Light Blue welcomes fresh energy to roster

Last season the women’s swimming and diving team saw marked improvement in depth and talent. The Lions equaled their best-ever dual meet finish with an overall record of 9-2 (5-2 Ivy) before placing fifth at the Ivy League Championship. This year, under the guidance of returning head coach Diana Caskey and with the help of some new faces, the Lions will look to improve upon last season’s record and finish the year with a strong Championship performance.

At the end of the 2008-2009 season, Columbia said goodbye to some key contributors. Hannah Galey, Megan Brown, Megan Pierce, Joanna Corby, and tri-captains Bridgette McCabe, Lauren Fraley, and Shannon Hosey all graduated, leaving the team under the leadership of the class of 2010. The 2008-2009 season was highlighted by important contributions from many of last year’s graduating seniors. During the dual-meet season, Fraley and Galey combined with seniors Christina Hughes and Allison Hobbs for a new pool record in the 200-yard free relay with a time of 1.36.89, while Hosey was runner-up on both the 1- and 3-meter boards at the Ivy Championships, picking up key points for Columbia.

This year the women’s swimming and diving team welcomes freshman newcomers in hopes of attaining the same balance that allowed it to compete as strongly as it did last year.

Kristin Hehir joins Columbia divers Casey Bresee and Stephanie Foster on the boards. Hehir earned seven varsity letters in high school, was the captain of her swimming and diving team as a senior, and is a two-time Massachusetts Division 2 state champion. Renee Brown and Alex Hammerberg join the Lions in the breaststroke, while Molly Dengler and Lacey Harris-Coble swim the backstroke in addition to the individual medley and butterfly, respectively. Dengler is a 16-time All-Ohio honoree and state champion in the 200 IM and 200 free.
In addition, Columbia welcomes a handful of free and fly swimmers. Among their many combined accomplishments, Bunge Okeyo earned first place in the 500 free in the Junior Olympics and Kristina Parsons is a two-time Marin County Athletic League champion in the 100 fly. Lastly, Katie Meili joins the Light Blue in the pool for the IM and free events. Meili is a seven time TAPPS (Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools) state champion and a USA Swimming National Team member.

The 10 freshmen join an already strong and skillful swim squad anchored by returning seniors Hobbs, Hughes, Delghi Urubshurow, Caitlin Bertelsen, and Katie Omstead who are all hungry for titles in their final collegiate season. Urubshurow had an impressive season last year as part of the school-record-holding 200 free relay squad and as a finalist in three individual events at the Ivies while Bertelsen was awarded the team’s Most Improved award in 2009 for her breakthrough as an Ivy point-scorer in three events including the 400 IM, 100 breast, and 200 fly.

The Lions start their season and look to pick up their first victory against Yale on Friday, Nov. 13, at home in Uris Pool.