Index 
First Article
UMass/Harvard/Army
Yale
Return from Christmas Wrap
Dartmouth
Jim: Spec Coach of the Week
Upenn
Brown
Navy
Eastern's Preview
Eastern's Wrap-Up

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The Columbia Spectator 

This year's team, with the goals of earning at least a sixth place finish and a winning record, hopes to have a successful season.

"We hope to win more often [this year] and be more competitive in some of our dual meets," Head Coach Jim Bolster said.

Bolster also hopes to improve on his sixth place finish at the Eastern Championships last year.

The swimmers are optimistic too and hope to finish ahead of last year's team.

"I think that last year was a surprising year, finishing sixth at the Eastern Championships," junior P.J. Frueler said. "I believe we can go [to] a top five finish if not a top four at the Eastern Championships." more...

On a weekend where hair resembled Mohawks, checkerboards, and a few Columbia "C"s, the Lion men were fast in the water and solid on the diving boards, finishing the weekend with a 2-1 record.

Columbia defeated UMass (166-134) and Army (160-83) and lost to Harvard (155-88).

"The meet went very well," Head Coach Jim Bolster said. "I was actually surprised at how well we did."

Last year, the Lions lost to UMass in some very close races, and they barely edged Army partly due to a disqualification on Army's side. This year, the Lions solidly met their opening weekend goal of a 2-1 record. more...

The Lions came in third behind Yale and Syracuse, and in front of Villanova.

"On the whole, our performance was mediocre." PJ Freuler said, "Traditionally, we have been unable to swim well on the road and the tradition continued on Saturday."

This invitational proved to be a very long day for the Lions. The invitational style meet, with four teams, both men's and women's racing, and a longer list of events, turned into a nine-hour event, instead of the usual three-hour dual meets.

"The fact that it was an invitational took the intensity away," Chris Ferris, senior co-captain said. "The lack of the head-to-head [racing of the dual meets], took out the intensity."

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Men Hope Bolster's Strategy Pays Off

In the previous few meets for the men's swim team, wins have not necessarily meant stellar performances, while losses have not been that dissapointing.

With more than half of their regular season behind them, the Lions (3-4) return strong and ready for fast performances in 1999. After winter break training in Hawaii and Miami the swimmers and divers feel even stronger and ready to continue the season.

"The trip to Hawaii was a good trip for everyone," junior Gered Doherty said. "We trained real hard and got to spend some time with each other which will strengthen our team bond in the future."

The halfway point is a time of re-evaluation. After a solid first half of the season where there were many more bright spots than disappointments, the optimism for the meets to follow remains high.

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Shorthanded Swimming Dunks Dartmouth

Illness and fatigue troubled the Lions in Hanover, N.H. last Saturday. Despite any slow performances, the Lions were able to beat Dartmouth soundly, 181-112. The Lions did not expect to be at their peak performance due to their recent return from their winter training trip. But after six weeks, the athletes welcomed their return to competition.

"The meet went well, I really can't complain. We won and that was all that was all that we were after," sophomore Matt Schultz said.

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Coaching Feature

Men's Swimming Jim Bolster

In a sport where mental toughness and physical strength are necessary, it doesn't hurt to have a coach that exemplifies these qualities.

Jim Bolster, in his 14th year as the Men's Swim Team Head Coach does possess such qualities. His athletic success, years of coaching, and sense of competitive sportsmanship demonstrate the mental toughness necessary to coach a successful swim team.

"I think he's a great coach," junior Gered Doherty said. "He's been here for 14 years, and I think he is one of the better coaches we have at this institution."

more...

By MOLLY KELLEHER

Spectator Staff Writer

"Winning the meet felt like winning the Super Bowl, except we were swimming and not playing football," first-year swimmer K.J. Klein said after defeating the Penn Quakers on Saturday, 124-117.

Going into the meet, the Lions had a lot at stake. The seniors had not yet tasted victory over the Quakers in their four years, and the Lions hoped to improve on their dual-meet record, looking to finish their season with a win.

This new chapter of the intense and ancient rivalry between the Quakers and the Lions was written last Saturday, and this time the Lions were the victors, with the seniors providing much of the meet's energy, as they looked for revenge.

"As a senior, I had gone three years without seeing our team win against Penn," senior Stephen McGrath said. "It was a particularly gratifying win for our class, I believe, because we faced the prospect of graduating having never beaten the Quakers."

By MOLLY KELLEHER
Spectator Staff Writer
 
 

Pool records and personal bests prevailed on Saturday, though the men¹s swimming team lost to Brown, 160-140. It was an afternoon of fast races, excellent dives, and a consistent team effort, but to no avail. In a meet where the leading team switched places after nearly every event, Brown was barely able to squeeze by the Lions.

Still using the momentum from last weekend¹s 124-117 win over Pennsylvania, the Lions (5-5, 2-5 Ivy League) were optimistic about beating Brown. Even though they knew of Brown¹s great talent, the athletes still believed they had something to prove to the league and to themselves.

And proving themselves is what the Lions do best.

First-year Peter Armstrong had a season-best time of 1:53.60 in the 200-yard butterfly, contributing to the first, second, and third place sweep of that event with fellow Lions, sophomore Peter Leong, and first-year K.J. Klein, respectively.

Klein said he was especially excited about his career-best time in the 200-yard butterfly and expressed his happiness with being able to contribute to such a strong Lion performance.more...

By MOLLY KELLEHER
Spectator Staff Writer

At an emotional end-of-the-season meet, the Columbia seniors climbed out of Uris pool for the last time as competitors, after a small nine-point loss. The Navy Midshipmen (8-5) were able to edge out the Lions (5-6) 127-116.

For six Lions, this was the last regular season meet of their career. Seniors Todd Berget, Chris Ferris, Neal Karnovsky, Sharif Khaleel, and Steve McGrath, as well as junior Peter Leong, will be graduating this year. Head Coach Jim Bolster took several minutes to honor each graduate after the three-meter diving competition. The emotion and hard work of several years of dedication was visible in the faces of the athletes and in the cheers of their teammates.

The seniors have led this team through an exceptionally good year, filled with hard work and good performances. Despite its losing record, the team experienced much success this season. The seniors have inspired their teammates in and out of the pool. more...

By MOLLY KELLEHER
Spectator Staff Writer

The mighty Lions (5-6, 2-5 Ivy) will make a splash for the last time during the 1998-1999 season this weekend at the Eastern Intercollegiate Swimming League (EISL) Championship, hosted by Harvard. Months of training and racing will come to an end, with one final chance for the Lions to see how they compare to the rest of the league.

"We haven't had a chance to demonstrate how fully talented we are, and this is our chance," Head Coach Jim Bolster said. "Or, we'll eat crow, but hopefully that won't happen."

As far as Bolster is concerned, this is the one time in the season when everyone is on a level playing field. All athletes are well rested and they look to perform at their best, reaching the height of their capabilities at this final meet. more...

By MOLLY KELLEHER
Spectator Staff Writer

Dominance is hard to forget.

As the Columbia Men's Swimming and Diving Program looks back on the 1998-99 season, there will be many memories of good times and personal records. But the diving team won't be forgotten for a long time.

During the regular season there was not a single team that outscored the Lion divers. Each meet meant a strong and consistent performance. Last weekend at the EISL Championships (Easterns), the divers performed better than any other diving team in recent Columbia history.

For Head Diving Coach Gordon Spencer, he and his divers accomplished a lot of firsts. In his 16-year coaching career, he had his first Eastern Champion, sophomore Mark Fichera on the one-meter.

It was the first time Spencer sent more than one person to the finals. Junior Daniel Brown and first-year Stu Machir joined Fichera in the one-meter board finals, earning seventh and eighth places, respectively. Fichera and Brown also made it to the finals on the three-meter board, earning second and eighth, respectively. Machir missed the finals by only one place, finishing ninth. Machir was also Spencer's first first-year student athlete in the finals.

Spencer also earned the title of EISL Diving Coach of the Year, for the first time. Basking in the glow of such a successful season, Spencer was quick to give the credit to his athletes. more...