Columbia Athletics Title IX Celebration
6/23/2022 10:05:00 AM | General
Columbia Athletics celebrates the 50th anniversary of Title IX by honoring 50 of its most influential women over the past 50 years.
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SIAN LEAH BEILOCK | BARNARD COLLEGE PRESIDENT
Sian Leah Beilock serves as the eighth President of Barnard College. Since Beilock became Barnard's President in July 2017, she has raised the College's eminence in STEM to parallel its renown in the arts and humanities; notably 34% of the Class of 2021 were STEM majors. Beilock has also led the College to record fundraising, increased applications for admission, and diversity among students, faculty and staff. Half of Barnard students identify as women of color.
Since arriving on campus in 2017, President Beilock, a former college athlete, has elevated the College's support for Barnard student athletes. She prioritized building a strong partnership with Columbia Athletics colleagues, meeting with administrators and coaches to express her support of all athletes and to promote Barnard student athletes. Among the notable outcomes of this renewed partnership has been a dramatic increase in the number of Barnard recruits and number of total Barnard student athletes. To further develop the community of Barnard and Columbia Athletics, she also initiated the annual Coaches Breakfast each fall at Barnard, and collaborated with Peter Pilling to create the annual Beyond the Game panel discussion celebrating women, athletics, and leadership, hosted on Barnard's campus. In addition, she and her daughter Sarah can often be found on the sidelines cheering on the Lions.
Beilock is one of the world's leading experts on the brain science behind "choking under pressure" and the factors influencing all types of performance, from business to education to sports. She is the author of the critically-acclaimed Choke (2010) and How The Body Knows Its Mind (2015), which have been published in over a dozen languages. Her 2017 TED Talk has been viewed over 2.5 million times and her research has been featured globally in media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, Time Magazine, CNN, The Washington Post and The New York Times. She was chosen as one of twenty-five "Women to Watch" by Crain's Chicago Business Magazine in 2007 and has won eight major awards from national and international societies devoted to psychology, sport psychology, and education, including the 2017 Troland Award from the National Academy of Sciences. President Beilock works with educators, business leaders, athletic coaches, and those involved in public policy. She has given talks, workshops, and advised some of the world's leading companies and government organizations on how to cultivate optimal performance—especially when the stakes are highest.
In her research, Beilock focuses specifically on how performance anxiety can either be exacerbated or alleviated by coaches, teachers, parents and peers. She explores the brain and body factors that influence skill learning and performance, as well as how simple psychological strategies can be used to ensure success in high-stakes situations ranging from test-taking and public speaking to athletics. She has published more than 100 papers and has received funding from the National Science Foundation (including a CAREER award), the Department of Education, and several foundations.
Since arriving at @BarnardCollege in 2017, President Beilock has elevated the College's support for Barnard student-athletes. Strengthening the Columbia-Barnard Athletics Consortium, the number of recruits and student-athletes at Barnard have dramatically increased.
COREY ARONSTAM | ADMINISTRATOR
Corey S. Aronstam joined Columbia in January 2010 as the Director of Development for Athletics. She was the first woman to hold the position, since its creation in 2006 by Dr. M. Dianne Murphy and the Office of Alumni and Development.
In her first years in the role, she helped to complete the $100M Columbia Campaign for Athletics: Achieving Excellence, the largest to date for the athletics program. The centerpiece of the campaign, which focused on People, Places and Programs, was the fundraising for - and eventual construction of - The Campbell Sports Center, a transformational structure for the athletics program.
Under her leadership as Athletics Development Director from 2010-14, she presided over a number of successful initiatives in athletics development, including incredible athletic alumni and parent participation the first-ever Giving Day, during which the athletics program proved itself to have one of the most loyal and generous affinity groups among the entire Columbia community, as well as the groundbreaking and dedication ceremonies of the Campbell Sports Center, featuring many of the University's leaders and trustees.
A member of the Columbia Athletics Women's Leadership Council, Aronstam's role and responsibilities have expanded since being promoted starting in 2014. She is now the Senior Associate Dean and Deputy Vice President for Development at Columbia College and A&S. In her current position, Corey oversees all Development efforts for Columbia College, General Studies and the Graduate School of Art & Sciences. In addition, she leads a $750M campaign for Columbia College, which is part of a larger $5B University Campaign.
LESLIE GITTESS | WOMEN'S TENNIS
Leslie Gittess is the CEO of Blue Sky Media NYC, a media advisory boutique firm, which she founded in 2010. Her clients have included SnappyTV (acquired by Twitter), Ubersense (acquired by Hudl), PrePlay Sports (acquired by Fanvision), FanDuel (acquired by Power Paddy Betfair), TuneIn, ThePostGame, Thuuz Sports, Kiswe and Minute.ly. She is also a contributor/advisor at the Columbia University Start-up Lab in Soho, where she mentors founders in a "shark-tank-like" environment.
Before founding Blue Sky Media NYC, Leslie worked for over 16 years at the NHL (12 years) and MLB (4 years) focusing on all aspects of sports media and digital rights management. Her previous positions include vice president of business development at Major League Baseball Advanced Media and vice president of TV and business affairs at the National Hockey League. Prior to her career in sports, she was an associate at the law firm Hughes Hubbard and Reed in New York City.
Leslie received a BA in economics from Columbia College and a JD from Georgetown University. While a student at Columbia, she was a captain and member of the Women's Tennis Team. Leslie is on the Columbia College Board of Visitors, a member of the Columbia College Alumni Board, an executive committee representative for the Columbia Women's Tennis Team and a co-chair of the UJA's Sports For Youth Committee. She also prides herself with being a mentor to current Columbia University student athletes and has provided intro to countless internships and other opportunities to her mentees.
NANCY KALAFUS | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
To this day, Nancy Kalafus remains the most winning coach in women's basketball history.
Born and raised on Buena Vista Avenue in Yonkers, Kalafus first fell in love with sports at the age of 12 when her father, James Kalafus, brought her to the Yonkers Canoe Club. In 1970, she became the first Yonkers Canoe Club female to participate on the United States World Championship team and traveled to Denmark.
Kalafus would go on to compete in volleyball, basketball, softball and bowling at the University of Tampa. Her professional career began at the Academy of Mount Saint Ursala in the Bronx before becoming the head coach of the Barnard College women's basketball team in 1979. Kalafus guided the team through the transition toward the Columbia-Barnard Athletic Consortium, when Columbia became coeducational in 1983. She coached the team from Division III to Division I status, which it achieved in 1986-87.
During her tenure, Kalafus led the Lions to the New York State AIAW Championship and their first-ever NCAA bid in 1985-86. That year's team went on to be inducted into the Columbia Athletics Hall of Fame in 2018, achieving a 21-6 overall record, which stood as the program's winningest mark for the next 36 years.
Kalafus's career at Columbia-Barnard also included coaching multiple All-Americans and being named the Metropolitan Coach of the Year following the historic 1985-86 campaign. Many of her former players can still be found all over the women's basketball record book. One of her fondest memories was winning a four-overtime game against Penn, 114-111, and she still remains an avid supporter of the Columbia women's basketball program.
INTERVIEW: Nancy Kalafus joins women's basketball halftime broadcast (Feb. 9, 2019)
RACHEL PAULEY '95BC '96SIP | FIELD HOCKEY
A former field hockey club athlete, Rachel Pauley '95BC '96SIPA is largely credited with leading the storied program's transition to varsity status. Beginning in 1993, the Barnard College Class of 1995 President, and field hockey co-captain, advocated for the elevation of Columbia's women's sports to the NCAA Division I level, citing concerns of gender inequity as her primary motivation. "There are more women than men in this university and yet there are more sports available to men," Pauley explained to the Columbia Daily Spectator as a sophomore.
In 2021, thanks to the efforts of Pauley and fellow members of the Committee for Equality and Treatment for Women, Columbia's varsity field hockey team celebrated its 25th anniversary. Since achieving full varsity status, the Lions have amassed 177 wins while boasting 17 NFHCA All-Region honorees and a pair of NFHCA All-Americans. In 2009, Pauley was recognized as one of the 25 Most Influential Athletic Alumnae by the Columbia-Barnard Athletic Consortium during the University's silver anniversary celebration of women's sports.
Now an Adjunct Professor of Clinical Law at NYU Law School, Pauley previously served as a New York City Civil Court Judge. Former Director of Government Programs, Social Justice Initiatives and a Lecturer-in-Law at Columbia Law School, Pauley's professional endeavors further included stints with the King's County District Attorney, New York State Attorney General's Office, and the New York State Inspector General's Office.
MARVELLOUS IHEUKWUMERE '14CC | TRACK & FIELD
Named the 2014 Ivy League Woman Of The Year, Marvellous Iheukwumere '14CC is one of the more successful sprinters for Columbia Track & Field in recent years, winning seven Ivy League Championships over her four years on Morningside. The last Columbia woman to win an Ivy League title in the 60m (indoor), 200m (indoor/outdoor) and the 100m (outdoor), Iheukwumere still holds the school record in the 100m (11.63) and sits top three in four different records.
A nine-time All-Ivy League honoree, Iheukwumere qualified for the 2013 NCAA Championships Outdoor Track & Field Eastern Preliminary round in the 200m and during that 2013 season she also earned CoSIDA/Capital One Academic All-District First Team honors and earned USTFCCA Division ! Track & Field All-Academic honors.
Honored in 2014 as the Arthur Ashe Sports Scholar Award Recipient, Iheukwumere went on to graduate from Harvard Law School in 2014 and after taking a break from beginning her career within the NBA's legal office to train for the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics (becoming a finalist at 2016 Nigerian Olympic Trials in the 200m), Iheukwumere returned to the NBA where she spent three years as a paralegal.
Iheukwumere most recently spent her time within the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Division of Corporation Finance and looks to continue her professional career within the legal world.
STACEY BORGMAN '98BC | ROWING
A native of Homer, Alaska, Stacey Borgman had never touched an oar until she rowed on the Harlem River as a sophomore at Barnard College. Eight years later, she was competing for the United States women's rowing team at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.
When Borgman decided to give rowing a try, not only did her work ethic impress the Columbia staff, her attitude and outlook were just as critical. "She was always upbeat and rarely negative,'' Mike Zimmer, her college coach, said in a 2001 article in U.S. Rowing magazine. "She definitely has the ability to take things in stride." Said like a true rowing coach, it was Borgman's stride with the oar that helped her achieve her own Olympic success.
At the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, Borgman won the lightweight women's double sculls, the culmination of a rowing career in which she won nine national titles at the U.S. Rowing National Championships.
A graduate of Barnard College, Stacy was inducted into the Columbia Athletics Hall of Fame in 2008.
DR. M. DIANNE MURPHY | ATHLETICS DIRECTOR
The first female athletics director at Columbia University – and only the second at any Ivy League school – Dr. M. Dianne Murphy arrived on Morningside Heights in 2004 already making history. Hired away from the University of Denver by President Lee C. Bollinger during the University's 250th Anniversary year, Bollinger announced that Murphy would report directly to him, and not the University Provost, as previous athletics directors had.
Once on campus, Murphy took an aggressive stance in rebuilding Columbia's dormant athletics program. Within her first two years on campus, Murphy delivered a Strategic Plan for the Department to President Bollinger and the University Trustees, as well as a Facilities Master Plan, which set the stage for the biggest fundraising campaign in the history of Columbia's Athletics program.
The centerpiece of the fundraising effort was the brand-new Campbell Sports Center at the Baker Athletics Complex, the first new athletics building on the upper campus of the sports complex since the completion of Lawrence A. Wien Stadium in 1984. With the construction of the Campbell Sports Center, Murphy effectively doubled the number of offices available to varsity coaches, and nearly tripled the number of square feet available for student-athlete strength training.
Opening in 2013, The Campbell Sports Center was a game changer for the entire athletics program - but it was not the only facilities project under Murphy's aegis. During her tenure, she secured funding for the renovation of every playing field at the Baker Athletics Complex, plus the first major refurbishment of Chrystie Field House since the establishment of the Columbia-Barnard Athletic Consortium. Fundraising also brought about the establishment of two new varsity sports, men's and women's squash, in 2010.
As a result of her incredible impact in fundraising and facility improvement, Columbia Athletics under Murphy had some of its most successful seasons in school history. From 2004-2015, numerous Columbia women's teams won their first-ever Ivy League titles, including Women's Soccer, Women's Indoor Track & Field, Women's Golf and Women's Tennis. Murphy also hired a number of successful coaches during her tenure, including baseball's Brett Boretti and fencing's Michael Aufrichtig who have both led their respective teams to multiple league titles and NCAA appearances, as well as Kyle Smith who in 2014 led Columbia Men's Basketball to its first postseason tournament since 1968. The Lions excelled during her tenure, winning a total of 30 Ivy League Championships in 11 sports.
Murphy also spearheaded the creation of the Columbia Athletics Hall of Fame in 2006, the Columbia Athletics Women's Leadership Council in 2007, and was a member of the NCAA Women's Basketball Committee, responsible for selecting and seeding the 64-team field while she was at Columbia.
Upon her retirement as an athletics director in 2015, Murphy has continued to stay close to college sports as a consultant with the Pictor Group. She was inducted into the NACDA Hall of Fame in 2017, was presented with the NACWAA Lifetime Achievement award in 2016, and most recently, the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Jostens-Berenson Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020.
PATRICIA GRIEVE | FACULTY ATHLETIC REPRESENTATIVE
Patricia E. Grieve has served as Columbia Athletics' Faculty Athletic Representative since 2008. The primary responsibilities of the Faculty Athletic Representative are to certify that all student-athletes meet all NCAA, Ivy League, and University requirements for initial and continuing eligibility for athletic participation, both practice and intercollegiate competition, and financial aid.
Professor Grieve is the Nancy and Jeffrey Marcus Professor in the Humanities in Columbia University's Department of Latin American and Iberian Cultures. Grieve teaches in the Department of Latin American and Iberian Cultures and the Institute for Comparative Literature and Society. A former chair of Literature Humanities, she is currently the chair of the Committee on Global Core and a member of the Educational Planning and Policy Committee.
In addition to teaching various courses at Columbia, Professor Grieve specializes in comparative medieval and early modern studies, especially the role that stories and storytelling play in shaping and reflecting cultures. Her previous book projects include: The Eve of Spain: Myths of Origins in the History of Christian, Muslim, and Jewish Conflict (2009), 'Floire and Blancheflor' and the European Romance (1997; 2006) and Desire and Death in the Sentimental Romance: 1440-1550 (1987).
CHRISTINA FREIBOTT '16CC | FIELD HOCKEY
Columbia's all-time leader in points and assists, Christina Freibott '16CC came to Morningside Heights in 2012 as a highly touted field hockey student-athlete from Tower Hill School in Wilmington, Delaware. She made an immediate impact by starting all 17 games as a first-year, on her way to being selected to the NFHCA Div. I Collegiate National Academic Squad.
A year later, Freibott would go on to be named Second Team All-Mideast Region and Second Team All-Ivy League for the first time, scoring five goals and assisting six more. She became one of the best players in the nation as a junior. Freibott's 2014 season included 10 goals and school records of 21 assists and 41 points – both of those records still stand to this day. She led the Lions to a 12-5 season and 5-2 Ivy League mark, which is still the program's best single-season winning percentage and single-season Ivy League record. That October, Sports Illustrated highlighted Freibott in it's "Faces in the Crowd" column in recognition of her outstanding season, in which she was named a Third Team NFHCA/Longstreth All-American and was the NCAA national leader in assists per game (1.24). Freibott was unanimously voted Columbia's first Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year, and was also a First Team All-Ivy League and First Team All-Region honoree.
Freibott ended her Columbia career as a three-time All-Ivy League and three-time All-Region player. Along with holding career records in points and assists, she also ranks top five in goals with 27. During the field hockey program's Silver Anniversary season in 2021, Freibott was one of three Lions tabbed as the best all-time midfielders.
Feature: FH | CUFH25 Series – Christina Freibott '16CC
CHERYL MILSTEIN '82BC | BENEFACTOR | CHAIR, BARNARD COLLEGE TRUSTEES
A 1982 Graduate of Barnard College, Cheryl Glicker Milstein has been one of the greatest supporters and benefactors of the athletics program over the past 30 years. Together with her husband Philip '71CC, the Milsteins have contributed time, talent and treasure in support of numerous athletics initiatives and fundraising efforts over the years.
A 2006 recipient of the Athletics Alumni Award at the 85th Annual Varsity C Celebration, Milstein was also one of the co-chairs of the Silver Anniversary Celebration of the Columbia-Barnard Athletic Consortium in 2008-09, which raised $50,000 in support of the Cristina Teuscher Women's Sports Endowment at Columbia. She has also been an awards presenter at the annual Varsity C event, and is a member of the Women's Leadership Council development group.
As part of The Columbia Campaign for Athletics: Achieving Excellence, Cheryl and Philip Milstein were among the first and most generous benefactors to the athletics renewal effort. Their contributions made possible the development of The Campbell Sports Center at the Baker Athletics Complex. The Milstein Hospitality Pavilion on the fifth floor of the building is named in the family's honor. The Milstein family has also provided funding for numerous campus life initiatives and facilities on both the Columbia and Barnard campuses, as well as the Columbia University Irving Medical Center. A former trustee on the WNET Board of Trustees, Cheryl has also been a leader in advancing the mission of public media.
A member of the Barnard College Board of Trustees since 1999, Milstein was appointed Chair in 2018. She has been a strong supporter of the annual Beyond the Game presentation at Barnard College, a panel discussion on women, athletics, and leadership co-sponsored by the Columbia-Barnard Athletic Consortium and hosted by Barnard President Sian Beilock and Columbia Athletics Director Peter Pilling. She also is supportive of and influential towards the recent initiatives to enhance the ongoing Consortium relationship by increasing Barnard student-athlete participation in the athletics program.
CRISTINA TEUSHER | WOMEN'S SWIMMING '00CC
A 1996 graduate of New Rochelle High School, Teuscher made her first Olympic appearance before ever stepping foot on to Columbia's Morningside Heights Campus. At just 18 years of age, she claimed her first gold medal as a member of the record-setting 4×200-meter freestyle team at the 1996 Atlanta Summer Games. After graduating with a degree in psychology in 2000, the collegiate standout made her second Olympic appearance, doing so as the Team USA captain at the Sydney Games. She won her second Olympic medal, a bronze, in the 200-meter individual medley.
A two-time All-American, Teuscher did not lose an individual race throughout four years of collegiate competition, including four NCAA Championship races. In addition to four National Titles, Teuscher won 12 Ivy League titles while setting 17 team records. The vast majority of these records still stand.
Following her senior campaign, Teuscher received the Connie Maniatty Award as Columbia's outstanding female senior athlete and the Honda Award for the nation's top collegiate swimmer. Later that same year (2000), she was awarded the 2000 Honda-Broderick Cup as the nation's best collegiate women's athlete. Just one of nine swimmers to earn this honor, Teuscher remains the sole Ivy League honoree.
Continuously regarded as one of Columbia's best female athletes, Teuscher was one of seven female athletes inducted into the inaugural class of the Columbia Athletics Hall of Fame (2005). In 2020, she was recognized by the Collegiate Swimming & Diving Coaches Association as one of the Greatest 100 Female Swimmers.
Olympians 1 on 1 featuring Cristina Teusher & Katie Meili
KATIE DAY BENVENUTO | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL & ADMINISTRATOR '03CC
Katie Day Benvenuto's impact on Columbia Athletics spans more than 23 years. Starting as a student-athlete and continuing as an important member of the Columbia College and Columbia Athletics Development teams, she has been responsible for many of the incredible fundraising successes in athletics over the past decade.
A four-year women's basketball starter, she earned Academic All-Region First Team honors from the College Sports Information Directors Association in 2002-03, was a three-time Academic All-District pick and twice was honored as an Academic All-Ivy League selection (2001-02 and 2002-03). She was a member of the Student-Athlete 4.0 Club three of her four years on the team. After serving as a team captain during her senior season, she concluded her four-year career with 641 points and 468 rebounds.
Day Benvenuto graduated Magna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Language/Letters from Columbia College in 2003. She earned a Master of Business Administration degree, with honors from Columbia University's Business School in 2012. She was the recipient of the Marion R. Philips watch, awarded to the female student-athlete with the highest GPA, as a senior.
After a short stint in publishing, Katie returned to Alma Mater as Associate Director, Athletics Annual Giving in 2007. Over the last 15 years, Day Benvenuto has made an incredible impact on the lives of Columbia student-athletes and coaches with numerous fundraising projects, including two capital campaigns, the establishment of the Women's Leadership Council, and the implementation of Columbia Giving Day, during which Athletics became one of the University's most successful programs in the annual fundraising event.
Her success as a fundraiser was noticed immediately - and she has been promoted numerous times, with her eventually leading all Athletics Development operations by 2014. In January 2020, Day Benvenuto was appointed Senior Executive Director for Development/Associate Dean for Columbia College Alumni and Development, Arts & Sciences, and Athletics.
ILENE WEINTRAUB | TENNIS '02CC
Ilene Weintraub '02CC is one of a handful of student-athletes in Columbia Athletics history to make an impact on the field as a player and also as a Lions head coach. A four-year tennis letterwinner from 1998-2002, Weintraub served as a team captain for two years and earned two All-Ivy League honors in doubles in both 1999 and 2000 before graduating from Columbia College in 2002. As a senior, she was honored with the Women's Tennis Award for her contributions based on ability, competitive spirit and team leadership. A Brooklyn native, she garnered the prestigious 1998 Pegasus Award as New York City's top high school women's tennis athlete.
In her 15 seasons as head coach at Columbia, Weintraub has revitalized the Women's Tennis program in every aspect, building the Lions into a consistently nationally ranked program and top Ivy League contender. The winningest coach in program history, Weintraub led Columbia to its first Ivy League title in 2013 and two NCAA Tournament appearances in 2014 and 2016. Under Weintraub, the Lions earned their first national ranking in 2012 and have continued to appear in the year-end national rankings in eight of the last 10 seasons, including a High ITA National Ranking of No. 21 in 2020. Weintraub was twice named ITA Northeast "Coach of the Year". Since 2014, Columbia Women's Tennis has won the ECAC Championship four times (2014, 2016, 2019 and 2020).
Weintraub's players have also been successful in the classroom. In 2022, 15 of 17 players were honored on the Dean's List while five players were inducted into the prestigious 4.0 Club.
KATY BILODEAU | SOFTBALL '87CC
A four-time First Team All-American fencer, Katy Bilodeau is one of the most accomplished student-athletes in Columbia school history. She became the first woman in school history to win individual national championships in multiple years as she captured the 1985 and 1987 NCAA women's foil titles. She is the first-ever Columbia fencer to be honored as a four-time First Team All-American. She is also a four-time NCAA Northeast Regional champion and four-time All-Ivy League selection. She completed her Columbia career with a 207-9 dual match record and 45-3 NCAA Championship record. A Concord, Mass. native, Bilodeau graduated from Columbia College in 1987.
A USA Fencing Hall of Fame member (2002) and Columbia Athletics Hall of Fame member (2006), Bilodeau went on to a stellar international career. She was a four-time national champion preceded by four years as the Junior Olympic national champion. She was a four-time Eastern Collegiate champion and a two-time medalist in the Pan American Games, including a gold medal in 1987. She was the top-ranked women's foil fencer in the United States from 1985 to 1992. She competed in two Olympic Games (1988, 1992) and two World University Games (1985 - sixth place and 1987). The U.S. Olympic Committee chose her as the Outstanding Fencer of the Year three times. The Women's Sports Foundation named her as its Up and Coming Athlete of the Year and she was named the NCAA Athlete of the Decade for the '80s (fencing).
In 1987, she was the first recipient of Columbia's Distinguished Achievement Award in Athletics, followed the next year by Columbia College's John Jay Award for Distinguished Achievement.
NEILA JACOBSON BUDAY | ATHLETIC TRAINER
Arriving at Columbia in 1991 fresh out of college at the University of Vermont, Neila Jacobson Buday fashioned an incredible career as one of the top collegiate athletic trainers in the Northeast. Over the course of a 19-year tenure at Columbia, during which she was promoted to Associate Head Athletic Trainer, Jacobson Buday provided top quality service to thousands of Columbia student-athletes, across a panoply of sports. One of the first female athletic trainers in The Ivy League to work closely with her school's football team, Jacobson Buday also was the lead trainer for women's basketball for nearly two decades.
Often working 7-day weeks during the height of the competition season, Jacobson also taught physical education - including the Department's exceeding popular Ski and Snowboarding Class every academic year. A former ski instructor at Stratton Mountain, Jacobson would bring Columbia students around the northeast to learn and participate in recreational skiing activities every week during the winter months.
A consummate professional, Jacobson Buday also works with the NFL as a concussion spotter - one of few women in the role - and has also previously worked as a part-time trainer with Maccabi USA. In 2006, Jacobson was named the Assistant Athletic Trainer of the Year for NCAA Division 1-AA (now FCS) by the National Athletic Trainers Association. After leaving Columbia in 2010, she continued her career as head athletic trainer for The Ranney School, an independent college preparatory school based in New Jersey, where she still works today. More importantly, she still bleeds Columbia Blue - and can often be found in the stands at home Columbia football and women's basketball games.
ALLISON BUEHLER | SOFTBALL '03CC
Allison Buehler established herself as the first great pitcher in Columbia softball history. She came to Columbia for the program's inaugural campaign in 1999-2000, and went on to become a two-time All-Ivy League and two-time Regional All-America selection. To this day, she holds numerous school records, including career ERA (1.90) and single-season shutouts (9), wins (16), strikeouts (181) and ERA (0.78). Her name can also be found among the top-five record holders in nearly every single-season and career pitching category, as well as the top 20 in Ivy League history.
Buehler started and won the very first game in Columbia softball history on March 7, 2000. Her most memorable season came as a sophomore, establishing herself not only as one of the best pitchers in the Ivy League, but as one of the top hurlers in the nation. Buehler's final tallies from the 2001 campaign included a 16-8 record in 44 appearances, as well as 181 strikeouts and just 25 walks in 170 innings pitched. Her 0.78 ERA was 15th-best in the country – among the few better was future Team USA Olympian Jennie Finch, who led the nation for Arizona with a 0.25 ERA. Buehler's four straight victories to close out the year propelled Columbia to its first ECAC Championships, and the Oregon native was bestowed with Regional All-America honors.
The co-captain earned Regional All-America and All-Ivy League honors for the second consecutive year as a junior. She helped Columbia to the ECAC Championships for a second consecutive season, and went on to add 95 strikeouts as a senior to finish her career with 494 in 610.1 innings pitched. Her career 1.90 ERA remains the benchmark at Columbia, while her 84 starts, 81 complete games, 14 shutouts, 44 wins and 494 strikeouts all rank second. Buehler's strikeout total also ranks 10th in Ivy League history, while her 0.78 ERA from 2001 is the eighth-lowest among any pitcher from the Ancient Eight.
TINA STECK | DIVING '80BC
In 1977 Christina "Tina" Steck, representing Barnard College, competed in the three meter dive event at the Eastern Women's Swimming League meet, forerunner of today's Ivy Championships, and dove as no Barnard diver had ever before. She won the three-meter title with a whopping score of 507.45, registering the first 500+ result in the meet's then-22 year history.
A 1978 Division I All-American, Steck claimed the 1977 and 1978 Eastern Championship titles while collecting back to back All-Ivy League accolades. Undefeated in college dual-meet competition, she is still remembered through the Tina Steck Award, originally established by her alma mater and now presented at the Varsity C Awards Dinner, to the women's swim and dive team member who makes the greatest impact on her team.
Following her 1980 graduation from Barnard, magna cum laude, Steck attended George Washington University Law School before serving as an assistant district attorney in Manhattan. She went on to become a trial attorney in the U.S. Department of Justice, both in the Civil Division on environmental defense litigation and the Natural Resources Division, as a prosecutor in environmental crimes cases.
KAREN BLANK | ADMINISTRATOR
For nearly three decades, Karen Blank was a fixture on Morningside Heights as one of the University administrators who was most supportive of athletics. First serving Columbia College as Associate Dean for Student Affairs starting in 1984, Blank moved across Broadway to Barnard College in 1993, becoming their Dean of Studies, a position she held for more than two decades.
In both positions, Blank was actively involved in working with student-athletes as they navigated their academic and athletic careers on campus. A fixture at women's basketball games over her thirty years on campus, Blank served as the University's Faculty Athletics Representative (FAR) to the NCAA for more than 10 years.
Blank passed away on December 31, 2013 and her legacy lives on within the athletics program with the Karen Blank Award, presented annually to the female student-athlete enrolled in Barnard College, who exemplifies the qualities of academic success, athletic achievement, strong sporting behavior and commitment to community.
DIANA CASKEY | WOMEN'S SWIMMING
Head Women's Swim Coach, Diana Caskey, arrived at Morningside Heights in 1992. Her 30 years at Columbia have been highlighted by a multitude of record-breaking performances and monumental accomplishments.
Caskey stands out among her peers as the only Ivy League Head Coach to coach two Olympians, doing so in Olympic gold medalist and NCAA champion in Cristina Teuscher '00CC as well as gold medalist Katie Meili '13CC. Caskey recruited Teuscher to Columbia following her gold-medal winning campaign at the 1996 games; the two-time Olympian would go on to secure a bronze medal at the 2000 games following graduation from Columbia and earn CSCAA 'Greatest Swimmers of the Past 100 Years' accolades in 2021.
Every active program record was set under Caskey's tutelage, including five Ivy League records set by Teuscher (500 Free, 1,000 Free, 400 IM) and Meili (100 Breast, 200 Breast, 200 IM). The Princeton alum has coached six individual Ivy League Champions for a total of 25 individual titles, as well six championship-winning relay teams.
Beyond program statistics, in her mind her greatest achievements are the relationships, partnerships, and friendships she has had the good fortune to develop over her three decades at the helm of Columbia Women's Swimming with her alums, colleagues, fellow coaches, parents, administrators and campus partners. Caskey is grateful to all her mentors and hopeful that she has been a good mentor to those that have sought her guidance and support. She shared, "It is a tremendous honor to be included in this Title IX recognition group".
In addition to producing the programs first regular season title in 2014, Caskey's swimmers have compiled nine NCAA Championship top 10 finishes headlined by four NCAA Individual Titles.
During the 2021 season, Columbia enjoyed significant success in the pool, claiming the 2021 ECAC Winter Championship crown behind a myriad of personal and meet record-setting marks.
A 1985 graduate of Princeton University, Caskey was a standout swimmer for the Tigers, earning All-America and All-Ivy League honors. She held the Princeton record in the 500 free for 14 years and led off the 800 free relay that won the AIAW Intercollegiate Championships in 1982.
CAMILLE ZIMMERMAN | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL '18CC
The all-time leading scorer and rebounder in Columbia women's basketball history, Camille Zimmerman's legacy in Morningside Heights is sure to be long lasting. Her 1,973 career points obliterated the previous record by more than 500 points, and are the most scored by anyone, male or female, to don a Columbia basketball jersey. Zimmerman's named will undoubtedly remain a fixture in the Lions' record books for decades to come, where she currently also holds the No. 1 spot in career field goals (728), free throw percentage (.826), games played (113) and games started (112).
Zimmerman's most memorable season came as a junior in 2016-17. She scored 608 points to break Columbia Athletics Hall of Famer Ellen Bossert's 31-year-old single-season scoring record, averaging 22.5 per game to also eclipse Bossert's 22.1 from 1985-86. The historic campaign saw Zimmerman rank top 50 in the NCAA in eight statistical categories, including No. 10 in scoring average and top 25 in total field goals. The ultimate all-around player, Zimmerman holds the unique distinction of being the only individual in the NCAA to lead her team in points, rebounds, assists, blocks and steals during the 2016-17 season. At the end of the year, she became the first Columbia Lion to be named the Met Basketball Writers Association Women's Div. I Player of the Year.
A three-time All-Ivy League selection, Zimmerman went on to become the second player in program history to sign a WNBA free-agent contract when she joined the Minnesota Lynx for training camp in the summer of 2018. Zimmerman later signed a professional contract to play for Kouvottaret in Naisten Korisliiga, the premier women's basketball league in Finland. After helping lead her team to Finland's Final Four, she signed to play for Norrkoping in Sweden, and now plays for Troistorrents in Switzerland. In September of 2021, Zimmerman represented Team USA at the FIBA 3x3 Women's Series Stop in Montreal.
DIANA DIEP | ARCHERY '96SEAS
Inducted into the Columbia Athletics Hall of Fame in 2018, Diana Diep '96SEAS paved the way for the future successes of Columbia Archery as one of the first student-athletes to truly leave their mark on the storied program.
A four-year letterwinner for the Lions, Diep quietly climbed her way up the rankings before garnering national and league-wide honors. As a junior in 1995, Diep became just the second archer in program history to earn All-America status. Additionally, she was named to the Academic All-Ivy League team. The following year, as a senior captain, she went on to win the individual New York State Championship (1996).
To cap off an outstanding career, Diep was honored at the annual Varsity 'C' Award ceremony. Here, she earned both the Women's Archery Award and the prestigious Connie S. Maniatty Outstanding Senior Athlete Award.
DARLENE CAMACHO | ADMINISTRATOR
Arriving at Columbia in 2003 as an assistant director of communications, in five short years, Darlene Camacho rose to the position of Associate Athletics Director for Athletics Communications, the first Latina to hold such an Associate AD position at Columbia. And what a position it was - in her time at Columbia, she was the school's first female SID to be the lead communications liaison for both men's basketball and football. Her responsibilities encompassed much more than just traditional athletics communications. A member of both CoSIDA and NACWAA, she often worked closely with former athletics director Dr. M. Dianne Murphy on projects spanning from special awards programming, to the WBCA Center for Coaching Excellence, among many others.
A mainstay in the Columbia Athletics administration for more than a decade, Camacho provided exceptional customer service to all of the constituents she faced - from student-athletes and coaches, to the professional and collegiate media, not to mention a host of campus partners in areas from catering to print services. Revered by student-athletes and colleagues alike for her positive attitude and caring commitment to the student-athletes she worked with, Camacho's legacy at Columbia continues to this day.
A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Camacho now works as the Senior Associate Athletic Director for Strategic Communications at the University of Georgia, home of the 2022 national collegiate football champions.
TANVI KHANNA | SQUASH '18CC
A trailblazer in her own right, Tanvi Khanna became the first Columbia women's squash player in program history to earn College Squash Association All-America honors in 2016. She went on to be named an All-American and First Team All-Ivy League player three times in her career, anchoring the Lions from the No. 1 position her sophomore, junior and senior seasons. With Khanna leading the way, the women's squash program recorded its first winning Ivy League season in 2018, going 4-3 with victories over Penn, Brown, Dartmouth and Cornell. The Lions also qualified for the Top Draw at CSA Team Nationals and finished the season with its highest ranking in program history at the time of No. 6.
Khanna continues to play professionally overseas. She is one of several young Indians on the Tour, and broke into the world's top 100 for the first time in 2021. After making her debut on Tour in 2016, Khanna had to wait two years until she made a semi-final, which came at the Singapore Open. She then made the quarter finals of the Delhi Leg of the HCL SRFI Indian Tour a year later, before also reaching the semis of the Mumbai Leg. She took her first two titles on the HCL SRFI Indian Tour in 2021, winning in Chennai and Noida. She was also a gold medalist at the South Asian Games 2018 Nepal.
JACQUELINE BLACKETT | DEPUTY ATHLETICS DIRECTOR l HEAD COACH
There are very few people who have meant as much to the ongoing success of athletics (and individual student-athletes) at Columbia University as Jacqueline "Jackie" Blackett. Currently serving as the Deputy Athletics Director for Athletics, Physical Education & Recreation, Senior Woman Administrator and Deputy Title IX Coordinator; Blackett has oversight of Varsity Athletics and is instrumental in the day-to-day operations of the Department. She also oversees Physical Education and Recreation which provides service for club sports programs, intramurals, group fitness, campus recreation and the University's required physical education program. As the Deputy Title IX Coordinator, Blackett is charged with communicating information regarding University policies related to sexual harassment, sexual assault, stalking and other gender-based misconduct.
Hired by former athletics director Al Paul as Columbia's head coach of women's cross country and track and field in 1989, Blackett transitioned into a role with the athletics administration in 1993, in which she has served generations of student-athletes and myriad coaches in pursuit of athletics excellence.
Blackett served as the Department's Associate Athletics Director for Compliance and Student-Athlete Services from 1993 to 2010 and was responsible for compliance and Student-Athlete Well-Being, while acting as the Department's liaison to a variety of offices on campus. In July 2009, Blackett was recognized for her outstanding efforts on behalf of Columbia's student-athletes when she was named the Jostens Administrator of the Year in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) by the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletic Administrators (NACWAA).
Active in NCAA Division I Governance, Blackett began service to the membership in 2002 as a member of the Division I Academic/Eligibility and Compliance Cabinet (AEC), serving as the Chair from 2005-2007. Following her time on the AEC Blackett served as a member of the NCAA Soccer Rules Committee and the Women's Soccer Regional Selection Committee before returning to academic governance as a member of the NCAA Division I Academic Cabinet from 2012-2015, serving as the Chair from 2013-2014. Blackett currently represents the Ivy League on the DI Council, serving on the Council Coordinating Committee (CCC) and as the Vice-Chair of the Legislative Council (LC). Blackett also sits on the Modernization of the Rules Subcommittee of LC which is actively involved in current NCAA DI transformation.
SYDNI SCOTT | TRACK & FIELD '22CC
The first Columbia women's student-athlete in history to win a Rhodes Scholarship, Sydni Scott's '22CC time at Columbia certainly made an impact in the surrounding communities. Scott, who competed for Columbia Track & Field in both the long and triple jump, served as a research intern with The Atlantic Fellows for Racial Equity, and her research into reconciliation and reparations in this context led her to found The Amendment Project (TAP), a grassroots organization of her own design, dedicated to creating discourse around racial reparations.
Scott graduates with a major in political science and minors in African American and African Diaspora studies. Her best marks for Columbia include a 5.59m in the indoor long jump and 5.49m in the outdoor long jump, 11.79m in the indoor triple jump and 11.38m in the outdoor triple jump.
NADIA EKE | TRACK & FIELD '15CC
One of the top female track and field athletes in the history of the Columbia program, Nadia Eke's outstanding collegiate career brought honor to Alma Mater and her native Ghana. An NCAA Woman of the Year finalist, Eke was a four-time All-American in the triple jump (indoor and outdoor), and
finished in 3rd place in the 2015 Indoor NCAA Championships. Over the course of her remarkable Ivy League career, Eke earned 10 League titles, along with 15 All-Ivy League honoree selections.
On the World stage, Eke competed for Ghana at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (held in 2021), where she led the Ghanian Olympic Delegation into the Tokyo Olympic Stadium as the nation's flag bearer. She holds the national record for Ghana in the triple jump and was named Ghana's 2017 Female Athlete of the Year by the Sports Writers Association of Ghana.
MARGIE GREENBERG TVERSKY | BARNARD AND COLUMBIA ATHLETICS ADMINISTRATOR
Marjorie "Margie" Tversky (previously Greenberg-Tversky) played a key role in the creation and formation of what is now known as the Columbia-Barnard Athletic Consortium.
From 1978-83, Tversky served as Barnard College's Director of Athletics. When Columbia University announced it would begin admitting women to its undergraduate liberal arts program, Tversky initiated efforts to merge the existing Barnard women's program with Columbia's future athletics program for women. The result was the historical Columbia University-Barnard College Athletic Consortium, one of only a few such consortiums in the country. Tversky served as Columbia University's Associate Director of Athletics and continued to administer the women's athletics program for Columbia until 1990, when she moved to Baltimore, Md. with her family. Tversky received recognition from the Ivy League Directors of Athletics for her "Strong Dedication and Countless Contributions to Ivy Athletes and Athletics", the Metropolitan (NY) Collegiate Directors of Athletics in appreciation for "Many Years of Dedicated Service", and contributions to the NCAA Fencing Committee, where she served as a member from 1987-90.
In 1998 Tversky resumed her career in athletic administration at the College of Notre Dame of Maryland, where she served as Director of Athletics. In 2001, she joined the Towson University Athletics Department as Associate Director of Athletics for Academics, Compliance and Student Services. She served as the Colonial Association Representative to the NCAA Academic, Eligibility, and Compliance Cabinet (2001-05) and as President-Elect, President, and Past-President of the Maryland Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (2002-06). In 2014, she moved to the Towson University Division of Student Affairs and was named Director of Student Services at Towson University in Northeastern Maryland. Prior to her retirement from Towson in 2019, Tversky was selected as Towson's recipient of the University System of Maryland Board of Regents Award for Outstanding Service to Students, and was the first to receive the Towson University "Margie Tversky Advisor of the Year Award ", named in her honor, which is now presented annually at the Student Affairs Leadership Awards Program.
In all, Tversky, who holds a Master's degree in Physical Education, Curriculum and Teaching from Columbia University's Teachers College, compiled 39 years of experience as an administrator in intercollegiate athletics and student services.
ARI BROSE '84BC | TRACK & FIELD
Ari Brose, a member of the Barnard College Board of Trustees, was a member of the varsity cross country and track and field teams both for Barnard in 1982-83 and for Columbia after the consortium in 1983-84. Brose was named captain of both squads as a senior.
Following a nearly-three-year stint at the United State Securities and Exchange Commission as a senior counsel in the division of enforcement, Brose moved on to get her M.B.A. at the University of Pennsylvania's prestigious Wharton School of Business in 1995. During the mid-90's, she also became a member of the Barnard College Alumni Association and worked her way up to president, which brought with it a spot on the board of trustees.
Brose has been one of the top 100 women finishers in the New York City Marathon, has won the Nantucket 10-Miler in 1988 and has won countless age group awards in local and national races.
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DONNA HERLINSKY MACPHEE '89CC | TENNIS
One of the most influential women across the Columbia University administration, Donna Herlinsky MacPhee '89CC serves as both the Vice President of Alumni Relations and the President of the Columbia Alumni Association.
After a career working in professional sports, including the National Hockey League, she returned to Columbia in 2008 to lead Columbia's Alumni Relations operations, including the opening of the new Alumni Center in the former McVickar Hall on West 112th Street.
A member of the women's tennis team as an undergraduate, Herlinsky MacPhee competed as one of the earliest student-athletes in the Columbia-Barnard Athletic Consortium, alongside Philippa Feldman Portnoy '86BC. In 2007, the two former racquet women partnered with former track student-athlete Lisa Landau Carnoy '89CC and Athletics Director Dr. M. Dianne Murphy to create the Women's Leadership Council (WLC) - the first coordinated fundraising group dedicated to women's athletics at Columbia. Since its inception, the WLC has raised more than $7.5 million in support of women's athletics.
MICHELLE PIYAPATTRA '14CC | GOLF
The most accomplished, acclaimed, and honored golfer in Columbia Women's Golf history, Michelle Piyapattra '14CC is the program's only three-time First Team All-Ivy League selection (2011, 2012, and 2014) and four-time William Terminello Award winner. She won the individual 2011 Ivy League title, was named the 2012 Ivy League Player of the Year, and was presented with Columbia's Connie S. Maniatty Award in 2014, presented annually to the one female senior student-athlete who was judged to have demonstrated the highest level of athletic ability. She is also the only women's golfer in school history selected to compete as an individual in the NCAA Championship, doing so in 2012.
In Columbia's record book, Piyapattra holds 16 career and season records. She holds career records for scoring average (75.51), scoring average versus par (3.78), overall wins (six), and par or better rounds (16), season records for finish percentage (86.5), par-3 scoring and par-5 scoring. She also registered the lowest ever round in school history (65 in 2012-13) and lowest 54-hole total (213 in 2011-12). As a first-year in 2011, Piyapattra won the Ivy League title after shooting a two-under-par 72-73-69-214.
A Corona, Calif. native, Piyapattra graduated from Columbia College in 2014 after majoring in Anthropology and Political Science. Following her collegiate career at Columbia, Piyapattra went on to compete on the LPGA tour. In 2016 she earned the Elite Annika Academy Award, has three top-10 finishes in her career and twice won the Canadian Tour (2014 and 2015).
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SHEENA WRIGHT '90CC, '94LAW | TRACK & FIELD
Sheena Wright has impacted Columbia University and its community ever since first stepping foot on campus as a student in 1986. A four-year member of the track & field team, Wright grew up in an impoverished community in the South Bronx with her mother, Debra Fraser-Howze. The teen mother inspired Wright by earning her bachelor's from Hunter College and master's from Baruch, all while devoting herself to activism by working at the New York Urban League and founding the National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS.
With the guidance of an inspiring mother, Wright outpaced her peers from an early age. At age 12, she was enrolled at George School a Pennsylvania Quaker boarding school, on full scholarship, becoming the best runner on the girls' varsity cross country team two weeks into her first year with no prior experience. She went on to enroll at Columbia at age 16, before she was even old enough to get a driver's license. Professors and peers alike recall Wright as a student leader, who even chained herself to the entrance of Hamilton Hall as part of a 1987 protest to spark the need for greater multiculturalism on campus. It resulted in the University announcing an African-American studies major later that year.
Her Columbia education extended to the Law School, graduating as a Harlan Fiske Scholar for outstanding academic achievement. Upon graduating, she landed a coveted position at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz as the second black female lawyer in the firm's history. The trailblazer later went on to become the first woman to lead United Way of New York City as the president and CEO. She was elected to the Columbia University's Board of Trustees in 2021, and is now the Deputy Mayor of Strategic Initiatives for the City of New York.
SHANNON MUÑOZ KELLY '07CC | SOCCER
Shannon Munoz came to Columbia after a stellar high school career in Southern California and left New York an Ivy League Champion.
Munoz, who made an immediate impact with her goal-scoring ability, began her Columbia career on a good note, earning Ivy League Honorable Mention and SoccerBuzz.com All-Northeast Rookie first team as a first-year. The two-time captain went on to lead the Lions in scoring each of the three seasons she competed. At the end of her Columbia career, Munoz stood third all-time in points, goals and assists.
In her sophomore season, Munoz racked up 29 points en route to an All-Ivy League second team selection and 2004 NSCAA/Adidas All-Northeast Region third team recognition. Also during the 2004 season, Munoz was named the Governor's Cup MVP after leading the Lions to the Governor's Cup title. The Lions also captured the ECAC Championship during Munoz's sophomore season.
The defining year for Munoz and Columbia came during her senior season. In 2006, Munoz led the Lions to the programs first Ivy League Championship and NCAA Tournament berth. As an individual, Munoz was selected as Columbia's first-ever Ivy League Women's Soccer Player of the Year during the championship season, recording a total of 22 points on eight goals and six assists.
In addition to the Ivy League Player of the Year honor, Munoz garnered Big Apple Women's College Player of the Year, was named to the Fall Academic All-Ivy League Team, earned NSCAA/ Adidas All-Region first team accolades, and was honored as the Connie S. Maniatty Award winner as the top female student-athlete for the Class of 2007.
BOLA BAMIDURO OSAKWE '01BC | LACROSSE
The women's lacrosse team first competed in 1997, the year before Bamiduro arrived in Morningside Heights. As a four-year member of the team, she saw the program improve and the quality of talent increase. She was elected team captain her senior year as well as being named the team's most valuable player.
Bamiduro, who also played field hockey for one year, was actively involved in many other things off the field. One of those extra roles was serving as the Vice Chair, then Chair of the Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) to the NCAA. In doing so, she became the first Ivy League student-athlete to hold this position.
In the fall of her junior year, she had a full-time internship with the US Mission to the United Nations. The political science major, unsure of whether or not she wanted to go into politics, spent two and a half months working with a US representative, helping with preparations for the United Nations' huge annual conference. In addition to politics, Bamiduro pursued her passion for sports. During her senior year, she interned with the National Basketball Association (NBA) a couple of days a week. She worked at the NBA Store, prepared press kits and helped with promotional events and the press aspect of the NBA All-Star Game.
After three years working for her alma mater, she worked in the NYU admissions office while taking classes in its sports management program. Today, she is Global Head of Talent and Diversity at Millenium.
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JUDIE LOMAX '10BC | BASKETBALL
Judie Lomax was a two-time NCAA Division I rebounding champion and the first Columbia women's basketball player to be named Ivy League Player of the Year. She was instrumental to the Lions' unit that set a then-school record with 18 wins and finished the 2009-10 season third in the Ivy League with a record of 9-5.
Lomax forever holds the title of being the first NCAA Division I women's basketball player to lead the nation in rebounding in consecutive seasons. She averaged 14.3 boards per game as a sophomore in 2008-09 and 14.2 the following year as a junior. On top of being the program's first Ivy League Player of the Year, Lomax's 2009-10 campaign also included six Ivy League Player of the Week selections, as well as being named First Team All-Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association and an Associated Press All-American Honorable Mention. In the final outing of her 56-game Columbia career (March 6, 2010), the legend racked up a program record 27 rebounds to help the Lions defeat Brown, 54-41. It broke the previous record of 23, which she also had set earlier in the season against St. Francis (N.Y.), surpassing then what was a record that had stood for over 20 years. Lomax also set single-season Columbia records in rebounds (401) and steals (72).
Lomax graduated in style and left behind an incredible legacy. In just two seasons in a Lions uniform, she finsihed career ranked second in program history in both rebounds (799) and field-goal percentage (.539). Lomax also totaled 918 points to rank 12th in Columbia's career record books.
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CAROLINE BIERBAUM LEFRAK '06CC | CROSS COUNTRY, TRACK & FIELD
One of the most decorated female student-athletes in Columbia history, Caroline Bierbaum LeFrak transferred to Columbia from Duke in 2003. The next year, she became the first Columbia woman ever to win the Ivy League Heptagonal Championship in cross country, leading the team to the 2004 Ivy League title. Bierbaum LeFrak earned First Team All-America status three times during the 2004-05 academic year alone — she finished third at the 2004 NCAA Cross Country Championships, second in the 5000m at the NCAA Indoor Championships and second in the 10,000m at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Bierbaum LeFrak went on to receive USCTA Indoor Regional Athlete of the Year for her stellar performances.
In the fall of 2005, Bierbaum LeFrak won her second straight Ivy League Individual Cross Country title, breaking a then-meet record that had stood for two decades. The generational athlete finished second in the nation at the NCAA Cross Country Championships and concluded the season by receiving the Honda Award, which honors to the nation's best collegiate female cross country runner.
Bierbaum LeFrak graduated from Columbia in 2006 with a degree in history, and was selected as an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship recipient. She returned to the Columbia cross country and track & field programs for the 2008-09 season as a volunteer coach while attending law school. Bierbaum LeFrak completed her law degree from Yeshiva University's Cardozo Law School in New York City in 2009. The New York City native also qualified for the 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials.
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PHILIPPA FELDMAN PORTNOY '86BC, '90BUS
Leadership has always been a central focus of Philippa Feldman Portnoy's life in the business world, at Columbia University and on the competition courts. As an undergraduate at Barnard College, she competed on and served as captain for Columbia University's first two women's tennis teams in both 1984-85 and 1985-86. She earned the program's prestigious Women's Tennis Award in both 1985 and 1986 and helped lead the Lions to a combined 13-15 overall record under head coaches Cindy Lowe and Eve Ellis.
A former vice president of Citibank, Feldman Portnoy is a member of the Barnard and Columbia Alumni Association boards and is a loyal supporter of Columbia Athletics. She was the first woman president of the Varsity C Club — an alumni volunteer organization that supports Columbia Athletics through promotion and fundraising, and by providing advice, financial support, and career development opportunities to student athletes. Feldman Portnoy is also a founding member of the Athena Center for Leadership Studies, and has served on the Alma Maters committee and the Barnard Gala Committee. Her other leadership roles at Columbia University have included serving as a board member of the Columbia Alumni Association (CAA), co-founder of the Women's Leadership Council for Athletics, board member of the Columbia University Club of NYC and the co-chair of CAA Arts Access.
In 2009, Portnoy was named one of the 25 Most Influential Alumnae in the history of the Columbia/Barnard Athletic Consortium/women's athletics. She resides in New York City with her husband and triplet sons.
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MEGAN GRIFFITH '07CC | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
A three-year captain for the women's basketball team, Megan Griffith '07CC has left a lasting impact on the program as both a student-athlete and head coach. In her playing days as a Lion, Griffith was two-time All-Ivy League selection who finished her career with more than 1,000 points. averaging 10.1 points per game. The point guard also tallied 373 career assists, which still ranks fifth in program history. As a junior in 2005-06, Griffith ranked 22nd in the nation in assists per game (5.5) on her way to 148 assists, a single-season record which still stands to this day.
After a three-year professional career overseas and a six-year stint as an assistant coach at Princeton, Griffith returned to her alma mater in March of 2016 as the eighth head coach in program history. After spending her first few seasons turning the program around, Griffith coached the Lions to their first winning season in a decade in 2019-20 (17-10, 8-6 Ivy). Two years later, the 2021-22 Lions posted the winningest season in school history, going 25-7 overall and 12-2 in the Ivy League. The team advanced to its first Ivy League Tournament championship game and went on to defeat Holy Cross, Old Dominion and Boston College in its WNIT debut, advancing all the way to the quarterfinals of the 64-team field.
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BELLA ZIONTS '19BC | LIGHTWEIGHT ROWING
A four-year coxswain for the Columbia lightweight rowing team, Bella Zionts '19BC is the first female national champion in rowing in Columbia history. On June 3, 2018, Zionts coxed the varsity eight to first place in the Grand Finals at the IRA National Championship, defeating Princeton by four seats and winning just the fourth national championship since 1928 for any of Columbia's rowing programs.
Zionts, who began her rowing journey at 13 years old, would go on to earn the Karen Blank Award at the 98th Annual Varsity C Celebration in 2019. The award honors the top senior female student-athlete enrolled at Barnard College who exemplifies the qualities of academic success, athletic achievement, strong sporting behavior & commitment to community. After graduating that May, the trailblazer was selected to participate in the 2019 Under 23 Men's National Team Selection camps, making her the first woman ever to be selected to a U23 men's camp in USRowing history.
Zionts is a founding team member of a startup currently in stealth mode based in San Francisco.
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LISA CARNOY '89CC | TRACK & FIELD
A Columbia leader and inspiration for more than 30 years, and a role model, advisor and benefactor to many, Lisa Landau Carnoy '89CC has been a member of the University's Board of Trustees since 2010 and is currently co-chair, after having been on Columbia College's Board of Visitors for four terms, and the vice-chair from 2008 to 2010. She has supported the College, Athletics, and Arts and Sciences, and endowed the Carnoy Family Program Chair for Contemporary Civilization at the College as well as the Norman J. Landau Scholarship Fund, the latter with her mother, Marjorie Hirshberg. Carnoy currently co-chairs both the College's Core to Commencement campaign and the University's Columbia Commitment campaign. She is a Columbia benefactor and a member of the 1754 Society.
A student-athlete in track and field during her days competing, Carnoy is a member of the Columbia Athletics Leadership Committee and a founding member of the Women's Leadership Council for Athletics. Carnoy was named among the 25 most influential women for the 25th anniversary of the Columbia-Barnard Athletic Consortium, and Women in Science at Columbia named a leadership award in her honor. In 2000, Carnoy was awarded an Alumni Medal, for service of 10 years or more to the University, and in 2007 was presented a John Jay Award for distinguished professional achievement. In 2018, she was awarded the Alexander Hamilton Medal, which is the highest honor awarded to a member of the Columbia College community for distinguished service to the College and accomplishment in any field of endeavor.
ANNE CEBULA '20BC | FENCING
Two-time All-America fencing selection Anne Cebula made history in 2019 as she became the first women's epeeist at Columbia and the first-ever student-athlete at Barnard College to claim an individual national title when she captured the 2019 NCAA individual women's epee championship. It was a fairytale weekend for Cebula, who beat St. John's Andrea Vittoria Rizzi 15-12 in the semifinal, then went on to defeat Notre Dame's Amanda Sirico, 5-3, in the title match to claim the championship.
It was a magical 2019 season for Cebula, who also won the NCAA Northeast Regional women's epee Gold Medal with an 18-5 record, went 11-2 at the Ivy League Round Robin Championships, registered a 40-15 overall dual match record and went 15-8 at the NCAA Championship.
Cebula didn't compete in collegiate fencing as a freshman at Fordham before she decided to transfer to Columbia prior to her sophomore season. Over her three-year fencing career at Columbia from 2017-20, she earned two All-America honors, including First Team honors in 2019, compiled an 89-42 overall dual match record, 21-8 Ivy League record, 34-12 NCAA Northeast Regional record. She was also awarded the 2020 Karen Blank Award, for most accomplished graduating senior student-athlete at Barnard College.
A Brooklyn, N.Y. native, Cebula graduated from Barnard College in 2020 after majoring in Neuroscience & Behavior.
MAGGIE JOHNSON '11CC | SOFTBALL
No Lion may have had a bigger impact on the Columbia softball program than Maggie Johnson. As a player, Johnson was a three-time All-Ivy League softball selection, finishing her career as a First Team utility player and pitcher. During her career, she hit 18 home runs and drove in 82 RBI. She still ranks among the Top 5 in Columbia softball history in doubles (37) and total bases (238), while also ranking Top 10 in slugging percentage (.455).
A dual threat, Johnson also put up big numbers in the circle. She ranks second all-time in career appearances (101), third in innings pitched (525.1), third in strikeouts (282) and fifth in victories (27). Johnson has the distinction of completing the second no-hitter in Columbia softball history when she blanked Princeton on Easter Sunday in 2011.
Johnson's dedication to Columbia and its softball program extended far beyond her playing days. The Danville, California native spent time as a volunteer assistant coach (2012-13) and athletics student manager/building supervisor (2008-11). She also spent four years as the Assistant Director of Facilities Operations, followed by an additional six years in Athletics Development & Alumni Relations.
Johnson graduated from Columbia College with a bachelor of arts degree in Mathematics, Statistics and Economics in 2011. She earned a master's degree in Sports Management from Columbia in 2014.
NZINGHA PRESCOD '15CC | FENCING
A two-time Olympic fencer, Prescod made her mark for the United States on the international fencing scene. In 2013, Prescod became the first United States women's foil fencer to win a Grand Prix title when she captured the Gold Medal at the Marseille Foil Grand Prix in France.
Prescod represented the United States in women's foil in the 2012 Olympic Games in London as a 19-year old and the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro at the age of 23. In 2012, she held the USA finish sixth as a team and 22nd as an individual. In 2016, she finished 11th as an individual.
At Columbia, Prescod earned the 2011 Ivy League Most Outstanding Rookie award and was a two-time All-Ivy League First Team selection (2011 and 2013). She compiled a four-year 117-19 bout record in women's foil as she put together a 25-2 season as a first-year, went 43-11 as a sophomore, registered a 37-3 record as a junior, and went 12-3 as a senior. She missed most of the 2011-12 season to train for the upcoming 2012 Olympic Games.
A Brooklyn, N.Y. native, Prescod graduated from Columbia University in 2015 while majoring in Political Science. In 2016, Prescod was one of eight Olympians selected for a six-month internship with Ernst & Young through its Women Athletes Business Network. She currently serves as a Senior Consultant for Ernst & Young and is heavily involved in the New York City fencing community.
CHICHI IKWUAZOM '20CC | VOLLEYBALL
Inwood, Manhattan native Chichi Ikwuazom blazed a trail for the Lions, becoming not only the first Black All-American in program history, but the first All-American in program history.
The 2019 Ivy League Player of the Year, Ikwuazom became only the seventh Ivy League student-athlete to be named to a volleyball All-American team, in what was the ninth time in league history, and she was the first Ivy League All-American since 2014. The All-American honor is addition to Ikwuazom's AVCA Northeast All-Region team honors to go with her Ivy League POY honor, which were all firsts in program history, along with her five 2019 Ivy League Player of the Week awards and a nod as the Sports Impact/AVCA Player of the Week (Sept. 24).
A 2020 Columbia College graduate, Ikwuazom majored in Neuroscience and Behavior with future plans of becoming a physician.
A member of Columbia College's first fully coeducational class and a founding member of the first women's soccer team at Columbia, , Kyra Tirana Barry '87CC was named the first woman president of the Columbia College Alumni Association in 2011.
While serving on the CCAA board, Barry headed a committee that focused on increasing involvement among alumni who have been out of college 10–25 years. She considers that an important time to re-engage them, much the way she became reengaged.
Barry is also President of Beat the Streets which is dedicated to encouraging New York City middle and high school student-athletes to participate in amateur wrestling to build life skills and created the first freestyle wrestling league for high school girls.
She remains a dedicated alumnae and remains involved with Columbia College and Columbia Athletics
IMAN BLOW '19CC | FENCING
The 2018 individual NCAA Champion in women's foil, Iman Blow was a member of two of Columbia's national fencing championship teams in 2016 and 2019. A three-time All-American, two-time First Team All-America selection, four-time NCAA Northeast Regional medalist (two-time Gold Medalist), and two-time All-Ivy League honoree, Blow led the Lions to three Ivy League Women's Fencing Titles. She concluded her Columbia career with a 173-38 overall record.
Blow competed for the United States in three Junior World Fencing Championships and was a member of the U.S. women's foil team, which in 2018, earned a No. 1 world ranking for the first time in the sport's history.
A two-time Academic All-Ivy League recipient, Blow was a scholar in Gerald E. Thomson Undergraduate Premedical Program, which pairs premed students with mentors in the medical field and provides career exposure, development and practical experience.
Following her outstanding collegiate fencing career, Blow was a recipient of the NCAA Top-10 award, which recognizes former student-athletes for their successes on the field, in the classroom and in the community, and was the Ivy League's nomination for NCAA Woman of the Year in 2020 upon her graduation.
HELEN DOYLE YEAGER '85BC | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
A pioneer in her playing days and one of the women's basketball program's most influential alumnae, Helen Doyle Yeager was a trailblazer who would go on to become one of the team's strongest supporters.
The Columbia-Barnard Athletic Consortium was founded in Yeager's junior year with Yeager serving as the female student representative on the inaugural committee. The native of La Jolla, California also has the distinct honor of being the first team captain under the Columbia-Barnard title. That year, she tallied 217 points, averaging 11 per game, including a game-high 28 points and 13 rebounds against Smith in the Seven Sisters Invitational. Yeager went on to be named to the Seven Sisters All-Tournament Team.
A key female representative on the Athletics Leadership Committee, and a consistent member of The Women's Leadership Council, Yeager remains a major supporter of the women's basketball program and Columbia Athletics. She was also an early donor and influential part to the construction of The Campbell Sports Center, which opened in 2012. Yeager has served as chair of the Alumnae Advisory Board for Women's Basketball for over a decade, spearheading an increase in fundraising and outreach.
KATIE MEILI '13CC | SWIMMING & DIVING
Over the course of an outstanding four-year Columbia career, Katie Meili became one of the most decorated swimmers in Columbia history, winning seven individual Ivy League titles and anchoring three relay championship teams. She was named the Most Outstanding Swimmer in back-to-back Ivy League Championships and closed out her career as a five-time All-American, topping off her senior season with a career-best third-place finish at the 2013 NCAA Championships in the 100-yard breaststroke.
In 2016, Meili qualified for the United States Olympic Team and won two Olympic medals at the Games of the XXXI Olympiad in Rio de Janeiro. Meili claimed bronze in the 100-meter breaststroke and earned a gold medal as a member of the U.S. 4 x 100-meter medley relay squad. Meili followed up her Olympic success with a silver medal at the 2017 FINA World Championships in Budapest with the sixth-best time in the women's 100m breaststroke.
In 2020, Meili joined USA Swimming Board of Directors for a four year term as their Athlete Representative
'ELLEN FUTTER 71BC, '71LAW | BARNARD COLLEGE PRESIDENT
In 1981 after spending a year as interim president, Ellen Futter '71BC '74LAW was officially named the fifth president in the history of Barnard College. Two years later, she was instrumental in the creation of the Columbia-Barnard Athletic Consortium.
With the advent of co-education in Columbia College in fall 1983, Columbia needed to be able to offer intercollegiate athletics opportunity to its female undergraduates. With a burgeoning Division III athletics program already established at Barnard College, Columbia President Michael Sovern and Athletics Director Al Paul partnered with President Futter to create the first-ever NCAA Division I Athletic Consortium of its kind. The partnership between Barnard and Columbia was perhaps the most pivotal moment for women's athletics on Morningside Heights.
Since completing an enormously successful 12-year term as President, Futter left Barnard to become the President of the American Museum of Natural History in 1993. Futter has built a strong record of public service through the years, having served as chair of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and on the boards of The Legal Aid Society and the American Association of Higher Education. She is also a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and was elected to the American Philosophical Society.
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ERINN SMART '01BC | FENCING
A 2001 graduate of Barnard College, Smart was a two-time All-American for Columbia in women's foil. Twice, she reached the finals at the NCAA Championships. Smart also won the United States National Championship in 1998, 2002, 2004 and 2008. In 2008, she achieved Olympic glory, fencing for the United States women's foil team and capturing a silver medal in her second straight Olympics appearance. She became the first Black Olympic medalist in the history of the Columbia-Barnard Athletic Consortium.
Smart was inducted into the Columbia University Athletics Hall of Fame in 2010. As an alumna, Smart continues to share her love for Barnard and Columbia athletics with numerous prospective fencers.
