Men's Swimming and Diving Team

Men's Swimming and Diving

Head Coach: Jim Bolster

Asst. Coach: Gustavo Leal

Diving Coach: Gordon Spencer

Summary

The Men's Swimming and Diving program at Columbia University competes in the Ivy League in Division I of the NCAA. The season officially begins in October and ends in early March, although technically all college swim seasons extend until the NCAA Championships regardless of whether they have entrants.

Achievements

The Columbia Lions tend to finish the season well. Their dual meet record is often a poor indicator of their end-of-season performance. Columbia enjoys healthy competition with most of the Ivy League, often just shy of league powerhouses Princeton and Harvard, and in close battles with Yale and Cornell. In 2009 Columbia finished 5th in the Ivy League; 2008 - 4th, 2007 - 4th, 2006 - 3rd.

The Lions are also a high accomplishing team within Columbia Athletics. In 2008-2009 the Men's Swimming and Diving team finished fifth in the Lion's Cup rankings in it's year of inception. The Lion's Cup ranks teams based on Athletic Achievement, Academic Achievement, Spirit, Community Service,and LIONS Fund Participation.

Notable Alumni/Members: Darius Dehnad Anthony Corbisiero Derek Neal Robert Frawley

Recruiting - New Members

Juniors in High School are encouraged to visit or contact the head coach. Find out more about the team at the Columbia Athletics Website, www.gocolumbialions.com [1]. For potential recruits, find the recruiting page [2].

Recruiting trips occur on weekends throughout the fall, during which high school seniors stay with current college swimmers and get to experience college life and collegiate athletics.

The Athletic Department encourages prospective students to consider Early Decision, which must be filed earlier than regular decision. These applications are favorably judged because applicants express their true desire to attend Columbia University exclusively. For those uncomfortable with this commitment, admission through regular decision is still possible, and in fact more common.