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NEW YORK - Since the 1983-84 season, head coach Jim Bolster has been at
the helm of the Columbia men's swimming and diving program. Under his direction,
the Lions have held their position as one the Northeast's most successful
programs. In just the past three seasons, Columbia compiled a 21-10 dual-meet
record, including this season's 8-2 finish.
The Columbia benchmark for improvement continues to rise and
the 2012-13 regular season was no different. The Lions began the season at 1-2
before stringing together seven straight dual-meet victories. In impressive
fashion, the captivating winning streak was capped with a monumental win over
the Ivy League defending champions No. 22 Princeton.
On Saturday, Feb. 16 Columbia defeated the Tigers 158-139 at
Uris Pool for the first time since the 1980-1981 season. With three individual
wins by David Jakl and a pair of wins from Dominik Koll, the Lions ended a
32-year winless drought and finished tied for second-place in the Ivy League at
5-2.
Featured Article: Columbia Downs Princeton In Regular Season
Finale
The victory came at a perfect time for the Class of 2013, as
they were honored in their last meet at Uris Pool. "It's my class's first time
beating a team in the top 25, and everyone's first time beating Princeton,
including the coaches. It's the last meet our class will ever have together,
and it could not have ended any better then that last relay, " said senior
captain John Wright.
"We didn't come
into the meet expecting anything. We started off swimming our secondary events
and immediately were DQ'ed in the relay, so to come back into it and not only
compete but to win was amazing. Getting that pool record back was terrific and
David Jakl's four pool records in three meets is phenomenal, " said Wright.
While Bolster is very proud of Saturday's win, he wants to
make sure the team keeps their eyes on the prize. "It's really how we perform at
Ivies that matters the most," said Bolster. "So although the win over Princeton
was fantastic and a nice step forward for the program, it has all been geared
toward the Ivy League Championships," said Bolster.
The 2013 Ivy League Swimming and Diving Championships are
slated for Thursday, March 7 - Saturday, March 9 in Providence, R.I.
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