NEW YORK - For the second straight year, members of the Columbia women's swimming team will compete among some of the nation's best and biggest names in the sport at the AT&T US Winter National Championships. From Thursday, Nov. 29 through Saturday, Dec. 1, 11 Lions will look to make their national mark at the Texas Swimming Center in Austin, Texas.  The field hosts a number Olympians, including gold medalists Ryan Lochte, Missy Franklin and Katie Ledecky.

The Lions will compete in 13 events including four relays (200 Free, 400 Medley, 200 Medley, 400 Free) and nine individual events in this year's Winter Nationals. Preliminaries will start at 10 a.m. ET, Thursday through Saturday, followed by the finals at 6 p.m.

A live webcast will follow all events for the duration of competition and select footage of the meet will air nationally on NBC on Sunday, Dec. 2 at 2 p.m.

KEY LIONS TO WATCH

Alena Kluge, Junior - She is coming off a win at the Frank Elm Invite in the 200 back with a time of 1:59.68, just .5 seconds off the NCAA 'B' cut time. - With a runner-up finish time of 4:21.98 in the 400 IM at the Frank Elm Invite, Kluge was only 2.0 seconds off the NCAA 'B' cut time.  - Seeds: 200 IM (32, 2:01.99), 400 IM (18, 4:18.61), 200 Back (27, 1:59.68)

Katie Meili, Senior - Set a Yale pool record in the 100 breast at 1:02.36 (NCAA 'B').  - Has captured a total of seven individual wins in three meets to start the season at Yale, Harvard and the Frank Elm Invite.  - Posted a NCAA 'B' cut time of 2:00.24 in the 200 IM win at Harvard. - Posted a RU Aquatics Center pool record and NCAA 'B' cut time of 2:12.70 in the 200 breast in a finals win at the Frank Elm Invite. Meili broke an eight-year pool record held by world champion Rebecca Soni.  - She won the 400 IM at the Frank Elm Invite with a NCAA'B' cut time of 4:16.62, a personal best. - Meili captured a victory in the 100 breast with a NCAA 'B' cut time of 1:01.73 at the Frank Elm Invite. -Seeds: 200 IM (4, 1:56.73), 100 Breast (6, 59.44), 100 Free (20, 49.63), 200 Breast (9, 2:10.40)

ORDER OF EVENTS

The Columbia women's diving team will also compete this weekend at the Brown Invitational. The Lions will head to Providence, R.I. from Saturday Dec. 1 through Sunday, Dec. 2 to face Ivy League foes Brown, Dartmouth, and Yale on the boards.

VIDEO: Head Coach of Divng Gordon Spencer Talks Women's Diving This Season

The diving squad has put together stellar performances to begin the season defeating both Yale and Harvard in the diving portions of the dual meets. Senior Kristin Hehir has led the way this season including a victory in the one-meter diving event with a NCAA qualifying 290.85 points, a personal best.