Navy Swimming and Diving Sweeps American, Bucknell and Lafayette in Dominant Patriot League Performance
By Brian Hradsky
LEWISBURG, Pa. — The Navy Midshipmen men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams delivered another impressive performance Saturday, Nov. 7, sweeping three Patriot League opponents at Kinney Natatorium on the campus of Bucknell University. Both programs won eight events, combining for six dual-meet victories against American, Bucknell and Lafayette. The results improved Navy’s men’s record to 9-0 and its women’s record to 8-1, strengthening both teams’ positions heading into the middle of the 2026-27 season.
Navy Sweeps All Six Matchups
The Midshipmen dominated several of Saturday’s matchups, particularly against American and Lafayette. Bucknell presented a considerably tougher challenge, but Navy’s depth across swimming and diving helped both programs secure victories. The women’s team defeated American 260-33, Bucknell 171.5-127.5 and Lafayette 263-36. The men’s team also completed a clean sweep, defeating American 230-67, Bucknell 167-132 and Lafayette 204.5-94.5.
| Opponent | Navy Women | Navy Men |
|---|---|---|
| American | W, 260-33 | W, 230-67 |
| Bucknell | W, 171.5-127.5 | W, 167-132 |
| Lafayette | W, 263-36 | W, 204.5-94.5 |
The victories continued an excellent start to Navy’s conference competition. Both teams had already defeated Patriot League opponents Loyola Maryland and Army earlier in the season. Saturday’s results added three more conference victories for each program, providing additional evidence of Navy’s strength throughout its roster. The Midshipmen also gained valuable experience competing at the venue scheduled to host the Patriot League Championships in February.
Navy Women Showcase Depth Across Multiple Events
Navy’s women’s team established momentum immediately by winning the 200-yard medley relay. Erin Miller then captured the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:50.44, continuing an impressive meet for the Midshipmen. Ela Habjan followed with a victory in the 100-yard backstroke, finishing in 54.71 seconds. Marley Barnard added another individual victory in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:02.06.
The Midshipmen continued collecting victories throughout the competition. Allie Maloney won the 100-yard freestyle in 50.64 seconds, while Corinne Warriner captured the 200-yard breaststroke with a time of 2:15.48. Navy also won the 200-yard freestyle relay, demonstrating its strength in the shorter events. Those performances helped the women’s team finish with eight event victories.
Navy’s diving program contributed another important result when Lily Barrett won the one-meter competition with 258.70 points. Her performance added to an already impressive showing from the women’s swimmers and reinforced the team’s ability to collect points in multiple disciplines. Navy head coach John Morrison praised the contributions of his senior class, particularly Miller, who participated in both winning relays in addition to her individual freestyle victory. Morrison also highlighted Maloney and Navy’s divers for their performances.
Navy Men Remain Unbeaten at 9-0
The Navy men’s team maintained its undefeated record with another balanced performance. Zack Arnold captured the 1,000-yard freestyle in 9:31.81, while Kellen Pattison won the 200-yard freestyle in 1:40.51. Jack Ussery emerged as one of the team’s top performers, winning the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 55.75 seconds. The Midshipmen also opened their competition with a victory in the 200-yard medley relay.
Ussery continued his outstanding afternoon by winning the 200-yard breaststroke in 2:03.18. His sweep of the breaststroke events provided two important individual victories against Navy’s conference opponents. Will Jones added a victory in the 200-yard backstroke, finishing in 1:48.99. Navy’s ability to win across different distances and strokes proved particularly valuable against a competitive Bucknell team.
James Boardman delivered another outstanding performance in diving, winning both competitions. Boardman scored 421.40 points on the three-meter board before adding a one-meter victory with 350.75 points. His two wins continued an excellent season for Navy’s diving program. The Midshipmen entered the meet with Boardman already holding the Patriot League’s top scores in both diving events.
Navy men’s head coach Bill Roberts emphasized his team’s resilience after the meet. Recent illnesses affected the available lineup, and the coaching staff also chose to have its swimmers compete without technical racing suits. Despite those challenges, Navy found ways to win all three matchups. Roberts particularly praised Ussery’s consistency and the diving team’s contributions throughout the season.
Strong Start Builds on Earlier Victories
Saturday’s sweep continued a successful opening stretch for Navy swimming and diving. The women’s team previously defeated Loyola Maryland, UMBC, William & Mary, Army and George Washington, with its only loss coming against nationally ranked LSU. The victory over Army was especially significant because of the longstanding rivalry between the service academies. The women also entered Saturday’s competition having defeated George Washington 147-134 on Oct. 28.
The men’s team entered the weekend with a 6-0 record and a No. 20 national ranking in the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America dual-meet poll. Earlier in October, Navy defeated No. 14 LSU and Loyola Maryland in a strong opening performance. The Midshipmen also defeated George Washington 153-127 before traveling to Bucknell. Their three additional victories Saturday improved the program’s undefeated record to 9-0.
Midshipmen Preparing for Navy Fall Invite
Navy will now turn its attention to the Navy Fall Invite, scheduled for Nov. 19-21 at Lejeune Hall in Annapolis. The three-day competition will provide another opportunity for the Midshipmen to evaluate their progress against a broader field. The scheduled participants include Georgetown, James Madison’s women’s team, Ohio’s women’s team, Old Dominion, UC Santa Barbara, Villanova and William & Mary, along with additional diving competitors. The meet will also serve as an important checkpoint before the second half of the season.
The Patriot League Championships are scheduled for Feb. 17-20 at Bucknell’s Kinney Natatorium. Saturday’s competition gave Navy an opportunity to race in that facility while facing three conference opponents. Both programs will aim to build on their successful start as they prepare for the championship portion of the schedule. Maintaining their depth and consistency will be important as the competition becomes more demanding.
MSB Take: Navy Continues to Set the Standard in Patriot League Swimming
Navy’s six victories Saturday demonstrate why both swimming and diving programs remain formidable forces within the Patriot League. The men’s team has opened the season with nine consecutive dual-meet victories, while the women’s team has recovered from its early loss against LSU to build an 8-1 record. More importantly, both teams are receiving meaningful contributions from swimmers and divers across numerous events. That balance could prove crucial when championship competition arrives.
The women’s performances from Miller, Habjan, Barnard, Maloney and Warriner demonstrate the team’s versatility. Barrett’s diving victory provides another reason for optimism, particularly in competitions where every point matters. On the men’s side, Ussery’s breaststroke sweep and Boardman’s diving dominance stand out as two of Saturday’s biggest individual accomplishments. Navy also showed it can overcome lineup challenges without sacrificing its ability to compete successfully.
Bucknell offered the strongest resistance Saturday, particularly in the women’s competition, where Navy won by 44 points. That relatively close matchup should provide useful information for the Midshipmen as they prepare for the conference championships. The opportunity to compete at the championship venue months in advance is another positive development. Navy’s next challenge will be carrying this momentum into its home invitational and ultimately translating regular-season success into postseason results.
