Christina Ray pulled off a hat trick, and set a pool record, as Columbia women’s swimming and diving team took down visiting Ivy rivals Brown, 215-85, on homecoming weekend in New York City. The Lions won 14 of 16 events, competing in front of their home crowd for the first time this season. The Lions put up a solid effort throughout the afternoon, achieving season-best times in nearly every swimming event they won. (Click here for full results)
Columbia opened the meet with a diving victory, as Alyssa Menz outscored Brown’s Rachel Speakman, 273.53 to 269.25 on the 3-meter board. Menz later won the 1-meter event with 266.02 points to Speakman’s 250.65.
Salena Huang (26.44), Jennifer Shahar (28.37), Ray (23.78), and Kate O’Rourke (23.62) kicked off the swimming portion of the afternoon with a season-best 1:42.21. The quartet accounted for six more first-place finishes. Ray notched three of them, winning the 50 free, 100 free and 100.
Ray set the Uris Pool record with her 50 free win, touching in 23.07, her season best by more than a half-second and 4/10 in front of Brown’s Reia Tong (23.46). After the diving break Ray came back with a 50.65 to edge Brown’s Kate Dillione (50.79) and Tong (51.41) in the 100 free. Ray achieved her hat trick with a 54.51 in the 100 fly, leading teammates Michi Aisawa (55.81) and Trudiann Patrick (56.01) in a 1-2-3 sweep of the event.
Huang was victorious in both the 100 back and 200 back, going 56.23 in the former and 2:02.89 in the latter. Aisawa (57.30) and O’Rourke (57.73) completed the Columbia sweep in the 100 back, while teammates Cristi Frias (2:04.84) and Kelcie Gerson (2:07.96) followed Huang in the 200.
Columbia dominated the breaststroke events as well. Shahar (1:03.23) was the first Lion to the wall in the 100 in front of Maddie Pujadas (1:04.16) and Mikaila Gaffey (1:04.22). Celia Frick (2:21.97) led a very tight Columbia charge with Nicole Papsco (2:22.50) and Emily Clifford (2:22.53) just behind. Katie Roach was the top breaststroker from Brown in both races.
Mallory McKeon went season-best times to win both the 1000 free (10:08.64) and 500 free (4:59.15) for Columbia. In the 500, Brown’s Olivia Katcher touched out Columbia’s Huang by 3/100 for second place with 5:08.30. Elly Vitek of Brown was runner-up in the 1000 with 10:28.20.
Columbia’s Kristine Ng had two wins on the day, beginning with an exciting 200 fly. Down by .30 to Brown’s Gina Matsumoto at the 100, Ng pulled even at the 150 and swam away with the victory over the last two laps, touching out Matsumoto 2:02.30 to 2:02.81. Ng won the 200 IM in another 1-2-3 Columbia sweep; she finished in 2:04.74 ahead of Papsco (2:07.19) and Clifford (2:07.29). Clifford came home in a 28.8, very nearly catching Papsco in another thrilling finish.
Speaking of thrilling finishes, Brown’s Dillione pulled off a come-from-behind victory when she edged Columbia’s Frias, 1:50.90 to 1:50.95, for the 200 free title. Dillione also helped the Bears to a 400 free relay win, leading off with 50.97. Korby Simpson (52.63), Sarah Cronin (52.29), and Tong (50.74) followed Dillione and Brown cruised to a winning 3:26.63.
Final Scores
Columbia University 215 – 85 Brown University
