After three consecutive away meets, Columbia’s women’s swimming and diving team will host its second home contest of the season against Ivy rival Penn (1-1) at Uris Pool this evening. The team is coming off its first win of the season this past weekend against Wagner College, which it defeated 143-58 on Saturday.

The Lions have conquered Penn the past two seasons, including a 159-141 decision last year. Columbia took an early lead in last year’s meet with a first-place finish by the 200 medley relay squad consisting of Lauren Fraley, Mariele Dunn, Allison Hobbs, and Hannah Galey. Galey went on to place first in the 200 free as well, with Delghir Urubshurow coming in second for Columbia.

The Lions fought hard to earn a lead against Penn throughout the meet with first-place finishes in the 100 back by Fraley, 100 breast by Dunn, and 50 free by Hobbs. Columbia eventually jumped ahead of Penn toward the end of the competition with a first-place finishes by Urubshurow in the 200 back and 200 IM.
The Light Blue hopes to continue its winning streak and emerge with its first Ivy victory of the season tonight.

The Quakers enter the meet following a recent victory, having placed first out of five teams in the Nike Invitational hosted by Kenyon College this past weekend. Columbia will have to look out for seniors Stephanie Nerby, who won the 500 freestyle at Kenyon by two seconds, and Andrea Balint, who finished first in the 200 IM.

Tonight’s meet should prove to be an evenly matched competition, but Columbia is confident about its chances.

“Penn has a very strong squad, and it should be a very exciting meet,” head coach Diana Caskey said. “I am glad that we will have had 10 days of solid training ahead of the meet to have us all back on the same page after the short Thanksgiving break.”

Caskey noted that both teams are faced with the stress of finals and recognized that Columbia and Penn are “on equal footing there as well.”
The meet against Penn will begin at 6 p.m. at Uris Pool.