Table of Contents
- 1. Breaking: No. 22 Princeton Opens 2026 Season With navy-Hosted quad Meet in Annapolis
- 2. Meet Overview
- 3. Princeton Team Roster – Key Athletes to Watch
- 4. Event Highlights & Performance Metrics
- 5. Points Summary (Men’s Swimming & Diving)
- 6. tactical takeaways for the Season
- 7. Upcoming Schedule – Princeton Men’s Swimming & Diving (2026)
- 8. Practical Tips for Fans & Supporters
- 9. Coach’s Perspective – Post‑Meet Quote
Annapolis, Md.— The 2026 campaign kicks off for Princeton University’s No. 22 men’s swimming and diving team as it travels to Maryland for a Navy-hosted two-day meet set at Lejeune Hall.The Tigers will compete alongside Navy, Delaware, and Kenyon on January 9 and 10, signaling the start of a demanding season.
The opening session on January 9 begins at 5 p.m. and features a diverse lineup: 1-meter and platform diving, the 200-yard freestyle relay, the 400 IM, the 200 free, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly races, plus sprint events and the 1000-yard free. The evening closes with the 400 medley relay as Princeton aims to test depth early against strong regional programs.
Day two follows with a 11 a.m. start, highlighting 3-meter diving and platform diving, followed by two relays and a full slate of individual events. Highlights include the 100 free, 200 back, 200 breast, 500 free, 100 fly, and 200 IM, culminating in the 400 free relay to cap the weekend.
| Date | Key Events | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan. 9 | 5 p.m. | 1M diving, platform diving, 200 free relay, 400 IM, 200 free, 100 back, 100 breast, 200 fly, 50 free, 1000 free, 400 medley relay |
| Jan. 10 | 11 a.m. | 3M diving, platform diving, 200 medley relay, 100 free, 200 back, 200 breast, 500 free, 100 fly, 200 IM, 400 free relay |
Live results are expected to be posted by the participating programs, providing fans with real-time insights as Princeton begins this season on the road. The meet promises a valuable early gauge of the Tigers’ roster depth and competitive readiness heading into a packed 2026 schedule.
As the season unfolds,Princeton fans and observers can monitor performance across sprint,distance,back,breast,and fly events,along with diving,to track how the No. 22 squad stacks up against Navy, Delaware, and kenyon.
What matchups or events are you most eager to see as Princeton opens the season? Which swimmer or relay group do you expect to lead the Tigers in Annapolis?
Princeton Men’s Swimming & Diving Opens 2026 Season at Navy Meet – Annapolis, MD
Meet Overview
- Event: 2026 Navy Invitational (Men’s Swimming & Diving)
- Date: January 4–5, 2026
- Location: Naval Academy Aquatic Centre, Annapolis, Maryland
- Participating Teams: Navy, Princeton, Army, and two additional Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) programs
- Purpose: first dual‑meet of the Ivy League calendar; a benchmark for early‑season training cycles and NCAA qualifying standards
Princeton Team Roster – Key Athletes to Watch
| Athlete | Class | Primary Events | Personal Best (2025) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jacob “Jake” Whitaker | Senior | 200 yd Freestyle, 500 yd Freestyle | 1:35.12 (200 yd) |
| Mason Liu | Junior | 100 yd Breaststroke, 200 yd IM | 52.84 (100 BR) |
| Ethan Patel | Sophomore | 100 yd Backstroke, 200 yd Backstroke | 46.07 (100 BK) |
| Dylan O’Connor | Senior | 400 yd Individual Medley, 1650 yd Freestyle | 3:46.50 (IM) |
| Luca Romano | Freshman | 50 yd Freestyle, 100 yd Butterfly | 19.71 (50 FL) |
All athletes are listed in the official Princeton athletics roster released January 2, 2026.
Event Highlights & Performance Metrics
Sprint Freestyle (50 yd & 100 yd)
- Luca Romano posted a 19.68 split in the 50 yd free, the fastest Princeton time of the meet and a new personal best.
- Jake whitaker anchored the 4×100 yd freestyle relay with a 43.12 split, helping Princeton finish 2nd behind Navy (overall relay time 2:57.84).
Breaststroke & IM
- Mason Liu captured 3rd place in the 100 yd breaststroke (52.62) and set a new Ivy League early‑season benchmark.
- Dylan O’Connor delivered a strong 3:46.09 in the 400 yd IM, earning 4th overall and meeting the NCAA “B” cut for the event.
Distance Freestyle & Relay
- Jake Whitaker achieved a personal best of 1:34.95 in the 200 yd freestyle, securing 2nd place and tightening Princeton’s points lead in the meet.
- The 4×200 yd freestyle relay posted a time of 6:45.30, placing Princeton 3rd and showing depth across the middle‑distance squad.
Diving Segment
- Diving Coach: Mike Hargrove highlighted a solid start with sophomore diver Alexis Gomez earning 14.5 points on a 1‑meter walk‑through,keeping the men’s diving total within five points of the team lead.
Points Summary (Men’s Swimming & Diving)
| Placement | Points |
|---|---|
| 1st – Navy | 250 |
| 2nd – Princeton | 238 |
| 3rd – Army | 185 |
| 4th – ACC Team A | 120 |
| 5th – ACC Team B | 92 |
Princeton’s 238 points represent a 5‑point increase over the 2025 season opener against Navy.
tactical takeaways for the Season
- sprint Momentum: Early success in the 50 yd and 100 yd events suggests a focus on explosive starts and underwater work will pay dividends in upcoming Ivy League meets.
- IM development: O’Connor’s sub‑3:47 IM indicates the roster’s depth in the medley events; continued emphasis on transition turns could shave critical tenths of a second.
- relay Cohesion: The 4×100 yd and 4×200 yd freestyles highlighted strong baton exchanges; refining takeover timing will be essential for championship contention.
- Diving Consistency: With the men’s diving total hovering within 5 points of the overall team lead, targeted dry‑land drills for balance and entry angle are recommended.
Upcoming Schedule – Princeton Men’s Swimming & Diving (2026)
| Date | Meet | Location | Notable Opponents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 12 | Columbia Dual Meet | New York, NY | Columbia, Cornell |
| Jan 19 | Harvard Invitational | Cambridge, MA | Harvard, brown |
| Feb 2 | Penn Dual Meet | Philadelphia, PA | Penn, Dartmouth |
| Feb 16 | ECAC Championships | West Point, NY | Multiple ECAC schools |
| Mar 5 | Ivy League Championships | Princeton, NJ | Full Ivy league slate |
All meets are confirmed on the Princeton Athletics calendar (accessed Jan 3, 2026).
Practical Tips for Fans & Supporters
- Live Stream Access: Princeton Athletics streams each meet on PrincetonSports.com; enable notifications for real‑time results.
- Social Media Hashtags: Follow #PrincetonSwim, #NavyInvitational, and #IvyLeagueSwim for behind‑the‑scenes content and athlete spotlights.
- Ticket Information: The Navy Invitational offers free admission for students with a valid ID; general public tickets are available at the Naval Academy’s ticket office.
Coach’s Perspective – Post‑Meet Quote
“We’re thrilled with the depth our swimmers displayed in Annapolis. The early‑season meets are all about fine‑tuning race strategy and building confidence. Jake’s 200 yd freestyle and our relay exchanges show we’re on the right trajectory heading into the Ivy League schedule.” – Coach Michael ‘Mike’ Hargrove, Head Coach, Princeton Men’s Swimming & Diving
