The Yale swim and dive teams are set for a challenging start to their season, with both men’s and women’s squads facing off against Brown University and Columbia University in quick succession this week. The men’s team travels to Rhode Island for their season opener against Brown on November 16, followed by a match against Columbia in New York on November 18.
Noah Millard, a member of the men’s team, emphasized the unique challenges that traveling presents. In an email, he noted, “With travel, hotels, different food, and schedules, there are a lot more variables to control when on the road. I think this makes the competition much more similar to our championship meets like Ivies and NCAAs, so it is a great practice run and makes the win much more special should that be the outcome.”
Historically, both Brown and Columbia have presented strong competition for Yale. The Bulldogs currently hold a 3-2 advantage against Brown over the past five years, with all victories occurring at home. This weekend, they will seek their first away win in Providence. Conversely, Columbia leads the series with a 4-1 edge against Yale. Yet, the Bulldogs broke a four-year losing streak last season with a decisive 209-91 victory over Columbia at home.
Konstantinos Zachariadis, another member of the men’s team, expressed excitement about the opportunity to compete in new environments, stating, “We only get two opportunities over four years to go to the other universities, so it’s always nice to go somewhere new, to hopefully win in their home and their pool.”
The women’s team is coming off a closely contested meet against Brown, which concluded in a narrow defeat, 140-160. Captain Jessey Li excelled in the 100 and 200-yard breaststroke events, while Grace Wu dominated the 1-meter dive with a score of 266.33. Angela Wang also celebrated her first individual collegiate victory in the 200-yard butterfly.
This Friday, the women’s team will host Columbia University at the Kiphuth Exhibition Pool for their home opener. Yale has historically performed well against Columbia, winning the last five matchups. Li commented on the anticipation for the meet, stating, “Columbia is always a great meet. For me, the excitement comes from performing as a team—hitting our best performances, supporting each other in every event, and seeing how our training translates into real results.”
Both teams have dedicated themselves to rigorous training schedules since the beginning of the academic year, practicing six days a week with double sessions lasting two to three hours. Zachariadis praised the leadership of the team captains, saying, “Alex Hazlett and Jessey Li did a great job with setting the pace for the teams and being great both in and out of the water. Our goal this year is to win, so from day one, it was just practice and hard work.”
As the season progresses, team members have noted a strong sense of community. Millard reflected on his experience as a senior, saying, “Being a senior this year means I’ve had the privilege of watching the team grow and evolve over the past four years. People are humble and accept feedback, as well as feeling supported by all of those around them.”
Next week, both the men’s and women’s teams will reunite for the Ohio Invitational on November 18. Li concluded with optimism about the team’s dynamics, stating, “Our team strength this year is our depth and our heart. People are showing up every single day—not just physically, but emotionally for each other. This team is hungry, united, and really believes in what we can accomplish together.”
The men’s meet against Brown begins on November 16 at 17:00 in Rhode Island, while the women’s race against Columbia starts on November 17 at 16:00 at the Kiphuth Exhibition Pool.