Hart Wins 500 Free, 'Cats Set School 200 Free Relay Record at AE Championships

Thursday, February 19

Lexington, Va.

10 AM

University of New Hampshire

America East Championship

Lydia Hart topped the podium in the 500 freestyle in 4:45.90

Photo by: @stu_horne_photos

Hart Wins 500 Free, 'Cats Set School 200 Free Relay Record at AE Championships

2/19/2026 8:59:00 PM | Women's Swimming and Diving

Results (PDF)

UNH in second place (235 points) behind Bryant (294 points)

LEXINGTON, Va. — Sophomore Lydia Hart (Cornwall, Ontario) won gold in the 500-yard freestyle, and the team of senior captain Audrey Mahoney (Downers Grove, Ill.), junior captain Grace Mahon (Orange, Conn.), sophomore Teagen Jeffers (Bedford, N.H.) and junior Sydney Leblic (Madrid, Spain) set the school record in the 200 freestyle relay to lead the UNH swimming and diving team into second place Thursday at the halfway point of the 2026 America East Swimming and Diving Championships at the VMI Aquatic Center.

VISIT AMERICA EAST CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL

Bryant leads the way through two days of competition with 269 points, followed by UNH (235 points), Vermont (218), UMBC (195), Binghamton (139), Maine (127) and VMI (79).

Hart delivered the Wildcats' lone individual title of the night, winning the 500-yard freestyle in 4 minutes, 45.90 seconds, a nearly four‑second drop from prelims and the second-fastest finals time in meet history. She led a UNH distance showing that included sophomore Marisa White (Apex, N.C./3rd, 4:55.84) and senior captain Carolyn Nelson (Glen Ellyn, Ill.)/8th, 5:01.25) in the A‑final.

Mahoney added another major highlight, taking silver in the 50 free in 22.74, less than half a tenth off her prelim time. Mahon won the B‑final in 23.46.

UNH closed the night with a surge in the 200 free relay, posting the school-record time of 1:32.62 for second place, anchored by Leblic, who also finished fourth in the 200 IM (2:03.59) earlier in the session.

NEXT UP – AE CHAMPIONSHIPS, DAY 3, VMI AQUATIC CENTER
Friday, Feb. 20 - Morning Prelims - 10am, Finals - 5:30pm
ESPN+: Morning Prelims | Finals
100 Yard Butterfly
400 Yard Individual Medley
200 Yard Freestyle
100 Yard Breaststroke
100 Yard Backstroke
400 Yard Medley Relay

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