Jamaican Emily MacDonald got her first individual win in college in her very first race .
Competing for Columbia University on November 5 she won the 50 yard freestyle in 23.77. The occassion was the Lions Home opener against the University of Pennsylvannia.She finished ahead of teammate Junior Isabelle Arevalo 23.92 and Penn Junior Margot Kaczorowski 23.93. The time ranks Emily fourth in the Ivy League conference so far
There would be more podium success in the 200 yard freestyle relay. She lead the team with a split of 23.88 as they won close battle with Penn 1:34.79 to 1:34.84.
It would be a reversal of the positions in the 200 yard medley relay. Penn won in 1:44.35 to 1:44.45. MacDonald anchored the team with a leg timed at 23.35.
She was third in the 100 yard freestyle in a time of 52.45.
Colombia won the clash 158 to 142. The men’s competition featured countryman Olympian Keanan Dols and her teammate from Barbados Tristan Pragnell. Columbia won that contest as well 157 to 143.
MacDonald was back in action the next day racing against Harvard. She was again in the top three for the 50 yard freestyle. Emilyn touched in 24.02 to placed second .The win went to Harvard’s Mandy Brenner in 23.71.
Swimming for the B team in the 200 yard medley relay she clocked an anchor leg of 23.47. The team finished fourth in 1:46.63. Columbia went down 115.5 to 179.5.
MacDonald follows countrywoman Trudi Patrick in representing Columbia in the the NCAA Division I . Patrick represented Jamaica at the 2014 Commonwealth Games as well as the 2015 Pan American Games. At the Games in 2015 she swam the butterfly leg on the record setting 400 metre medly relay team that still stands at 4:14.58. She holds the Columbia school record in the 200 yard butterfly at 1:59.91 in 2014
drafting the caribbean 