very happy to get it.”

“I went into the race hoping to grab a victory and get some momentum for our team,” Cromwell said.

The Crimson grabbed more than just the momentum in defeating the Bulldogs and Tigers for the second year in a row—a feat that would be hard to accomplish without the solid leadership and record-breaking speed of Cromwell.

—Staff writer Madeline Shapiro can be reached at mshapiro@fas.harvard.edu.