ITHACA, N.Y. -- The Cornell men's and women's swimming and diving teams will open their 2009-10 seasons at home on Saturday when they host Harvard and Dartmouth at Teagle Pool. Diving will begin at 8:45 a.m., with the men hitting the pool at 1 p.m. and the women starting at 4 p.m. Head coach Joe Lucia will be presiding over both programs for the first time since 1995-96 after taking over the women's team during the offseason.
The Big Red women have had great success over the years against Dartmouth, holding a 19-8 edge in the all-time series, but have won just one of 27 dual meets against the Crimson, who have won nine Ivy titles during that span. The Big Red lost both ends of the dual meet a season ago, falling to Dartmouth 181-119 and to Harvard 198-97 in Cambridge, Mass.
The Cornell men have also had success against the Big Green, but wins have been rare against the Crimson over the years. The Big Red leads Dartmouth 30-27 all-time, including a 246-54 triumph a year ago. Cornell trails Harvard 52-3 since the first meeting in 1913-14, with the last Big Red win coming in 2007, a 167-131 victory when the teams swam in Teagle Pool. The 2008-09 campaign featured a 158-142 Crimson victory in Cambridge.
The men's squad returns 21 letter winners from last year's 6-4 team that placed third at the Ivy League championship. With 16 freshmen and sophomores on the roster, captains Sasha Dobrolioubov and Anker Fog will be asked to provide a great deal of leadership. With the loss to graduation of Ivy champions Phil Baity (200 back) and Wes Newman (200 free), the Big Red will look to its experienced returners to lead the way. Both Dobrolioubov and Nick Campbell rank among the top six all-time at Cornell in the 50 free, while Chris Keady is third all-time in the 200 free. Fog will attempt to battle through an early season injury to solidify his spot as the school's best distance freestyle swimmer. He enters the year with Cornell marks in both the 1000 and 1650 free.
Campbell, a three-year letter winner, is third all-time in the 100 and 200 back and the 100 breast, while holding the record in the 200 individual medley. Sophomore Michael Cai proved himself to be an elite breaststroker, hitting second in the 100 and becoming the first Cornellian to go under 2:00.00 in the 200. Cai also had the third-fastest times in school history in the 200 and 400 IM. Sophomore Jake Fisher enters the season in the top eight in both events. Dean Holcomb is third in the 200 butterfly and holds the school mark in the 400 IM. Junior diver Mike Sheppard will also be looked at to score points after setting a Cornell record in the 3-meter dive a year ago at the Ivy League championship.
The women's team returns 20 starters looking to improve on its 1-9 record from 2008-09. Senior captains Laura Acchione and Emily Caras. Acchione ranks in the top 10 all-time at Cornell in the 200 and 500 free and the 200 butterfly, while Caras holds the school record in the 200 fly and is in the top 10 in the 100 and 200 free.
Junior Kim Levine will be a significant contributor in the 50 and 100 free, while sophomore Emily Dean is in the top three in both backstroke events as well as the 100 butterfly. Sophomore Chiara Spinnazolaset a school record in the 100 back, becoming the first Cornellian to go sub-56:00. Juniors Kathleen Hohwald and Meg Farrington will score in numerous events, including opening the season ranked 1-2 in the 200 back all-time at Cornell, respectively. Former gymnast and senior diver Katy Aden posted the sixth-highest score in the 3-meter a season ago in just her second year as a diver.