HAMPTON, Va. – The 24th-ranked Salisbury University women's swimming team's quest to repeat as titlists started off with a bang as the Sea Gulls won both relay events on Day 1 of the 2026 New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Swimming & Diving Championships on Thursday evening at the Hampton Aquaplex.
In the meet-opening 200-yard medley relay, the Sea Gulls got a championship-caliber performance from
Isabelle Salvatore,
Mackenzie Gula,
Lily Griffin, and
Kaitlyn McGuire to win the gold medal in 1:43.94. The quartet shaved 2.68 seconds off its entry time on the way to besting second-place Kean (1:44.23) and third-place Mary Washington (1:44.29). The time from Salvatore, Gula, Griffin, and McGuire also hit the NCAA B-cut, putting them in a position to qualify for the national championships in March.
Not to be outdone, SU saw gold again in the 800 free relay, with Gula,
Olivia Polucha,
Jenna Krawlzik, and
Rowan O'Donoghue registering a 7:32.26 mark that dropped 8.17 seconds off their entry time and topped the field by over four seconds. O'Donoghue brought the hammer down from the anchor position with a team-leading 200 split of 1:49.87. Just like in the 200 medley relay, the 800 free relay foursome cleared their NCAA B-cut.
Salisbury closed out the first day of the four-day championship sitting at the top of the 10-team standings with 128 points, with Kean (110) rolling in second and Rowan (108) in third.
The Sea Gulls will look to keep the momentum going on Day 2 of the NJAC Championships on Friday. Prelims are scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. with finals slated for 5:30 p.m.
Salisbury University is a proud member of NCAA Division III with primary membership in the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference, along with affiliate membership in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (football, men's & women's swimming), Coastal Lacrosse Conference (men's lacrosse), State University of New York Athletic Conference (field hockey), and Colonial Women's Golf Conference (women's golf). With over 500 student-athletes in 23 varsity sports, SU is recognized as one of the nation's most competitive intercollegiate athletics programs regardless of division, featuring dedicated coaches and staff that foster excellence on and off the field. The Sea Gulls have won a combined 23 team national championships, 24 individual national championships, and 206 conference championships, and have produced 54 Academic All-Americans.
To Make Tomorrow Yours at Salisbury University, and learn more about Sea Gull Athletics' tradition of excellence, visit SUSeaGulls.com or follow on social media @SUSeaGulls.
