ITHACA, N.Y. – The Union College men's swimming & diving team moved up two spots from last season in the final standings of the 2026 Liberty League Swimming & Diving Championships, hosted by Ithaca College at Kelsey Partridge Bird Natatorium, and finished fifth after a seventh-place performance in 2024-25.

Since at least the 2006-07 season, the Union's men's team had never improved upon its positioning at the league's championship meet by more than one spot, but the Garnet Chargers were able to make the two-spot leap in 2026 thanks to 28 finals swims, including seven on Saturday. Union finished with 686.5 points, marking its most since the 2022-23 campaign and scored 330.5 more points than last season. The Garnet Chargers' dramatic increase in points represents their largest improvement year-over-year since 2013-14.
 
First-year Troy Luley led the way Saturday with a silver medal in the 200 breaststroke. He was the top seed after prelims thanks to a lifetime-best 2:19.67, also representing the second-fastest time in program history. The New Hartford, N.Y. rookie cut .34 seconds off his time in the final, finishing second and positioning himself that much closer to Matt Kenvin's 2024 record of 1:59.96.

Three other Garnet Chargers appeared in finals for the 200 breast. Sophomore Brayden Green placed 12th, his classmate Crosby Grim placed 21st with a pair of PRs, and first-year Chase Reynolds placed 20th after a lifetime-best 2:19.28 in the C-final.

Senior Drew Hill and first-year Tripp Kennedy posted lifetime-bests in the 100 freestyle. Kennedy earned his PR in prelims (47.55) and placed 16th overall. Hill snagged his lifetime-best in the B-final (47.24) while finishing 12th. Senior Benjamin Sperling earned a lifetime-best in the event as well (50.48). 

Senior Josh Hiller was Union's only finalist in the 200 backstroke, placing 22nd, and sophomore Myles Gronbach earned a PR in prelims of that event with a 2:20.91. 

First-year Lucas Miller led four of his teammates in the 1,650 freestyle with a lifetime-best 16:47.20 and placed ninth. First-year Nathan Lowney (18th) and sophomore Rob Shontz (23rd) registered lifetime-bests in the mile as well. Junior Gavin Baltes finished in 16th.

Luley, Baltes, Hill, and Kennedy wrapped up Union's successful 2026 championship with a fifth-place finish in the 400 freestyle relay.