The Liberty League has announced its 2025-26 Liberty League Women's Swimming & Diving major award receipients as voted by the conference's head coaches following NCAA Championships.
SWIMMER OF THE YEAR: Kathleen Papiernik, Junior, Ithaca College
For the first time in program history, an Ithaca College swimmer has been named Liberty League Swimmer of the Year, with junior Kathleen Papiernik earning the honor following the 2025–26 season. Papiernik totaled 13 event wins during the regular season and was named Liberty League Swimmer of the Meet at the 2026 conference championship. At the championship, she recorded two individual victories and one runner-up finish. She won the 200-yard individual medley in 2:06.11 and captured the 100-yard butterfly in an NCAA B-cut time of 55.32 seconds. That mark in the 100 fly set an Ithaca program record, as well as Liberty League Championship and Association records. She added a second-place finish in the 200-yard breaststroke with a time of 2:24.09, earning All-Liberty League Second Team honors. Papiernik also contributed to two of Ithaca’s five winning relays, the 200-yard medley relay (1:43.95, NCAA B-cut) and the 400-yard medley relay (3:50.31), helping the Bombers secure their seventh straight Liberty League title. Papiernik also qualified for the 2026 NCAA Division III Championships, where she competed in three events. She finished 17th in the 100-yard butterfly (55.54), 34th in the 200-yard breaststroke (2:22.91), and 36th in the 200-yard individual medley at NCAAs.
DIVER OF THE YEAR: Gwen Petrie, Junior, Rochester Institute of Technology
It is also the first time in program history, a RIT diver has been selected as the Liberty League Diver of the Year, with junior Gwen Petrie capturing the 2025-26 honor. Petrie swept both boards at the 2026 Liberty League Championships, posting a score of 465.00 on the 1-meter and 502.95 on the 3-meter. She was named Liberty League Diver of the Meet and, the following weekend, captured the 1-meter title with a score of 450.55 at the NCAA Diving Regional (Region 4), held at RIT’s Judson/Hale Aquatic Center. She also placed fifth on the 3-meter with a score of 436.70. A six-time Liberty League Diver of the Week selection, Petrie qualified for the 2026 NCAA Division III Championships in both diving events. At NCAAs, she earned a pair of second team All-America honors with top-16 finishes in each event. She opened the championship with a finals score of 418.60 for 12th (1-meter). Petrie added a 16th-place finish from the 3-meter with a finals score of 415.60 to close out the 2025-26 campaign.
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Taryn Hickey, Rochester Institute of Technology
RIT first-year Taryn Hickey has been tabbed the Liberty League Rookie of the Year, marking the first time since the 2019-20 that a Tiger rookie has earned the honor. Hickey made a splash in her first year with the Tigers, finishing no worse than fourth in any individual event at dual meets this season. Her regular season was highlighted by a pair of victories at RIT’s Don Richards Invitational, where she won the 50-yard freestyle (24.08) and the 100-yard freestyle (53.09), while also placing third in the 100-yard butterfly (58.70). At the 2026 Liberty League Championships, Hickey captured two individual titles, winning the 50-yard freestyle with a personal-best 23.70 seconds and the 100-yard freestyle with a personal-best 51.41 seconds. Hickey was also fourth in the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 57.14 seconds. She took part in four RIT relays at the four-day championship, swimming as the anchor in both medley relays (200, 400) and she was the leadoff for the 200-yard and 400-yard freestyle relays. The Tigers placed third in the 200 medley (1:47.48) and 200 freestyle (1:37.37), fourth in the 400 freestyle (3:33.54), and fifth in the 400 medley (4:01.12).
COACHING STAFF OF THE YEAR: Skidmore College
Skidmore College head coach Jill Greenleaf and her staff were named Liberty League Coaching Staff of the Year after leading the Thoroughbreds to a program-best finish at this year's Liberty League Championships. Skidmore placed third overall with 1,032.5 points across the four-day meet. On the final day of the championship, junior Sabrina Reed became the program’s first individual women’s event champion, winning the 1650-yard freestyle in 17:49.51. Skidmore had seven individuals and four relays earn All-Liberty League honors (top three finish), with juniors Kelly Hsu and Jae Mason leading the way with multiple all-league honors. Hsu was runner-up in the 200-yard individual medley (1:54.43) and was third in both the 100-yard freestyle (52.11) and 200-yard freestyle (1:53.93). She also took part in three relays for Skidmore with runner-up finishes in the 800-yard freestyle relay (7:43.91) and 200-yard medley relay (1:46.16), along with a third-place showing in the 400-yard freestyle relay (3:33.15). Mason claimed two silver medals with runner-up finishes in the 500-yard freestyle (5:05.50) and 200-yard backstroke (2:05.19), while also joining Hsu as well as teammates Emelia Lan and Ari Matthews on the 800-yard freestyle relay.
ALL-LIBERTY LEAGUE FIRST TEAM (Event Champions at Liberty League Championship)
1-Meter Diving – Gwen Petrie, RIT
3-Meter Diving – Gwen Petrie, RIT
100 Backstroke – Elke Beaumont, Ithaca
200 Backstroke – Madisen Pavoris, RIT
100 Breaststroke – Sydney Koehler, Ithaca
200 Breaststroke – Sydney Koehler, Ithaca
100 Butterfly – Kathleen Papiernik, Ithaca
200 Butterfly – Elizabeth Bodie, Ithaca
50 Freestyle – Taryn Hickey, RIT
100 Freestyle – Taryn Hickey, RIT
200 Freestyle – Sierra Pargett, RPI
500 Freestyle – Addie Wiener, Vassar
1650 Freestyle – Sabrina Reed, Skidmore
200 Individual Medley – Kathleen Papiernik, Ithaca
400 Individual Medley – Erika Doran, Ithaca
200 Freestyle Relay – Ithaca (E. Beaumont, J. Wedding, S. Bender, S. Carroll)
400 Freestyle Relay – Ithaca (E. Beaumont, N. Fry, C. Barton, S. Bender)
800 Freestyle Relay – Ithaca (N. Fry, S. Koehler, C. Barton, S. Bender)
200 Medley Relay – Ithaca (E. Beaumont, S. Koehler, K. Papiernik, S. Carroll)
400 Medley Relay – Ithaca (E. Beaumont, S. Koehler, K. Papiernik, S. Bender)
Note: The Liberty League also recognizes second-place finishes at the championship as All-Liberty League Second Team and third place garners All-Liberty League Third Team honors.