Ithaca Males’s Swimming & Diving Earns Coaching Staff of the Year; Mitros Named Swimmer of the Year

ITHACA, N.Y. – Following the conclusion of the NCAA Championships, and as voted on by the convention’s head coaches, the Liberty League introduced its main award winners for the 2025–26 season on Thursday afternoon. The Bombers have been effectively represented, as Matthew Mitros was named Liberty League Swimmer of the Year, whereas 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 have been honored because the Liberty League Coaching Staff of the Year.
 
After main the Bombers to their first Liberty League title in program historical past, Ithaca completed the 2026 championship with 1,722 factors, together with a 96.5-point margin over runner-up and defending champion RIT. The Bombers posted six particular person victories and three relay wins, with 15 people and all 5 relays incomes All-Liberty League honors (top-three finishes). Matthew Mitros, the Liberty League Championship’s Co-Swimmer of the Meet, led the way in which with three particular person titles, successful the 50-yard freestyle in a personal-best and NCAA B-cut time of 19.92 seconds, whereas additionally setting personal-best instances within the 100-yard freestyle (45.43) and 100-yard butterfly (48.38).
 
Other particular person champions for the Bombers have been Ben Lajoie within the 400-yard particular person medley (4:05.21), James Moore within the 200-yard butterfly (1:51.10), and Ryan Cooke within the 500-yard freestyle (4:31.98). The Bombers additionally 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), whereas ending runner-up within the 200-yard medley relay (1:29.96) and 400-yard freestyle relay (3:02.67).
 
For the third time for the reason that 2019-20 season, an Ithaca swimmer has been chosen because the Liberty League Swimmer of the Year with Matthew Mitros incomes the glory following the 2025-26 marketing campaign. Mitros performed a key position in main the Bombers to their first Liberty League title on the 2026 convention championship with a trio of particular person victories. He gained the 50-yard freestyle in a personal-best and NCAA B-cut time of 19.92 seconds, whereas additionally producing personal-best efforts within the 100-yard freestyle (45.43) and 100-yard butterfly (48.38). In addition, he took half in each of Ithaca’s relay victories within the 200-yard freestyle relay (1:21.27; B-Cut Time) and 400-yard medley relay (3:20.03), in addition to runner-up finishes within the 200 medley relay (1:29.96) and 400 freestyle relay (3:02.67). He was named Co-Swimmer of the Meet following his efficiency on the championship.
 
Mitros certified for 3 occasions on the 2026 NCAA Division III Championships, tying for thirty fifth within the 50-yard freestyle (20.43), inserting thirty ninth within the 100-yard freestyle (49.76), and ending fortieth within the 100-yard butterfly (48.30). Earlier within the season, he helped Ithaca safe the group title on the 14th Annual Bomber Invitational, successful the 50-yard freestyle (20.26) whereas additionally inserting second within the 100-yard butterfly (47.08) and fourth within 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, Ok. Keyes, G. Messenlehner)

800 Freestyle Relay – Ithaca (B. Molitor-Kirsch, B. Lajoie, Ok. Kruppa, R. Cooke)

200 Medley Relay – RIT (G. Messenlehner, J. Frazier, Ok. Keyes, F. Hilliard)

400 Medley Relay – Ithaca (A. Kustner, W. Stanczewski, M. Mitros, R. Cooke)

 

Note: The Liberty League additionally acknowledges second-place finishes on the championship as All-Liberty League Second Team and third place garners All-Liberty League Third Team honor