NEW HAVEN, Conn. - In 2019-2020, the Yale women's swimming and diving team will look to complete its fourth consecutive undefeated regular season. The team is coached by Robert J.H. Kiphuth Head Coach of Men's and Women's Swimming Diving Jim Henry. Associate head coach Kyle Schack returns for his third year with the team, and assistant coach Molly Chamberlain returns for her second. Volunteer assistant coach Adriana Schack is also back for her third year with the team. The four returning coaches will be joined by three new coaches: diving coach Lindsay Iordache, assistant coach Connor Beaulieu, and volunteer diving coach Keith Miller.
 
The Bulldogs will be led by captain Kendall Brent, who will look to pace all swimmers in the distance freestyle events. Brent is joined by fellow senior Sophie Fontaine, junior Nathalie Eid, and sophomores Ashley Loomis and Ali Truwit in a strong group of distance freestylers.
 
Following the graduation of Bella Hindley '19, the Bulldogs are now led by their sophomores in the sprint freestyle events. Sophomores Izzi Henig, Raime Jones, Marlise Moesch will all look to continue the success they found in the pool during their first-year campaigns. Junior Claire O'Mara is a consistent top-15 finisher at the Ivy League Championships, and senior Lili Margitai has placed in the top 10 of the 100-yard freestyle multiple times at the Championships.
 
Margitai is also a strong competitor in the butterfly events. Junior Caitlin Tycz, a USC transfer and a top-10 finisher at the PAC-12 Championships in both the 100 and 200-yard butterfly, will be an immediate force for the Bulldogs. Sophomore Alessandra Baldari, junior Charlotte Hylinski and senior Bebe Thompson will also look to keep the Bulldogs competitive in the butterfly events. 
 
Thompson is also a top finisher in the backstroke events. Junior Cate Sawkins, coming off a top-five 200-yard backstroke performance at the Ivy League Championships, is the only other returning backstroker.
 
The core of breaststrokers for the Bulldogs is made up of two seniors and two sophomores. Seniors Cha O'Leary and Ashley Pales, with three incredibly successful seasons under their belt already, will look to finish their collegiate careers on a high note. After top-five finishes at the Ivy League Championships in their first year, Sophomores MaryKate Buckley and Olivia Paoletti will aim to continue to improve and hold down Yale's breaststroke events in the coming years.
 
The Bulldogs have three returning divers. Sophomores Marisa Conner and Sarah McKinnis had strong first-year campaigns, while junior Nikki Watters is hoping to bounce back after an injury-shortened season last year.
 
Yale has a class of seven first-year Bulldogs. Divers Samantha Ho and Ishani Singh will contribute immediately to the Bulldogs' diving efforts. Alex Sumner, Lindsey Wagner and Jaime Yeh will help form a younger core of backstrokers. Yeh will also swim in the butterfly events, where she will be accompanied by Marissa Healy. Healy will also see action in the freestyle events. Ophelia Pilkinton, the sister of former Bulldog captain Sophie Pilkinton '19, is also a new freestyler for the Bulldogs.
 
The Bulldogs kick off their season on Friday at home against MIT. Following two Ivy League matchups against Brown and Columbia, many of the Bulldogs will head to the Ohio State Invitational from Nov. 21 to Nov. 23. Yale will close out the fall academic semester with a home meet against Southern Connecticut.
 
Yale will open the new year on Jan. 11 when it hosts a dual meet against Dartmouth and Penn. Following another home meet against Cornell, the Bulldogs will close out the regular season on Feb. 1 and 2 at their annual HYP meet. The dual meet against Harvard and Princeton will be in Princeton, N.J. 
 
The Ivy League Championships will take place on Feb. 19-22 in Providence, R.I. After finishing in second place at the 2019 Championships, the Bulldogs are hoping to recapture the Ivy League title in 2020.