WORCESTER, Mass. - The Norwich University women's swimming & diving team delivered another commanding championship run on Sunday evening, securing its fourth consecutive Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) title with a decisive performance at the 2026 GNAC Championships inside the WPI Sports & Recreation Center.

The Cadets amassed 1,058.5 points across the three-day meet, finishing more than 350 points clear of runner-up University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) at 699.5.  Norwich claimed 11 event victories across 25 total events, combining individual, relay, and diving success to extend the program's reign atop the conference.

The Cadets were anchored by a historic awards haul, headlined by Delaney Allen (Gibsonia, Pa.), who was named both the GNAC Women's Swimmer of the Year and GNAC Women's Rookie of the Year.  Allen becomes the first Norwich women's swimmer to earn Swimmer of the Year honors since Nikky Avise in 2023, and the program's first Rookie of the Year since Avise in 2020.  Allen's sweep marks the first combined Swimmer and Rookie of the Year selection by a single program in the GNAC in at least 15 years.

On the diving boards, Reilly Laitala (Sterling, Mass.) was recognized as the GNAC Women's Diver of the Year for the third consecutive season, capping a dominant collegiate career that included 17 GNAC Diver of the Week honors.

Deanna Parot (San Diego, Calif.) was selected as Norwich's representative on the GNAC All-Sportsmanship Team.

Norwich opened the final session with a podium finish in the 100-yard freestyle, as Alannah Kelliher (Middleboro, Mass.) touched third in 55.13.  Kelliher later added another runner-up finish in the 100-yard backstroke, clocking in at 1:05.19 to secure critical points for the Cadets.

Allen continued her standout meet with a gold-medal performance in the 50-yard breaststroke, winning the event in 32.76.  She later returned to dominate the 200-yard individual medley, touching first in 2:17.64 to secure her second individual title of the evening.

In the distance lane, Anna Gosselin (Lisbon, Conn.) earned a podium spot in the 1650-yard freestyle, placing third with a time of 20:08.33, while Katelyn Daly (Pensacola, Fla.) delivered a strong fourth-place finish in the 200-yard butterfly at 2:50.79.

Laitala closed out her GNAC career in emphatic fashion, capturing the 3-meter diving title with a winning score of 183.55, further solidifying her legacy as one of the most accomplished divers in conference history.

The Cadets wrapped up the championship with a second-place effort in the 400-yard medley relay, as Burgan Danger (Wadsworth, Ohio), Allen, Maria Piekarczyk (Dudley, Mass.), and Kelliher combined for a time of 4:21.02.

The title marks the fourth GNAC championship for the Norwich women's program under Head Coach Jennifer Cournoyer, and with the men's team also claiming the league crown, her total GNAC championship count rises to nine overall.

The top three finishers in each event were also recognized as 2026 GNAC All-Conference honorees.  They included:

• 200 Yard Medley Relay – Norwich (Burgan Danger, Delaney Allen, Maria Piekarczyk, Alannah Kelliher)
• 400 Yard IM - Ashley Morin, Norwich
• 200 Yard Freestyle - Anna Gosselin, Norwich
• 50 Yard Butterfly - Alannah Kelliher, Norwich; Maria Piekarczyk, Norwich
• 100 Yard Breaststroke - Delaney Allen, Norwich
• 200 Yard Backstroke - Ashley Morin, Norwich; Kylie Farris, Norwich
• 1000 Yard Freestyle - Anna Gosselin, Norwich
• 400 Yard Freestyle Relay – Norwich (Delaney Allen, Katelyn Daly, Deanna Parot, Alannah Kelliher)
• 200 Yard Freestyle Relay - Norwich (Delaney Allen, Deanna Parot, Maria Piekarczyk, Alannah Kelliher)
• 100 Yard Butterfly - Maria Piekarczyk, Norwich
• 500 Yard Freestyle - Anna Gosselin, Norwich
• 50 Yard Backstroke - Burgan Danger, Norwich
• 50 Yard Freestyle - Alannah Kelliher, Norwich
• 100 Yard IM - Delaney Allen, Norwich
• 1M Diving - Reilly Laitala, Norwich; Ava LePage, Norwich
• 100 Yard Freestyle - Alannah Kelliher, Norwich
• 50 Yard Breaststroke - Delaney Allen, Norwich
• 1650 Yard Freestyle - Anna Gosselin, Norwich
• 100 Yard Backstroke - Alannah Kelliher, Norwich
• 200 Yard IM - Delaney Allen, Norwich
• 3M Diving - Reilly Laitala, Norwich
• 400 Yard Medley Relay - Norwich (Burgan Danger, Delaney Allen, Maria Piekarczyk, Alannah Kelliher)

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LEADERS:

• 100 Yard Freestyle
  • Alannah Kelliher (Middleboro, Mass.)
    • 3rd, 55.13
• 50 Yard Breaststroke
  • Delaney Allen (Gibsonia, Pa.)
    • 1st, 32.76
• 1650 Yard Freestyle
  • Anna Gosselin (Lisbon, Conn.)
    • 3rd, 20:08.33
• 100 Yard Backstroke
  • Alannah Kelliher
    • 2nd, 1:05.19
• 200 Yard Butterfly
  • Katelyn Daly (Pensacola, Fla.)
    • 4th, 2:50.79
• 200 Yard IM
  • Delaney Allen
    • 1st, 2:17.64
• 3 Meter Diving
  • Reilly Laitala (Sterling, Mass.)
    • 1st, 183.55
• 400 Yard Medley Relay
  • Burgan Danger (Wadsworth, Ohio), Delaney Allen, Maria Piekarczyk (Dudley, Mass.), Alannah Kelliher
    • 2nd, 4:21.02

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After three days of championship competition, Norwich led the team standings with:

1. Norwich - 1,058.5
2. Saint Joseph (Conn.) - 699.5
3. Regis (Mass.) - 571.0
4. Simmons - 549.0
5. Elms - 334.0
6. Saint Joseph's (Maine) - 284.0
7. Albertus Magnus - 91.0

A select group of swimmers will now look ahead to the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Open Swimming & Diving Championships, set to take place from Friday, Feb. 27 to Sunday, Mar. 1, hosted by Bucknell University within Kinney Natatorium in Lewisburg, Pa.