WELLESLEY, Mass. – The Husson University men's swimming & diving team closed out competition at the 2026 Little East Championships on Sunday with three individual conference titles and a relay championship, securing a fourth-place overall finish with 672 team points.
Senior Alex Walsh highlighted the day with a conference title in the 100-yard freestyle, winning the championship final in 47.14, while also setting a new LEC meet record in the event. Senior Brayden Champlin added a fifth-place finish in 49.23, while senior Sam Peiser placed ninth in the consolation final with a 49.53 and freshman Andrew Prince finished 14th overall in 52.88.
Senior Ryan Emerson continued his standout championship with another individual title, touching first in the 50-yard backstroke in 24.75 to set a new Husson program record. Freshman Mac Morris earned sixth in the championship final in 27.29.
In the 200-yard breaststroke, freshman Bryce Upton placed seventh in 2:20.31, which was good enough for a new program best, while sophomore Jake Perkins finished eighth in 2:21.35 as both competed in the championship final.
Freshman Kobe Swett delivered a podium finish and new program record in the 200-yard butterfly, placing third in 2:02.73, while senior Lucas Fendl added a sixth-place finish in 2:08.31.
Senior Brady Hand capped an exceptional meet with a conference championship and program record in the 100-yard IM, winning in 54.66. Senior Jacob Brown added a 10th-place finish in the consolation final in 1:02.19.
Husson closed the championships in dominant fashion, winning the 400-yard freestyle relay in 3:10.95 behind the team of Walsh, Hand, Emerson and Champlin for a second-consecutive year, to secure its fourth-place team finish, while also setting a new LEC meet record and program record in the process.
Following the meet, Swett was named LEC rookie diver of the year, while Lauren Hoffman and the rest of the Husson men's coaching staff were named coaching staff of the year, as the Eagles captured eight conference titles on the men's side, including a sweep of the backstroke events.
"Everything about this weekend exceeded my expectations as a coach," said Hoffman. "All of the hard work the team put in this season showed. With strong competition on both the women's and men's side, the grit, team camaraderie and perseverance from each swimmer and diver was remarkable."
The Eagles will now turn their attention to the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference championships, which take place from Feb. 27 to Mar. 1.
