Women's Swimming & Diving Faces Yale On The Road
11/13/2014 1:57:00 PM | Women's Swimming and Diving
NEW YORK – The Columbia women's swimming and diving team will continue its Ivy League road swing on Friday, Nov. 14, as they head to Yale for dual-meet action in Kiphuth Exhibition Pool. The meet will begin with diving at 4 p.m., starting with the 3-meter dive, followed by the swimming events at 5 p.m.
LAST TIME OUT: Columbia jumped right into conference play to begin the season on Friday, Nov. 7. A young Lions team hit the road to take on a veteran Penn squad in their home at Sheerr Pool for a tough challenge.
The Quakers were exceptional in their home opener, taking first place in all 16 events, including five pool records, to down the Lions 215 – 85. Despite the loss, Columbia saw a number of promising runner-up performances, highlighted by Gabbie Toback, who grabbed runner-up finishes in three events.
ABOUT THE LIONS: Columbia (0-1) will look to bounce back on Friday afternoon at Yale and they definitely have the proven pieces to do it.
A 2013 undefeated team effort was highlighted by a number of individual achievements from contributors who have returned this season. Senior Mikaila Gaffey captured her first Ivy League title with a career day in the 100 breast at the 2013 Ivy League Championships. Sophomore Gabbie Toback set the program 100 backstroke record twice last season, set another program record in the 200 backstroke and collected 12 wins, including seven individual events and five top finishes as a member of the 200 medley relay squad.
Toback spearheaded a major impact of the collective first-year class that put together strong performances all season. The class of 2017 combined for 19 individual and six relay wins throughout last season for an amazing start to their collegiate careers.
The diving team returns senior Alyssa Menz to its rotation. Menz is a three-time NCAA zones qualifier in the 1m and 3m dives. She will help lead a diving core that includes five talented first-year divers.
INSIDE THE SERIES: The Columbia seniors will look to get their first road win at Yale on Saturday afternoon. While the class of 2015 earned a victory over the Bulldogs at Uris Pool last season, 185-115, the Lions are still seeking a win at Yale's Kiphuth Exhibition Pool.
ABOUT YALE: The Bulldogs are 1-0 after defeating Southern Connecticut State University 186-69 on Nov. 7. Yale's team boasts five 2013 Ivy League Champions in Eva Fabian (500 and 1650 free), Sydney Hirschi (200 fly) , Lilybet MacRae (one-meter dive), and Emma Smith (400IM).
Players Mentioned
