ITHACA, N.Y. – The Union College men's swimming & diving team tallied eight lifetime-best swims between preliminary and finals events on Wednesday during Day 1 of the 2026 Liberty League Swimming & Diving Championships hosted by Ithaca College at Kelsey Partridge Bird Natatorium and are in sixth place with 114 points. 

The Garnet Chargers are six points out of fifth place behind Skidmore College but lead seventh-place Vassar College by 11. Ithaca paces the nine-team field with 502 points.

Junior Cole Pierson and sophomore Finn Weafer started the day off for Union, placing 11th and 13th in the 3-meter diving competition, respectively.

Two of Union's top performances came in time trials, with first-year Tripp Kennedy and senior Drew Hill making edits to the school's record book. Kennedy cracked the top-10 in the 500 free with a 4:44.02, and Hill improved upon his own program record in the 100 individual medley, touching the wall in 52.70.

First-years Lucas Miller and Troy Luley both set lifetime-bests twice on Wednesday in prelims and finals. After going 4:52.27 in prelims of the 500 freestyle, Miller shaved 4.79 more seconds off in the evening session, placing 18th in the C-final (4:47.48). Luley won the C-final of the 200 individual medley, touching the wall in 1:57.40 which was 0.96 seconds quicker than his lifetime-best set earlier in the day during prelims.

Junior Gavin Baltes set a lifetime-best in the 500 free as well, going 4:53.92 and earning a spot in the C-final along with Miller. 

Kennedy and senior Benjamin Sperling competed in the 50 freestyle and both earned spots in the C-final, placing 19th and 23rd, respectively. 

The Garnet Chargers notched three more lifetime-bests in prelims, with sophomore Crosby Grim (2:10.09) and first-year Chase Reynolds (2:05.52) in the 200 IM, and sophomore Myles Gronbach in the 50 freestyle (24.42). 

Hill, Luley, sophomore Brayden Green, and Kennedy capped off the evening with a fifth-place performance in the 400 medley relay (3:29.32).

Day 2 kicks off with the 200 freestyle prelims at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 19. Visit the championship website for all the results, schedule, and info out of the 2026 championship.