ITHACA, N.Y. — The Cornell women's swimming and diving team gets set to begin its 2025 season on Saturday, November 15 against Dartmouth and Harvard. Patrick Gallagher, the Philip H. Bartels '71 Head Coach of Women's Swimming, is pleased with the energy and chemistry that the team has built heading into the 2025 campaign.

"We've got a motivated and close-knit group this year. The energy around the pool has been incredible, and the leadership from our upperclassmen is setting the standard. It's an exciting time for the Program.", Gallagher mentioned.

Gallagher likes what he sees from the incoming group, mixed with a plethora of key talent returning to the pool for the Big Red. The team has emphasized consistency, technical refinement, and race execution throughout the fall, and Gallagher notes that the daily environment has been competitive in a positive way. With several veterans stepping into expanded roles across multiple event groups, the returning core provides stability and experience as the program transitions into a demanding early-season slate.

Hojung Yoon returns to the pool for the Big Red in 2025 after a strong and competitive sophomore season. Galagher expects Yoon to continue this level of performance and be among the best all-around swimmers in the Ivy League. Yoon's versatility and reliability give the Big Red a proven point-scorer heading into November, and her presence supports the depth Gallagher believes can elevate the team across dual meets.

"The team has a lot of depth of our stroke and middle-distance groups. Hojung Yoon continues to set the standard as one of the league's top all-around performers, bringing consistency and competitive edge. We return a balanced mix of veterans across fly, back, and breast who have trained at a high level this fall.", Gallagher said.

The Big Red added 10 athletes to the roster, who Gallagher has a high amount of confidence in, and expects to make an impact on the team's success this season. The newcomers bolster the roster with added competition across nearly every event discipline, giving Cornell more lineup flexibility and internal competition during the season. "The incoming freshman class has already made a major impact, adding versatility, speed, and depth in every event area and will play a key role in pushing the group to another level.", he added.

Newcomers
Nicole Byrnes-Cortinas
Sadye Dersadt
Carter Jackson
Lilla Kuziemko
Isabel Peng
Natalia Strezenicky
Isabela Teixeira
Oceane Vanlinthout
Arina Vorobyeva
Aly Yokoyama

SCHEDULE OUTLOOK
The Big Red will open its season with a streak of Ivy League opponents before turning its sights to non-conference competition at the Zippy Invitational and St. Bonaventure, before pivoting back to conference play to close out the regular season. The schedule presents an early test for a roster blending experience and youth, offering the Big Red several opportunities to measure growth across event groups as the year progresses.

"The Ivy League continues to be one of the fastest and deepest mid-major conferences in the country. Every weekend is a challenge, and that's what makes it great. Our schedule is designed to test us early, measure progress mid-season, and have us fully prepared for Ivies.", Gallagher added.

The Big Red will approach the season with the mindset of starting strong and building momentum over the course of the year. Improvement is the goal of the Big Red with expectations to be at peak performance when the Ivy League Championship comes around.

"We expect to keep building momentum and competing with confidence. The goal is always to be improving across every dual meet and swimming our best when it matters most in February. The team's daily commitment and culture have been outstanding, and our focus is on turning that into results at the Ivy Championships.", he concluded with.

Next Up
The Cornell women's swimming and diving team gets set to open Ivy League play when it travels to Dartmouth to compete with the Big Green and Harvard Crimson. The meet is scheduled to begin on Saturday, November 15 at 11:00 a.m. ET at Karl Michael and Spaulding Pools.