Hamilton Women’s Swimming & Diving Achieves Best Finish in Two Decades at NESCAC Championships
MIDDLETOWN, Conn. – The Hamilton College women’s swimming & diving team concluded its impressive performance at the 2026 New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Championships held at Wesleyan University’s Webster Family Natatorium on Sunday, Feb. 15, securing a fifth-place finish out of 11 teams. This marks the Continentals’ best result at the championship since 2004.
Over the four-day competition, Hamilton accumulated a total of 854 team points, demonstrating consistent performance across various events. The team’s success was particularly notable in time trials, where several records were broken and NCAA ‘B’ cut times were achieved.
Record-Breaking Performances
Jade Matthias ’26 shattered the team record in the 50-yard freestyle, clocking in at 23.33 seconds and earning an NCAA championships ‘B’ cut. The previous record of 23.42 seconds was held by Sam Karlson ’23, set in 2023.1
Matthias was also a key member of the 200-yard freestyle relay team, which improved its NCAA ‘B’ cut time and edged the team record by a mere one-hundredth of a second, finishing in 1:33.86. The relay team included Chloe Lan ’28, Carolyn Miner ’27, and Paige Wielgus ’28.1
The Continentals also tied the team record in the 400-yard freestyle relay with a time of 3:28.99, also achieving an NCAA ‘B’ cut. This relay team consisted of Matthias, Miner, Wielgus, and Gianna Cofone ’27.1
Individual Highlights
Several Hamilton swimmers delivered strong individual performances:
- 1650 Freestyle: Emma Robinson ’26 finished 7th (17:31.17), and Charlotte Moulson ’26 placed 14th (17:51.13).
- 200 Backstroke: Mila Smarrito ’29 finished 8th (2:06.45 in finals, 2:04.33 in prelims), Charlotte Sorensen ’28 placed 13th (2:06.21 in finals, 2:06.05 in prelims), and Kylie Willis ’29 finished 18th (2:07.36 in finals).
- 200 Breaststroke: Sophia Tosone ’26 finished 14th (2:27.50), and Holly Woodhouse ’26 placed 19th (2:26.62).
Looking Ahead
Hamilton College will learn on February 26th if any of its swimmers will be selected to participate in the NCAA championships.1 The team’s performance at the NESCAC Championships demonstrates a promising trajectory for the program and its athletes.