2025 New England Small College Athletic Conference Championships (Women)
- Dates: Thursday, February 13–Sunday, February 16
- Location: Colby College, Waterville, ME
- Defending Champions: Williams women (1x)
- Live Results
- Live Video: NESCAC Network
- Championship Central
- Teams: Amherst, Bates, Bowdoin, Colby, Connecticut, Hamilton, Middlebury, Trinity, Tufts, Wesleyan, Williams
- Complete Results
Courtesy: NESCAC
In one of the closest meets in NESCAC Women’s Swimming & Diving Championship history, the Williams Ephs edged the Tufts Jumbos to claim their 21st NESCAC title.
Just 29.5 points separated first and second place as Williams finished the meet with a team total of 1831 points and Tufts was the runners-up with 1801.5 points. Amherst finished third with 1117 points and host Colby placed fourth with 1112 points. Middlebury rounded out the top five teams with 996 points.
Entering Sunday’s final session, only 7.5 points separated the Ephs and Jumbos. After the 200 backstroke, Tufts closed two within a half point, and a win by Jillian Cudney in the 100 freestyle briefly pushed Tufts into the lead by 31.5 points. Williams responded with wins in the 200 breaststroke and 200 butterfly to regain the lead and secure the title.
1650 Freestyle
Bowdoin’s Natalie Garre picked up her third NESCAC title of the weekend with a NESCAC Meet record performance in the 1650 freestyle. The newcomer posted a record time of 16:35.58 to break the mark set by Williams’ Lily Codd last year and become the first Polar Bear to win the event in program history. Codd finished as the runner-up with a time of 16:49.60, and Tufts junior Madeleine Dunn was third (16:57.17).
200 Backstroke
The Ephs finished 1-2 in the 200 backstroke, led by sophomore Clementine Robins’ winning time of 1:59.27 (NCAA B-cut). Teammate Alden White placed second with a time of 2:01.38 (NCAA B-cut), and Noa Chambers of Tufts finished third (2:01.35 NCAA B-cut). Robins’ win marks the third consecutive year a Williams swimmer has won the event and the 12th time overall an Eph has claimed the NESCAC title.
100 Freestyle
Jillian Cudney repeated as the NESCAC Champion in the 100 freestyle. The graduate student posted a time of 50.66 (NCAA B-cut) to claim first place and is the fifth Jumbo swimmer to win a NESCAC title in the event. Middlebury first-year Anna McGrew was the runner-up (50.89 NCAA B-cut), and Tufts teammate Quinci Wheeler (51.05 NCAA B-cut) rounded out the top three finishers.
200 Breaststroke
Williams senior Charlotte Wishnack extended the streak of a Williams swimmer taking home the NESCAC title in the 200 breaststroke to eight consecutive championships. Wishnack touched the wall first in a time of 2:13.50 (NCAA B-cut). Fellow Eph Carter Roebuck finished second (2:16.00 NCAA B-cut), and Amherst junior Allison Lacroix was third with a time of 2:16.13 (NCAA B-cut).
200 Butterfly
In her final individual event at the NESCAC Championships, Williams senior Sophia Verkleeren earned her third individual title of the meet with a NESCAC Meet record time of 1:57.47 in the 200 butterfly. Amherst rookie Maeve Kelley finished second (2:01.99 NCAA B-cut), and Williams junior Ruby Groves came in third (2:03.75 NCAA B-cut). Verkleeren’s win marks the third straight year, and Eph has won the event and 11 times overall.
400 Freestyle Relay
In the final event of the championship, the Tufts relay of Isabella Chambers, Quinci Wheeler, Sydney Stasz, and Jillian Cudney captured the NESCAC title in the 400 freestyle relay. The Jumbos combined for a time of 3:23.78 (NCAA B-cut) to claim the title for the fourth time in five championships. Williams (3:24.82 NCAA B-cut) and Amherst (3:26.12 NCAA B-cut) finished second and third, respectively.
In a vote of the conference coaches, the following individual awards were handed out at the conclusion of the meet.
NESCAC Swimmer of the Year: Sophia Verkleeren, Williams
Verkleeren becomes the first individual to win the NESCAC Swimmer of the Year honor three consecutive years. The senior won five titles in the 2025 championship meet. She was part of two Williams relay wins (800 freestyle and 400 medley relay) and won three individual titles in the 200 IM and the 100 and 200 butterfly events. Verkleeren is the 18th Eph to win the award.
NESCAC Diver of the Year: Sydney Bluestein, Amherst
Bluestein is the NESCAC Diver of the Year for the second time in her career, also winning the honor in 2023. The senior swept the diving events for the second time in her career.
NESCAC Rookie of the Year: Natalie Garre, Bowdoin
Garre won three NESCAC titles in her first conference championship meet. The newcomer set NESCAC Meet records in the 500 and 1650 freestyles en route to winning those events and claimed first in the 400 IM. Garre is the first Polar Bear to garner the NESCAC Rookie of the Year honor.
NESCAC Coaching Staff of the Year: Williams College
Head coach Steve Kuster and assistant coaches Allie Clark, Brandon Pearson, and James Singewald were selected by their peers for the second consecutive year. The staff directed the Ephs to their 21st NESCAC title, and 2025 marks the ninth time the Williams coaches have been recognized with the honor.
NESCAC Diving Coach of the Year: Kai Robinson, Amherst
Robinson was voted as the NESCAC Diving Coach of the Year for the sixth time in his career and won the award for the sixth time in the last seven championships.
NESCAC Career High-Point Diver: Sydney Bluestein – 214 points
NESCAC Career High-Point Swimmers:
First Place: Sophia Verkleeren, Williams – 375 points
Second Place: Charlotte Wishnack, Williams – 337 points
Third Place: Jillian Cudney, Tufts – 305 points
Fourth Place: Chloe Katz, Middlebury – 278 points
Fifth Place: Lara Wujaciak, Tufts – 225 points
Congrats Ephs !!