Women's Swimming & Diving Downs Penn, 177-123

Friday, November 4

Philadelphia, Penn.

5:00 P.M.

Columbia University

177

123

Penn

Photo by: Columbia University Athletics/Mike McLaughlin

11/4/2022 10:34:00 PM | Women's Swimming and Diving

Complete Results (PDF)

The Lions win 11 of 16 events as they roll to season-opening win.

PHILADELPHIA – The Columbia women's swimming and diving team started the 2022-23 season with a 177-123 victory over Penn Friday night. Karen Liu and Emily MacDonald won a pair of individual events to lead the Lions. MacDonald was also a part of the winning 200 medley relay.

The Lions roared to an early lead, claiming first and second in the 200-medley relay. The quartet of Grace Zhou, Ashley Hu, Emily MacDonald and Sally Ma turned in a 1:44.79 performance. Not far behind were Olivia Jubin, Allegra Walker, Anthea Wong and Isabelle Arevalo, who completed the race in 1:45.67.

Two events later, Jubin returned with the top time in the 200 free (1:51.79) for her first win of the season and started a stretch of eight consecutive top finishes for the Lions.

Columbia began to separate from the Quakers in the 100-yard backstroke, earning 14 team points. Zhou won the event in 56.68, and Lindsay Orringer (57.54 – third) and Riley Pujadas (58.19 – fourth) provided the rest of the scoring punch.

Hu picked up another first-place finish in the 100 breaststroke, touching the wall in 1:04.40. Walker also had a good race, finishing third with a time of 1:06.34. Karen Liu continued the dominant stretch with her record-breaking performance before the Lions swept the podium in the 50-yard freestyle. MacDonald (23.51) narrowly edged Sally Ma (23.71) for first, and Arevalo followed (24.02) for a third-place finish.

As the meet moved into the diving competition, Alice Diakova posted a pair of NCAA Zone qualifying scores and first-place finishes. In the one-meter, she posted a score of 276.83 and 282.26 in the three-meter.

Columbia would go on for another top-three sweep in the 200 backstroke. Aziza Ginhanova led the way at 2:02.48, followed by Orringer (2:03.84) and Pujadas (2:05.41).

Liu blew away the competition in the 200 breaststroke, finishing in 2:16.85, good for more than five seconds ahead of the second-place finisher.

Columbia opens its home slate next Friday, November 11, against Yale for a 5 p.m. meet in Uris Natatorium.

For the latest on the Columbia women's swimming and diving program, follow @CULionsWSD on Twitter and Instagram, @ColumbiaDiving on Instagram and on the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.