Swimming takes on Ivy foe Cornell

Tomorrow, the men’s swimming and diving team is bringing the competition back to campus with its 2010 homecoming meet against Cornell. This year, on its home turf, the Light Blue will have to fight hard to try and avenge last year’s 167-122 loss to the Big Red up in Ithaca. Columbia enters the weekend with a 4-2 overall record on the season (1-2 Ivy).

The last time the two Ancient Eight foes met in a dual meet, Cornell went on a ten-event winning streak right from the start.

In the first event, the top Columbia 200 medley relay team was only able to grab third place, succumbing to both Cornell’s A and B teams.

The story was much of the same in the 1000 freestyle. Then freshmen, Chester Dols and Alex Smith finished third and fourth in 9:45.89 and 9:48.10, respectively. Cornell has since graduated its second place swimmer, and freshman Sean MacKenzie has thrown himself right into the competitive mix for the Light Blue.

In the 100 backstroke, Darren Pagan found himself the first Columbian to finish, with a 53-second swim that only garnered him fourth place.

Eric Tang and Ross Ramone, now seniors, finished third and fifth respectively in the 100 breaststroke against a field that has not graduated any competitors, thus providing a tough matchup for tomorrow.

Now a junior and accustomed to victory, Adam Powell had Columbia’s highest finish through the first nine events last year. Powell finished second in the 50 freestyle in 21 seconds, just seven-tenths of a second behind Cornell’s top swimmer, then-senior Jackson Wang.

After ten events and no success, the Lions finally fought the tides as Ramone topped the charts in the 200 breaststroke, out-touching the rest of the field with a 2:07.27 finish. Tang also raced the 200 breaststroke, taking fourth in 2:09.30.

Once the Big Red had numerically solidified its victory, most of the swimmers entered as exhibition participants, which allowed Columbia to sweep the last four swimming events.

The Light Blue will need plenty of speed as well as hometown support as it tries to take down the mighty Big Red. The two teams face off tomorrow, Jan. 23, at 4 p.m. in Columbia’s own Uris Pool.