MEDFORD, MA (February 11, 2026) – The Tufts University women's swimming & diving team is seeded first in seven events as the Jumbos head to the 2026 New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Championships this week (Feb. 12-15) at Wesleyan University.
Championship Details:
2026 NESCAC Women's Swimming & Diving Championship -
Championship Website
Dates: Thursday, February 12 through Sunday, February 15
Location: MIDDLETOWN, CT – The Wesleyan Natatorium
Coverage:
PSYCH SHEET –
LIVE RESULTS –
LIVE VIDEO
Senior
Madeleine Dunn is top-ranked in all three distance freestyle events (500, 1000, 1650) to lead the Jumbos into the conference meet. Senior
Madison Hagberg in the 200 backstroke, senior
Katharine Skelly in the 50 butterfly and Tufts' 200 medley relay and 400 freestyle relay go into the meet with NESCAC's best times from the regular-season.
Along with Dunn, seniors
Quinci Wheeler,
Isa Chambers and Skelly as well as juniors
Elena Harrison and
Sydney Stasz have all won conference championships either individually or in relays. Wheeler will be aiming for her third straight win the 50 breaststroke this year, while the Dunn in the 1000 freestyle, Harrison in the 50 backstroke and the 200 and 400 freestyle relays along with the 200 medley relay will be going for back-to-back conference titles.
Tufts has been the runner-up at the conference meet in each of the last two years, after winning back-to-back titles in 2022 and 2023. Last year they were second behind Williams College by a narrow margin of 29.5 points in the closest NESCAC Championship meet ever. Tufts has been first or second at the conference championship six straight times dating back to 2019.
With 20 individuals and relays seeded among the top three, the Jumbos will look for a strong performance this week to remain among the very best teams in the NESCAC.
"Our women's team has had a great regular-season and put in great work and attention to being better individually and collectively," head coach
Adam Hoyt said. "This weekend will be a team effort from both members competing and those supporting us from the stands. We need everyone on board, as we've done all season long. I believe in our women and am excited to see them compete this weekend."
Here's a closer look at the team in each event:
BACKSTROKE: Hagberg's 2:01.65 mark in the 200 is the conference's best, while Harrison is the defending champion in the 50 backstroke race. First-year
Abby Davis will look to continue her momentum from the Boston Winter Open last weekend when she recorded times that place her second in the 100 and fourth in the 200. Sophomores Oliva Pettit (50 and 200) and
Noa Chambers are both top-eight seeds in two backstroke events, while Dunn in the 200 has a great chance to score high.
BREASTSTROKE: Wheeler owns the NESCAC record for the 50 with her 28.47 time from the 2024 conference championship. This year in her final NESCAC meet she holds seeds of second in the 50, third in the 100 and sixth in the 200. Stasz (seeded fourth in 100) and first-year
Emma Shane (fifth in 50) are Tufts' other best shots for championship finals performances in the breaststrokes.
BUTTERFLY: Skelly is the #1 seed for the 50 with her time of 25.08 seconds from the MIT Winter Invite, which also stands as the top mark in Division III this year. Junior teammate
Angel Smyrniou has the #2 mark in NESCAC, while Harrison is seeded third in the 200 butterfly. Smyrniou has the Jumbos' best time in the 200 butterfly for the #5 ranking in the conference. Harrison in the 100 and first-year
Megan Treglia along with sophomore
Lila Strober in the 200 will look to add to the Jumbos' depth of scoring here.
DIVING: Senior
Malia Leung leads the Jumbo divers into the conference meet with a #3 seed for the three-meter event and the #4 ranking in the one-meter contest. First-year
Anya Buyea is a top-eight entry off both boards, while the Jumbos also have junior
Arya Gupta to help them try to pile up team points in the diving events.
FREESTYLE: Dunn, a four-time NESCAC champion in her career, will compete for more this week. She has the season's fastest times in the 500 (4:53.66), 1000 (10:06.36) and 1650 (16:57.45). Dunn is supported strongly by first-year
Cloe Nader, who ranks third in all three distance events. Strober is top eight for the 1000 and 1650. Wheeler is Tufts' top seed in the 100 and 200 freestyles, including #2 in the 200. Skelly is fourth in the 50 free. Other Jumbos seeded among the top eight for their freestyle events include first-year
Alec Lazorisak and Chambers in the 50, Stasz in the 100, sophomore
Sweeney Su for the 200 and junior
Selin Tuncay for the 500.
INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY: Dunn's potential to make a major mark on the meet includes the 400 IM, in which she's seeded second. Stasz – who holds NESCAC's record for the 100 (not contested at the championship meet) – is the Jumbo leader in the 200 IM. Sophomore
Sophia Knight will aim to be a championship finalist in both races, while Treglia is a top-10 performer in the 400.
RELAYS: The Jumbos hope to continue recent history and have a major impact in the relays. They have the #1 times in the 200 medley relay (1:42.92) as well as the 400 freestyle (3:25.90) relay. The foursome for both medley relays figures to be Harrison (backstroke), Wheeler (breaststroke), Smyrniou (butterfly) and Skelly (freestyle). Chambers, Wheeler and Skelly make up three-fourths of the 200 and 400 free relay foursomes which have the team's best times, with Stasz in the 200 and Su in the 400 alternating in the third leg. The Jumbos' #1 800 free relay which will open the meet on Thursday night consists of Wheeler, Su, Tuncay and
Noa Chambers.
According to the recently-released College Swimming Coaches Association of America Division III poll, Williams is at #8 and the Jumbos are ninth. If that's an accurate reading, it could be another very close conference meet this week. Colby College (#12), Amherst College (#19), Hamilton College (#23) and Middlebury College (#25) are also among the national top 25 heading into the 2026 NESCAC Championship.
--JUMBOS--
