INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Ithaca College opened the 2026 NCAA Division III men's and women's swimming & diving championships on Wednesday inside the IU Natatorium, highlighted by swims from Matthew Mitros, Kathleen Papiernik and Sydney Koehler during the opening round of preliminaries.
 
Graduate swimmer Matthew Mitros set the pace for the Bombers in the men's 50-yard freestyle, posting a time of 20.43 seconds in the preliminary heats. Mitros finished tied for 35th overall in a deep sprint field that featured multiple swimmers under the NCAA automatic qualifying mark.
 
On the women's side, Kathleen Papiernik, a junior, represented Ithaca in the 200-yard individual medley. Papiernik touched the wall in 2:06.82, placing 36th overall among more than 60 competitors. Sophomore Sydney Koehler also competed for the Bombers in the 200 IM, finishing with a time of 2:10.75 and placing in 58th overall.
 
The NCAA Division III Championships continue through Saturday with finals sessions each night and additional preliminary events scheduled daily. Ithaca will look to build on its opening-day efforts as the week progresses in Indianapolis.