CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - MIT leads after the opening night of competition at the 2026 NEWMAC Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships, hosted by the Engineers at the Zesiger Sports and Fitness Center Pool.  

MIT took first in the 800 Free Relay to take control of the top spot in the team standings with 70 points. 800 Free relay runner-up Wheaton opens the four-day meet in second with 58 points. Coast Guard and Babson are tied for third with 52 points, Wellesley College is fifth with 52 points, WPI is sixth with 48 points, Smith is seventh with 40 points, Springfield is eighth with 36 points, and Mount Holyoke and Clark are tied for ninth with 30 points.  

Competition will resume tomorrow, Friday, February 20, at MIT with prelims at 10:00 AM followed by the finals at 6:00 PM. Tomorrow’s events will include the 200 Free Relay, 500 Free, 200 IM, 50 Free, 1-Meter Dive, and the 400 Medley Relay. 

Thursday Championship Results 
(Champion earns First Team All-Conference honors, while runner-up is Second Team All-Conference) 

Women 800 Yard Freestyle Relay 

• Champion: MIT (7:28.51) - Belise Swartwood, Mary Feliz, Lillian Poag, Jessie Crane 

  • Notes: MIT repeated as champion, but all four swimmers are first-time All-Conference honorees in the event. NCAA 2025 invited time. NCAA B Cut. 

• Runner-Up: Wheaton (7:26.60) - Garin Stone, Tali Dalton, Emma Claire Lambert-Shemo, Vivian Van Holland 

  • Notes: Stone (fourth), Dalton (third) , and Lambert-Shemo (second) all repeated as All-Conference honorees in the event. NCAA B Cut. 

About the NEWMAC 
 
The NEWMAC is an association of 12 selective academic institutions: Babson College, Clark University, U.S Coast Guard Academy, Emerson College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Mount Holyoke College, Salve Regina University, Smith College, Springfield College, Wellesley College, Wheaton College, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute, that are committed to providing high quality competitive athletic opportunities for student-athletes within an educational and respectful environment that embodies the NCAA Division III Philosophy. The conference also partners with eight Associate Members: Brandeis University (Women's Lacrosse, 2026-2027), New York University (Men's Volleyball, 2026-2027), Norwich University (Football), Simmons College (Rowing), SUNY Maritime College (Football), SUNY New Paltz (Men's Volleyball, 2026-2027), U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (Football), and Vassar College (Men's Volleyball, 2026-2027), while sponsoring 20 sports.