ITHACA, N.Y. - Following the conclusion of the NCAA Championships, and as voted on by the conference's head coaches, the Liberty League announced its major award winners for the 2025–26 season on Thursday afternoon. The Bombers were well represented, as
Matthew Mitros was named Liberty League Swimmer of the Year, while head coach
Mike Blakely-Armitage, aquatics coordinator and diving coach
Chris Griffin, graduate assistants
Lara Mitchell and
Taryn Wisner, and volunteer assistants
Paula Miller and
Emily Snyder were honored as the Liberty League Coaching Staff of the Year.
After leading the Bombers to their first Liberty League title in program history, Ithaca finished the 2026 championship with 1,722 points, including a 96.5-point margin over runner-up and defending champion RIT. The Bombers posted six individual victories and three relay wins, with 15 individuals and all five relays earning All-Liberty League honors (top-three finishes).
Matthew Mitros, the Liberty League Championship's Co-Swimmer of the Meet, led the way with three individual titles, winning the 50-yard freestyle in a personal-best and NCAA B-cut time of 19.92 seconds, while also setting personal-best times in the 100-yard freestyle (45.43) and 100-yard butterfly (48.38).
Other individual champions for the Bombers were
Ben Lajoie in the 400-yard individual medley (4:05.21),
James Moore in the 200-yard butterfly (1:51.10), and
Ryan Cooke in the 500-yard freestyle (4:31.98). The Bombers also captured three relay victories: the 200-yard freestyle relay (1:21.27; NCAA B-cut), 400-yard medley relay (3:20.03), and 800-yard freestyle relay (6:45.09), while finishing runner-up in the 200-yard medley relay (1:29.96) and 400-yard freestyle relay (3:02.67).
For the third time since the 2019-20 season, an Ithaca swimmer has been selected as the Liberty League Swimmer of the Year with
Matthew Mitros earning the honor following the 2025-26 campaign. Mitros played a key role in leading the Bombers to their first Liberty League title at the 2026 conference championship with a trio of individual victories. He won the 50-yard freestyle in a personal-best and NCAA B-cut time of 19.92 seconds, while also producing personal-best efforts in the 100-yard freestyle (45.43) and 100-yard butterfly (48.38). In addition, he took part in both of Ithaca's relay victories in the 200-yard freestyle relay (1:21.27; B-Cut Time) and 400-yard medley relay (3:20.03), as well as runner-up finishes in the 200 medley relay (1:29.96) and 400 freestyle relay (3:02.67). He was named Co-Swimmer of the Meet following his performance at the championship.
Mitros qualified for three events at the 2026 NCAA Division III Championships, tying for 35th in the 50-yard freestyle (20.43), placing 39th in the 100-yard freestyle (49.76), and finishing 40th in the 100-yard butterfly (48.30). Earlier in the season, he helped Ithaca secure the team title at the 14th Annual Bomber Invitational, winning the 50-yard freestyle (20.26) while also placing second in the 100-yard butterfly (47.08) and fourth in the 100-yard freestyle (47.08).
ALL-LIBERTY LEAGUE FIRST TEAM (Event Champions at Liberty League Championship)
1-Meter Diving – Luke Albanese, RIT
3-Meter Diving – Daniel Barrientos, Hobart
100 Backstroke – Griffin Messenlehner, RIT
200 Backstroke – Jason Weller, RPI
100 Breaststroke – Griffin Tomsheck, RIT
200 Breaststroke – Griffin Tomsheck, RIT
100 Butterfly –
Matthew Mitros, Ithaca
200 Butterfly –
James Moore, Ithaca
50 Freestyle –
Matthew Mitros, Ithaca
100 Freestyle –
Matthew Mitros, Ithaca
200 Freestyle – Jason Weller, RPI
500 Freestyle –
Ryan Cooke, Ithaca
1650 Freestyle – Josh Berty, RIT
200 Individual Medley – Stephen Graver, RIT
400 Individual Medley –
Ben Lajoie, Ithaca
200 Freestyle Relay – Ithaca (M. Mitros, A. Kutsner, R. Cooke, S. Alderson)
400 Freestyle Relay – RIT (F. Hilliard, E. Noga, K. Keyes, G. Messenlehner)
800 Freestyle Relay – Ithaca (B. Molitor-Kirsch, B. Lajoie, K. Kruppa, R. Cooke)
200 Medley Relay – RIT (G. Messenlehner, J. Frazier, K. Keyes, F. Hilliard)
400 Medley Relay – Ithaca (A. Kustner, W. Stanczewski, M. Mitros, R. Cooke)
Note: The Liberty League also recognizes second-place finishes at the championship as All-Liberty League Second Team and third place garners All-Liberty League Third Team honor
