WORCESTER, Mass. - The Norwich University women's swimming & diving team surged to the top of the leaderboard after Day 1 of the 2026 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Championships on Friday, leveraging depth and consistency to build a commanding 358.0-point total at the WPI Sports & Recreation Center.

The Cadets opened up at 140-point advantage over second-place University of Saint Joseph (218.0), with Regis College (193.0) and pre-championship favorite Simmons University (190.0) rounding out the top four through eight events.

Norwich claimed victories in three individual events and one relay, while placing in the top three in every final event of the evening session.

Alannah Kelliher (Middleboro, Mass.), Delaney Allen (Gibsonia, Pa.), and Ashley Morin (Dracut, Mass.) led the charge with individual wins.  Kelliher captured the 50-yard butterfly with a time of 27.15, while Allen took first in the 100-yard breaststroke, clocking in at 1:10.24.

Morin added a victory of her own in the 200-yard backstroke, touching in at 2:24.10.  Norwich earned a 1-3 finish in the event, with Kylie Farris (Leander, Texas) placing third.

In the 400-yard freestyle relay, Allen, Katelyn Daly (Pensacola, Fla.), Deanna Parot (San Diego, Calif.), and Kelliher combined for a first-place time of 3:48.90, edging Simmons and Saint Joseph (Conn.) in a high-stakes finale to close the session.

Kelliher and Maria Piekarczyk (Dudley, Mass.) finished 1-3 in the 50-yard fly to give Norwich a critical scoring boost, while Allen's breaststroke win added to a strong opening night that also included swimming the second leg of Norwich's second-place 200-yard medley relay (1:55.93), along with Burgan Danger (Wadsworth, Ohio), Piekarczyk, and Kelliher.

Gritty distance swims from Anna Gosselin (Lisbon, Conn.) added key points to the team's total.  Gosselin placed second in the 1000-yard freestyle (11:47.56) and third in the 200-yard freestyle (2:05.15), pacing Norwich in both events.

Morin earned her second top-three finish in the 400-yard individual medley, placing third in 5:26.81 to open her championship campaign.

LEADERS:

• 200 Yard Medley Relay
  • Burgan Danger (Wadsworth, Ohio), Delaney Allen (Gibsonia, Pa.), Maria Piekarczyk (Dudley, Mass.), Alannah Kelliher (Middleboro, Mass.)
    • 2nd, 1:55.93
• 400 Yard IM
  • Ashley Morin (Dracut, Mass.)
    • 3rd, 5:26.81
• 200 Yard Freestyle
  • Anna Gosselin (Lisbon, Conn.)
    • 3rd, 2:05.15
• 50 Yard Butterfly
  • Alannah Kelliher
    • 1st, 27.15
• 100 Yard Breaststroke
  • Delaney Allen
    • 1st, 1:10.24
• 200 Yard Backstroke
  • Ashley Morin
    • 1st, 2:24.10
• 1000 Yard Freestyle
  • Anna Gosselin
    • 2nd, 11:47.56
• 400 Yard Freestyle Relay
  • Delaney Allen, Katelyn Daly (Pensacola, Fla.), Deanna Parot (San Diego, Calif.), Alannah Kelliher
    • 1st, 3:48.90

Throughout one day of championship competition, Norwich leads the team standings with:

1. Norwich - 358.0
2. Saint Joseph (Conn.) - 218.0
3. Regis (Mass.) - 193.0
4. Simmons - 190.0
5. Saint Joseph's (Maine) - 117.0
6. Elms - 74.0
7. Albertus Magnus - 45.0

Saturday's schedule features preliminary races beginning at 10:00 a.m., immediately followed by diving competition.  Evening finals are slated to start at 6:00 p.m., as the Cadets aim to extend their advantage in pursuit of a fourth straight GNAC title.