ITHACA, N.Y. – The Union College women's swimming & diving team posted four lifetime-best performances across 12 finals swims on Thursday night at the 2026 Liberty League Swimming & Diving Championships, hosted by Ithaca College at Kelsey Partridge Bird Natatorium, led by an eighth-place performance from junior
Chloe Matthews in the 400 individual medley.
Matthews went 4:50.34 for a lifetime-best in prelims of the 400 IM before placing eighth in the evening session. She appeared in Union's first A-final of the championship meet so far as the Garnet Chargers held their sixth-place positioning in the 10-team standings with 252 points.
Union produced four B-finalists on Thursday, highlighted by first-year Julia Garber and junior Samantha Picciotti in the 100 butterfly. Picciotti doubled down with lifetime-bests in prelims and the B-final, going 1:00.68 in the evening session and finishing 13th. Garber narrowly missed out on a lifetime-best in prelims but was able to shave 0.44 seconds off in the B-final of the 100 fly. Not only did she place 12th with a lifetime-best, but she moved into a tie with Kathleen Kavaney '90 for a tie for the 10th-fastest 100 fly in program history at 59.83.
Junior Jess Konsky and first-year Maddie Stanley rounded out Union's B-finalist. Konsky placed 16th in the 200 freestyle, and Stanley finished 16th in the 400 IM.
The Garnet Chargers posted eight lifetime-best swims in total on Thursday across prelims and finals. Junior Amelia Dino doubled down with a LB in prelims and finals of the 200 free, going 2:02.22 and finishing 19th. First-year Cate Kavanaugh also improved upon a LB from prelims and took more than three seconds off her 400 IM lifetime-best from prelims, finishing 19th in the evening session.
Garber, Schattin, first-year Maggie Reale, and Matthews put a cap on a successful second day at the league championship with a sixth-place performance in the 200 freestyle relay.
With the championships half over, Day 3 will commence on Friday, Feb. 20 at 10 a.m. with the 200 butterfly.
