New Haven, Conn. – High-level Ivy League action continued for the Columbia men's swimming & diving team on Saturday, Nov. 12 as the Lions took on Yale in their home opener. In back-and-forth battle at Kiphuth Exhibition, the Bulldogs edged the Lions 152-148 with a push in the final events.
A record-setting performance on the boards by Jayden Pantel ignited the afternoon for the Lions. The junior tallied a first-place score of 410.70 in the three-meter dive to set a new program record and a Yale pool record in the event, becoming the first Lions to surpass the 400-point mark. Pantel bested his previous school record of 397.80 set last season in a dual-meet against Cornell (1/16/16). The victory also marked his 24th-straight win in the three-meter dive to remain unbeaten in his career in dual-meet action, including back-to-back 11-0 seasons in his rookie and sophomore campaigns.
He returned for a one-meter triumph to sweep the diving events on the day with a top score of 356.47. Shinya Kondo also placed third in the event for the Lions with a score of 283.50, along with Kevin Fulton in the three-meter dive with a tally of 294.60.
The 200 medley relay squad of Cole Stevens, Jae Park, Terry Li and Mark Gullick picked up their second Ivy League victory of the season with a winning time of 1:30.97. First-year Nian-Guo Liu continues to shine for the Lions, as he picked up his second-consecutive conference win in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:38.41. Michal Zyla added a 100 backstroke victory for the Lions with a first-place time of 49.81, edging runner-up teammate Cole Stevens who clocked in at 50.10.
Second and third-place finishes in the 100 breast by Park (56.77) and Forrest Davis (58.06) gave Columbia much needed points in a tight race against the Bulldogs. Gullick (20.36) and Kevin Frifeldt (20.53) followed suit in the 50 freestyle, as well as in the 100 freestyle with tied runner-up finishes by Terry Li and Gullick at 45.76.
Michal Zyla returned to give the Lions a huge spark in the 200 back with his second victory on the day. Zyla hit the wall with a first-place time of 1:46.64, followed by Cole Stevens in second-place at 1:50.55.
Edged in the 200 breaststroke for a runner-up finish by Park at 2:03.97, the Bulldogs tied the score at 113 through 12 events. The Bulldogs took a slight lead following a victory in the 500 freestyle, but the Lions roared back behind a Li victory in the 100 butterfly at 48.70 and a runner-up finish in the event by Frifeldt at 49.59.
Despite a 400 freestyle relay victory in 2:59.54 by Li, Liu, Frifeldt and Gullick, the Bulldogs created a cushion with a top finishes in the 200 Individual Medley to hold off the Lions, 152-148.
Up next, the Lions (2-1) will travel to Harvard on Friday, Nov. 18 at 3 p.m. and will cap the weekend in a home opener against Bucknell on Sunday, Nov. 20 at 1 p.m.
