HADLEY, Mass. - Following the completion of the 2026 NESCAC Men's Swimming & Diving Championships hosted by Colby several year-end awards were handed out. Additionally, a complete list of the All-NESCAC swimmers and divers is provided below.
 
NESCAC Swimmer of the Year: Marrich Somridhivej, Bates
Somridhivej is the first Bates swimmer to garner the NESCAC Swimmer of the Year honor. The senior won two individual events and was part of three Bobcats winning relays. Somridhivej set NESCAC and NESCAC Meet Records in the 50 and 100 breaststrokes. His 50 breaststroke time (23.87) is the fastest in Division III. Somridhivej also contributed to the Bates 200 freestyle relay, 200 medley relay, and 400 medley relays that broke the NESCAC and NESCAC Meet Records. The Bobcats’ 200 medley relay also set a new NCAA Division III record with a time of 1:25.57 at the NESCAC Championship.

NESCAC Diver of the Year: Haochen Liu, Williams
Liu repeats as the NESCAC Diver of the Year. The junior won the 3-meter diving competition (554.20 points) and finished third on the 1-meter board (491.95 points) to contribute to the Ephs’ team victory. A Williams diver has won the honor four of the last five championships.

NESCAC Rookie of the Year: Owen Vale, Amherst
In his first NESCAC Championship meet, Vale set a NESCAC Record and a NESCAC Meet Record in the 400 IM (3:50.78). The first-year also finished second in the 200 IM with an NCAA B-cut time (1:47.84) and placed fourth in the 200 butterfly with another NCAA B-cut time (1:48.35). Vale is the second consecutive Mammoth to be named NESCAC Rookie of the Year and the fifth overall (Jack Goepfrich, 2025; Scott Romeyn, 2019; Sam Spurrell, 2015; Sam Stewart, 2013).

NESCAC Career High-Point Swimmer Award: Max Cory, Bates
Cory won the 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle, and finished fifth in the 100 butterfly while also contributing to four Bates relay victories. Cory was a part of three relays that established new NESCAC and NESCAC Meet Records (200 freestyle, 200 medley, and 400 medley) and his time in the 100 freestyle (42.92) was an NESCAC Meet Record. Cory finished the championships with 89 points and 321.5 points in his career and is the first Bobcat to earn the award.

1. Max Cory, Bates – 321.5
2. Armaan Sikka, Tufts – 317
3. Jack Tran, Bowdoin – 289
4. Marrich Somridhivej, Bates – 269.5
5. Gabe Lee, Williams - 252

 NESCAC Career High-Point Diver Award: Owen White, Middlebury
White advanced to the finals on both the 1-meter and 3-meter board and finished sixth in both competitions at the 2026 championship. White is the second Middlebury diver to claim the Career High-Point Diver Award (Derek Chicarilli, 2002).

NESCAC Swimming Coaching Staff of the Year: Bates – Peter Casares, Boomer Druchniak, Ellen Varley
The Bates staff, led by head coach Peter Casares, was voted as the Men’s Coaching Staff of the Year by their peers for the first time in team history. Casares is also a two-time NESCAC Women’s Swimming & Diving Coach of the Year. The Bobcats totaled 1041.5 points to finish fifth overall. The Bobcats won five individual NESCAC titles and four of the five relays while recording 13 All-NESCAC performances.

NESCAC Diving Coach of the Year: Trent Makowiec, Williams
Makowiec was voted as the Diving Coach of the Year by his peers. Eph divers finished 2-3 in the 1-meter competition and 1-2 on the 3-meter board, with Haochen Liu winning the event. Makoweic is the third Williams Diving Coach in the last five years to earn the award.  

---

All-NESCAC Honorees
The top three finishers in each event and the top three relay teams earn All-NESCAC honors
D3 - NCAA Division III record; NR - NESCAC record; MR - NESCAC meet record

Event	First Place	Second Place	Third Place
800 Freestyle Relay	6:33.33 - Williams (Ryan Nunez, Nye Hanan, Harrison Williams, Samuel Brozek)	6:34.44 - Conn. College (Aiden Miller, Carrick Shea, Campbell Noel, Evan Lyons)	6:37.92 - Tufts (Rafa Shafi, Ron Lyubman, Sam Harris, Harry Belbot)
200 Freestyle Relay	1:19.47 (NR/MR) - Bates (John Weigel, Max Cory, Benjamin Wolking, Marrich Somridhivej)	1:19.59 - Bowdoin (Raphel Grand'Pierre, Micha Sher, Henrey Peters, Jack Tran)	1:19.62 - Tufts (Isaac Shang, Will Kaminski, Max Gerke, Armaan Sikka)
50 Breaststroke	24.04 - Marrich Somridhivej, Bates	24.58 - Michael Grover, Williams	24.67 - Fyn Nadel, Amherst
50 Butterfly	21.47 - Jack Tran, Bowdoin	21.66 - Max Gerke, Tufts	21.78 - Cameron Aryanpour, Amherst
500 Freestyle	4:24.25 - Ryan Nunez, Williams	4:26.78 - Nye Hanan, Williams	4:28.26 - Ron Lyubman, Tufts
50 Backstroke	22.01 - Brandon Xiong, Colby	22.93 - Nicolas Ogawa, Tufts	22.98 - Spencer Thompson, Tufts
200 IM	1:47.17 - Carrick Shea, Conn. College	1:47.84 - Owen Vale, Amherst	1:48.89 - Aidan Lee, Williams
50 Freestyle	19.61 - Max Cory, Bates	19.86 - Nathaniel Taft, Hamilton	20.01 - Samuel Brozek, Williams
1-Meter Diving	522.70 pts - Jay Wilkinson, Tufts	511.00 pts - Calder Biondi, Williams	491.95 pts - Haochen Liu, Williams
400 Medley Relay	3:09.84 (NR/MR) - Bates (Tim Johnson, Marrich Somridhivej, Nate Oppenheim, Max Cory)	3:13.62 - Williams (Gabriel Lee, Michael Grover, Ryan Nunez, Samuel Brozek)	3:23.96 - Amherst (Jonah Luetke, Fyn Nadel, Cameron Aryanpour, Jack Goepfrich)
200 Medley Relay	1:25.57 (D3/NR/MR) - Bates (Tim Johnson, Marrich Somridhivej, Nate Oppenheim, Max Cory)	1:27.78 - Tufts (Nicolas Ogawa, Will Kaminski, Armaan Sikka, Max Gerke)	1:28.24 - Williams (Whitman Horton, Michael Grover, Mason Green, Theo Randall)
1000 Freestyle	9:10.55 - Evan Lyons, Conn. College	9:13.05 - Benjamin Robins, Amherst	9:13.14 - Ryan Nunez, Williams
100 Butterfly	48.23 - Armaan Sikka, Tufts	48.38 - Max Gerke, Tufts	48.46 - Nate Oppenheim, Bates
400 IM	3:50.78 (NR/MR) - Owen Vale, Amherst	3:57.42 - Evan Lyons, Conn. College	3:57.48 - J.J. Arbuckle
200 Freestyle	1:37.30 - Jack Goepfrich, Amherst	1:37.51 - John Weigel, Bates	1:37.62 - Ron Lyubman, Tufts
100 Breaststroke	51.85 (NR/MR) - Marrich Somridhivej, Bates	53.04 - Carrick Shea, Conn. College	53.65 - Michael Grover, Williams
100 Backstroke	48.07 - Matthew Chang, Hamilton	48.36 - Tim Johnson, Bates	48.68 - Brandon Xiong, Colby
3-Meter Diving	554.20 pts - Haochen Liu, Williams	517.80 pts - Calder Biondi, Williams	507.20 - Jay Wilkinson, Tufts
1650 Freestyle	15:29.51 - Evan Lyons, Conn. College	15:40.80 - Benjamin Robins, Amherst	15:41.97 - Brendan Kirberger, Colby
200 Backstroke	1:46.11 - Tim Johnson, Bates	1:46.90 - Whitman Horton, Williams	1:48.76 - Aidan Lee, Williams
100 Freestyle	42.92 - Max Cory, Bates	44.02 - Nathaniel Taft, Hamilton	44.19 - Armaan Sikka, Tufts
200 Breaststroke	1:55.12 (NR/MR) - Carrick Shea, Conn. College	1:58.95 - Michael Grover, Williams	1:58.97 - Jack Nussbaum, Tufts
200 Butterfly	1:46.19 - Ryan Nunez, Williams	1:48.05 - Liam Friedlander, Bates	1:48.16 - Fyn Nadel, Amherst
400 Freestyle Relay	2:56.96 - Bates (John Weigel, Tim Johnson, Nathaniel Pierce, Max Cory)	2:57.48 - Tufts (Will Kaminski, Jan Springer, Max Gerke, Armaan Sikka)	2:58.82 - Bowdoin (Jack Tran, Micah Sher, Getchell Gibbons, Raphael Grand'Pierre)