The Columbia men’s swimming team kicks off its season next week with a host of new talent on the squad. Nine freshmen have joined the Lions, adding significant depth to every discipline of the team.

The infusion of youth will hopefully sustain the winning potential the team displayed last season, a year that also saw the graduation of seven seniors, including Tobin White, arguably the greatest freestyler in Lions history.

The team boasts just four seniors, led by distance swimmer and captain Henning Fog. Fog finished in the top 20 in both the 1000- and 1650-yard freestyle events at the 2007 Eastern Intercollegiate Swimming League Championships. At that same tournament, Columbia finished a respectable fourth, behind perennial contenders Princeton, Harvard, and Yale.

The impact of the freshmen will most likely be felt in the sprint events. Though the uncertainty of freestyle swimmers untested in the Ivy League could be a factor, this year’s class showcases both depth and talent. In particular, Adam Clayton Powell comes highly touted and boasts the fastest 50 free time of any newcomer in school history at 20.45 seconds.

Powell and his fellow freshmen will have great leadership to follow in junior Hyun Lee. The South Korean native has made his mark during his tenure at Columbia as one of the team’s best freestyle threats, and just narrowly missed qualifying for last year’s Asian Games. Lee still has high ambitions, however, and is looking to qualify for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

Unlike last year, the freshmen will have to adjust to Ivy play right from the onset. Columbia will open the season with meets against Yale and Harvard, who, along with Princeton, comprise the elite of the league.

For years, the Lions have finished behind Princeton and Harvard and will rely on the added depth to try and overtake one of the league’s powerhouse teams.

The reporter of this article can be reached at sports@columbiaspectator.com.