2026 Patriot League Championships
- Dates: Wednesday, February 18–Saturday, February 21
- Location: Lejeune Hall, Annapolis, MD
- Defending Champions: Navy women (13x); Army West Point men (1x)
- Live Results
- Live Video: ESPN+
- Championship Central
- Teams: American, Army West Point, Boston U, Bucknell, Colgate, Holy Cross, Lafayette, Lehigh, Loyola Maryland, Navy
- Day 1 Recap
- Day 2 Recap
- Day 3 Recap
- Full Results PDF
The Navy men took back the crown, finishing over 500 points ahead of Army to capture their 21st Patriot League title. The Navy women also earned the win, marking their 14th straight win and 24th overall.
Despite Navy winning both titles, Army’s Johnny Crush won the high point award on the men’s side while Army’s Molly Webber and Angie McKane won the women’s high point award.
Highlighting the night on the men’s side was the men’s 200 breaststroke as Michael Phillips of Navy touched in an NCAA qualifying time of a 1:52.82. That marked Navy’s first win in the event since 2017. Teammate Juan Mora was 2nd in a 1:54.20 while Army’s Joey Kling was 3rd in a 1:54.88.
Like the 100 backstroke, the men’s 200 backstroke came down to the wire. Navy’s Ben Irwin led the entire race and earned another NCAA qualifying time as he touched in a 1:40.13. Irwin held off a late charge from Loyola- Maryland’s Joe Hayburn who came home in a 25.36 on the final 50 compared to Irwin’s 26.25. Hayburn touched 2nd in a 1:40.29. Irwin became the 2nd swimmer to win the event three years in a row, joining Bucknell’s Chris Devlin who won from 2016-2018.
The Navy men kicked off the night strong as freshman Chase Maier won the 1650 free in an NCAA qualifying time of a 14:54.68. He earned Navy’s first win in the event since 2020. Teammate Ben Mauldin was 2nd in a 15:12.08.
Also earning a win for Navy was Dean Jones as he touched in a 1:41.87 to win the 200 fly. He was slightly faster in prelims with a 1:41.85, a time that was a new Patriot League record as he broke the previous record of a 1:42.54 set in 2009 by Adam Meyer. Jones was under the NCAA qualifying time in his win.
Navy ended the meet with a win, touching in a 2:50.16 in the 400 free relay. The team consisted of Preston Kessler, Ben Denman-Grimm, Lachlan Andrew and Dean Jones. That marked a new Patriot League record, breaking Army’s previous mark by 0.02 seconds. Army finished 2nd in a 2:51.10.
Army’s Johnny Crush prevented Navy winning all the events on the final night as Crush touched 1st in the 100 free in a 42.44. That earned Crush another NCAA qualifying time as he defended his title from a year ago.
Final Scores – Men
- United States Navy Academy — 1792
- United States Military Academy — 1210
- Loyola University — 1061
- Boston University — 936
- Bucknell University — 863
- Lehigh University — 560
- College of the Holy Cross — 453
- Lafayette College — 360
- Colgate University — 345
- American University — 230
The Navy women earned the overall title but did not win any events on the final night of competition as Army won four events and Bucknell and Colgate each earned one win.
Army’s Molly Webber kicked off the evening with a win in the 1650 free as the senior touched in a 16:31.72. She became the 3rd swimmer to win the event three years in a row, joining Tara Chapmon of Navy who won from 2008-2010 and Meghan Thiel of American who won from 2005-2007. Webber went three for three in individual wins as she also won the 200 and 500 freestyles.
Also earning her 3rd event win of the weekend was Army’s Angie McKane as she touched 1st in the 100 freestyle with a Patriot League record time of a 48.85. That broke the previous Patriot League and meet record of a 49.02 set by Ann Foley in 2022. McKane finished over a 2nd ahead of Boston U’s Molly Barber who swam to a 49.94. McKane became the first swimmer for Army to win the women’s 100 free since 2012.
McKane went on to close the meet with a win in the 400 free relay alongside Army teammates Jenna Hart, Sydney Braeger and Molly Webber as they touched in a 3:19.86. That marked Army’s 4th straight win in the 400 free relay. McKane led off in a 48.84, 0.01 faster than her individual win. The Lehigh women touched 2nd in 3:21.08 with the team of Mairin Ludwig, Eliza Johnson, Genevieve Cody and Caitlin Deitch.
Army’s Catriona Gilmore was 2nd in the 100 breast last night behind Navy’s Lauren Walsh but flipped the result in the 200 as Gilmore touched in a 2:10.28 to punch her ticket to NCAAs. Walsh made NCAAs last night in the 100 and was 2nd tonight in a 2:11.66. Walsh led for the first half of the race but Gilmore had a powerful 3rd 50 to take the lead.
Colgate earned their first win of the meet as MG King touched in a 1:56.51 in the 200 backstroke, marking Colgate’s first gold in the event since 2012. That also was a Colgate school record. King touched ahead of American’s Piper Crosby who was 2nd in a 1:57.83, a school record for American.
Clara Renner earned Bucknell’s first win in the 200 fly since 2006 as she won in a 1:58.63. Renner trailed the entire race but had a strong final 50 to earn the win. She touched ahead of Army’s Sydney Braeger who was 2nd in a 1:59.12.
Final Scores – Women
- United States Navy Academy — 1420.5
- United States Military Academy — 1293.5
- Bucknell University — 1014.5
- Boston University — 914
- Loyola University — 782
- Lehigh University — 634
- Colgate University — 609
- American University — 519.5
- College of the Holy Cross — 332
- Lafayette College — 303
Go Navy!!
Seeing tickets punched is GREAT for the spectator experience. So much clearer than “it’s under last year’s invite time, so it’s likely an NCAA qualifying time, but we will have to see …”
I thought pre patriot league championship article was funny, idk how the writer thought army had a shot to repeat on the men’s side. After the Army Navy dual, it was pretty clear Army was being carried by 3-4 swimmers and lacked the depth necessary to put up a competitive conference meet. I think we knew the women’s meet would be closer, but the men’s side was pretty clear even with the wild army top 25 ranking by swim swam in January which made no sense.
Aside from that, I love the new rule which allows for mid major representation at NCAAs, as a Navy fan it’s awesome to see the tickets punched.
You don’t think Army has a chance at finishing top 25 at NCAAs?
Agree to disagree.
Was that not the January dual meet rankings yall put out?
No. I don’t. I think Navy has a better chance than Army actually. One relay during a one team time trial in clean water and getting throated all season in duals and by Navy TWICE doesn’t not make for NCAA top 25. Crush and Rankin are good. That’s it.
You do know they went nearly the same exact relay time at the championship as they did in the time trial, right? And that their other relay is also ranked above Navy’s and in scoring position? Or are we just ignoring the facts because they lost the meet?
Navy men are clearly the better conference team this year.
Army men clearly have the best chance to score and place in the top 25 at NCAAs.
Which of those is considered more successful is up each person to decide.
Either way it’s impressive what these two service academies have been able to do this year
This was a certified spanking. Navy men’s swimming competed at an elite level this year. Navy had 20 athletes competing- 3 divers and 17 swimmers.
On both boards, all A finals from the divers.
Out of the 51 swims, navy sent 47 A finalist, 3 B finalist and 1 C finalist.
4/5 relays went to Navy.
The article that predicted an Army championship based on a single relay from a week ago couldn’t have been further off.