ANNAPOLIS, Md. –– The Navy men's swimming and diving team will conclude its dual meet season Friday when the Mids (11-2) travel to New York City to face Columbia (3-4) at 2 p.m.
 
"We know this is always one of the most challenging dual meets on our schedule each year," said Navy head coach Bill Roberts.  "Columbia is always well prepared and competes extremely well.  There are no easy points in this meet.  We are looking forward to the challenge, yet know we have our work cut out for us as soon as we step foot on the deck of Uris Pool."
 
Navy will take to the water competitively for the first time since it recorded a pair of victories over Penn State (163.5-131.5) and North Carolina (161-134) two weeks ago in Lejeune Hall.
 
Columbia saw its schedule slightly interrupted by last week's weather in the region as its Saturday meet against Bucknell was cancelled.  The Lions were able to swim against Brown on Friday.  The Lions earned with a 163-137 victory over the Bears in the meet held in New York.
 
Both Navy and Columbia have recorded a victory over Army and suffered a loss to Princeton this year.
 
Columbia has defeated Navy in each of the last two seasons, winning a 151-149 decision last year in Annapolis and a 167-131 meet two years ago when the teams last met in New York. 
 
As the two-point margin suggests, the 2018 meet contested in Lejeune Hall was not decided until the final event of the meet.  Columbia won the 400 free relay by six-hundredths of a second to edge Navy both in the event and in the meet.
 
Navy won seven individual events a year ago, with Ryan Waters (So., Basking Ridge, N.J.) the lone Mid to win two events.  He would touch the wall first in both the 500 and 1000 free events.  Additional returning Mids to win an event were Micah Oh (So., Kent, Ohio), 100 fly; Brayden Lauffer (Sr., Apex, N.C.), 200 breast; and Bradley Buchter (Jr., Hickory, N.C.), one-meter diving.