ITHACA, N.Y. — With experienced leaders, returning championship scorers and a deep diving group, the Cornell women's swimming and diving team enters the 2026–27 season focused on turning daily improvement into a stronger showing at the Ivy League Championships.
The Big Red finished sixth at last season's championship meet with 614.5 points, ahead of Columbia and Dartmouth. That performance provided a foundation, but head coach Patrick Gallagher sees room for Cornell to translate its competitiveness in dual meets into greater championship success.
"I think we're really good, real competitive in dual meets last year," Gallagher said. "I think we have been the last couple years in dual meets. I think we've just got to be better at that championship meet."
Cornell will receive an immediate test when it hosts Harvard and Penn at Teagle Pool, with diving on Nov. 6 and swimming on Nov. 7. The Big Red then faces Yale and Dartmouth in New Haven on Nov. 13–14, meeting four Ivy opponents across its opening two weekends.
Team Identity Starts With Everyday Competition
Gallagher credited improved team identity and culture with helping Cornell progress last season. Reestablishing that foundation became a preseason priority, particularly as the team welcomed its newest members.
The message extends beyond the fastest swimmers or the athletes winning events. Gallagher wants Cornell to compete for every available place, whether that means touching first or moving from fourth to third.
"Finding ways to race and compete and win is going to be a big message," Gallagher said.
Returning athletes have helped establish those expectations. Gallagher praised both the captains and teammates without formal leadership titles for taking ownership of the team's personality, supporting newcomers and setting an example through their preparation.
Yoon Leads Experienced Returning Core
Senior Hojung Yoon returns after scoring in three individual events at the 2026 Ivy League Championships. She finished fourth in the 200-yard individual medley in 1:59.77, ninth in the 200 backstroke in 1:56.62 and 10th in the 400 IM in 4:16.98. Those performances produced 63 individual points.
"I think Hojung Yoon was one of the best swimmers in the league last year," Gallagher said. "I think she's showing she wants to be better this year."
Senior Katherine Yee offers another opportunity for Cornell to move higher in the championship standings. Yee tied for ninth in the 200 butterfly in 2:00.46 and placed 14th in the 100 butterfly in 54.71 last February. Gallagher believes she can reach the championship final and contend for a top-three finish in the longer event.
Captains Erin DeHollander, Ming Xu and Rosalee Springer will help guide the team's development. DeHollander and Xu are seniors, while Springer enters her junior season.
Springer brings scoring versatility after finishing 11th in the 100 backstroke, tying for 15th in the 200 backstroke and placing 18th in the 200 IM at last season's championships. DeHollander scored in the 200, 500 and 1,650 freestyle events, including a 17th-place finish in the mile in 17:03.94.
Gallagher expects that experience to matter beyond individual results, with veterans helping younger teammates learn how to prepare, compete and respond to challenges throughout the season.
Sophomores and Newcomers Provide Room to Grow
Gallagher sees the sophomore season as a natural opportunity for athletes to take a step forward after navigating the adjustments of their first collegiate year.
Oceane Vanlinthout returns with a demonstrated ability to contribute in multiple championship events. As a first-year swimmer, she placed 16th in the 200 IM, 15th in the 400 IM and 17th in the 200 butterfly.
Gallagher also highlighted Arina Vorobyeva's offseason attention to technique as an encouraging sign entering the season.
The first-year swimming class includes Sarah Carrico, Amy Chai, Abby Lee, Kate Lucyshyn, Anna Nishnianidze and Mae Winardi, adding options across freestyle, butterfly, breaststroke and individual medley.
Gallagher anticipates contributions from the entire class while recognizing that each athlete will adjust to collegiate training and dual-meet competition at a different pace.
Diving Depth Creates Opportunity
Diving could play an important role in Cornell's effort to increase its championship point total.
Michael Ross oversees an eight-diver group that includes returning seniors Brooke Andrews and Morgan Ogata, sophomore Lilla Kuziemko and first-years Ava Jannink and Kendall Rummel.
Kuziemko reached the championship final on the 1-meter board as a first-year diver last season, finishing eighth with 235.35 points and earning 22 team points. Andrews placed 14th with 243.20 points, adding 13 team points.
Ogata led Cornell on the 3-meter board, finishing 11th with a consolation-final score of 271.65. Kuziemko and Andrews placed 17th and 18th in preliminaries, respectively. Those results give the returning group both scoring experience and opportunities to move into higher positions.
Gallagher praised Kuziemko and Ogata's performances last season and expressed optimism about Andrews' return from injury. He believes the group's depth can foster a competitive practice environment and, if the divers remain healthy, potentially allow Cornell to bring six divers to the championship meet.
Championship Preparation Without Waiting for February
Cornell's schedule includes the Western New York Invitational on Nov. 20–21 and the Zippy Invitational on Dec. 3–6. January competition builds toward the home finale against Columbia on Jan. 30, followed by the Ivy League Championships at Princeton on Feb. 17–20.
While training is designed with championships in mind, Gallagher does not want the team to view February as its only opportunity to perform.
"I really believe that we've got an opportunity to swim fast and do something special every chance we get a dual meet," he said.
His ultimate measure of success is a team that leaves the championship meet proud of what it accomplished and excited about its future.
"I hope we leave our championship meet with the same confidence and excitement and pride that we did last year," Gallagher said. "If we're in that place, then we really did our work. We accomplished something pretty special."
