ITHACA, N.Y. – The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men's swimming & diving team enters the 2026 Liberty League Men's Swimming & Diving Championships with championship-caliber speed at the top of the lineup and multiple top-eight performances across the freestyle, backstroke, butterfly, and individual medley events. The four-day meet will be contested February 18–21 at host Ithaca College.

RPI opens the championships on Wednesday with strong positioning in the 500 freestyle and 200 IM. Sam Ciegler brings a sixth-ranked time in the league in the 500 free at 4:39.71, while Tyler Kim sits fifth in the 200 IM with a season-best of 1:56.56. The opening session also includes the 50 freestyle and the 400 medley relay, setting the stage for the Engineers' sprint depth before the first night concludes with the men's 3-meter diving competition.

Thursday's program highlights one of RPI's marquee events, as Jason Weller enters the 200 freestyle as the Liberty League leader with the fastest time of the season at 1:40.49. The day also features the 400 IM, where Ciegler ranks third overall with a time of 4:09.69, positioning him as a key scorer in one of the most physically demanding races of the meet. The evening wraps up with the 200 free relay, an event that will further showcase RPI's sprint versatility.

Friday is headlined by RPI's strength in the butterfly and backstroke disciplines. Hayden Dinkin owns the top time in the Liberty League in the 200 butterfly at 1:51.32, making him a central contender in the championship finals. Weller continues his strong presence in the backstroke events, entering the 100 backstroke ranked second at 49.89 seconds, while Kim adds additional depth with a seventh-ranked time of 52.69. The session also includes the 200 medley relay, the 100 breaststroke, men's 1-meter diving, and the 800 freestyle relay, providing multiple opportunities for the Engineers to accumulate points through both individual and relay performances.

Saturday's final day features several of RPI's highest-seeded events. Ciegler enters the 1650 freestyle ranked eighth in the conference with a season-best time of 10:00.80, giving the Engineers a presence in the meet's longest race. Weller anchors the sprint freestyle events, leading the Liberty League in the 100 freestyle at 46.06 seconds and topping the conference rankings in the 200 backstroke with a time of 1:48.99. The championship concludes with the 200 breaststroke and the 400 freestyle relay, where RPI's blend of speed and endurance will be on display in the closing moments of the meet.

Live stream for the championship events can be found here.