By Anouk Wandeler ’26 and Adrienne Howard ’26

Last weekend, February 13, 2026, Mercersburg Academy’s boys and girls swimming and diving teams competed at the Eastern Interscholastic Championships, one of the most competitive meets in the nation. The boys captured first place overall, while the girls finished second, narrowly behind Germantown Academy. Combined, the teams secured the overall meet victory. The boys program is now ranked fourth in the country. In diving, Michaela Kasmire ’26 was the girls’ runner-up, while James Boardman ’26 won the boys’ competition.

Head Coach Matt Hurst noted, “The results were wonderful. We dove well and swam well. It was extremely close. The girls only lost by 15 points, which is an incredibly small margin.”

Joachim Meyer ’26 said, “Going into Easterns, I felt excited and a little nervous because it is the biggest meet of the season.” He continued, “Swimming at Mercersburg is part of a high-level program with a strong history of success, so there is always pressure to perform well. But we trained and prepared well, so I felt ready to race.”

Matthew Brennan ’28 shared similar emotions: “Going into Easterns personally, I was nervous. I tried to be as calm as possible, but because of the stakes, I knew how much pressure there would be.” Despite not meeting every personal goal, he noted positives: “I felt good in my 100 free and relays, and I am proud of my team and what we accomplished.”

On the girls side, Zoe Kerf ’27 said, “We have been training for Easterns all season, and it paid off.”

Teagan Mewett ’27 added, “I was honestly really excited since MAPLs went really well. I didn't perform exactly like I had hoped, but it was what the team needed, and that was what was important.” She called the closing relays “incredible,” adding, “It is such an incredible feeling to win Easterns—I can’t even describe it.”

Alice Zha ’26 said, “Our team was amazing; our energy was on top.” She pointed to the tight races against Germantown Academy. “They were all supposed to be close, and we ended up winning most of them,” she said. “Despite some challenges, like limited sleep after arriving late at the hotel, I feel like our bond strengthened this weekend.”

Hurst emphasized preparation, saying, “Before the meet, the coaching staff sat down and looked at what it would take to put ourselves in a position to win, and the way we mapped out the meet is exactly how the athletes swam and dove. It’s a testament to the kids—they were prepared and focused.”

He highlighted the record-breaking relays, noting, “On the girls' side especially, we demolished all three program records—the 200 medley relay, the 200 freestyle relay, and the 400 freestyle relay.” On the boys’ side, he added, “Two out of three relays were program records—the 200 medley relay and the 400 freestyle relay.”

With record-breaking relays and exciting finishes, Easterns marked a strong close to the season for Mercersburg swimming and diving.