Dunn Wins 500 Freestyle, Jumbos Lead at NESCAC Women's Swimming & Diving Meet

MIDDLETOWN, CT (February 13, 2026) - The Tufts University women's swimming & diving team leads the 2026 NESCAC Championships through Friday's action, which featured a victory in the 500 freestyle event by Tufts senior Madeleine Dunn.

With 710.5 team points so far, the Jumbos hold a narrow lead over Williams College's 698.5 score. Colby College is third with 533 points.

Dunn won the 500 freestyle for the fifth NESCAC title of her career at Tufts. Her 4:52.21 winning time was more than six seconds ahead of runner-up Anna Doherty from Williams College (4:58.75). Dunn had won the preliminaries in the morning with a 4:53.58 time that was her season-best and improved her NCAA B mark. She then lowered it to the 4:52.21 in the final which ranks third nationally as of Friday evening.

Junior Sydney Stasz was a major contributor to Tufts' success tonight, placing second in the 50 breaststroke and fourth in the 200 individual medley. Her 28.82 touch in the 50 breaststroke lands her third all-time at Tufts. The 2:04.26 she swam in the 200 IM does the same, while also earning an NCAA B qualifying spot. 

Tufts' surge to the lead was helped by great group scoring. Stasz was one of five Jumbos to finish in the top 17 for the 200 IM. Included in that group was sophomore Angelina Sagaow who was ninth in a 2:06.40 time. Tufts had three in the championship final of the 50 breaststroke including Stasz, as senior Quinci Wheeler took fifth (29.01) and first-year Emma Shane was eighth (29.61).

First-year Alec Lazorisak led four Jumbos who scored in the top 20 for the 50 freestyle. Her time of 23.33 seconds for third place in the final is a PR and NCAA B cut that ranks fourth nationally as of Friday evening. The mark ranks her third all-time at Tufts in the event. Senior Katharine Skelly PR'd with a 23.63 that makes her sixth all-time at Tufts for the 50 free before finishing eighth in the final.

Skelly's time of 24.98 seconds in the 50 butterfly preliminaries was just 0.06 off the school record. Sophomore Angel Smyrniou improved to a 25.03 PR time in the 50 fly final that was third in the race and ranks her fifth among all Jumbos. 

The 50 backstroke saw five Jumbos place among the top 16. First-year Abby Davis led with her fourth-place time of 26.72 seconds. That mark earned her third place all-time at Tufts for the event. Junior Elena Harrison was sixth in the final at 26.33 seconds.

Tufts had opened the evening finals with a second-place time of 1:33.55 in the 200 freestyle relay. The improved NCAA B mark was combined on by senior Isa Chambers, Lazorisak, Stasz and Skelly. It's the #10 time in the nation for the 200 free relay as of Friday night.

The Jumbos then closed Friday's swimming action with two foursomes hitting the NCAA B mark in the 400 medley relay. Harrison, Wheeler, Smyrniou and Isa Chambers timed 3:47.18 for third in the race and 10th nationally. The Tufts B team of Davis, Shane, Skelly and Lazorisak also swam an NCAA B qualifier with their 3:49.60 time.

The divers started their conference competition on Friday as well. Senior Malia Leung scored fourth in the one-meter event with 425.35 points. The score was over the NCAA B requirement for 11 dives. Junior Arya Gupta just missed the finals and was ninth with her 376.55 preliminary score.

Day 3 of the NESCAC Championships on Saturday has the preliminaries starting at 10 AM and the finals beginning at 5:45 PM.