MIDDLETOWN, Conn. -- Bates women's swimming and diving junior Sarah Palmer closed strong and took home the conference title Sunday in the 200-yard breaststroke, breaking her own school record on the final day of the NESCAC Championships.

Palmer (Brunswick, Maine) raced to the finish in the championship final in an NCAA 'B' Cut time of 2:15.96, capturing the first NESCAC championship of her career and the first for the Bobcats in the 200 breast since 2012.

It caps off a brilliant conference championships for Palmer, who took third in the 50 breast on Friday, second in the 100 breast on Saturday, and broke through on Sunday to win the 200 breast.

Palmer was also part of a big swim in a time trial for the 200-yard medley relay team on Sunday. Sophomore Erin Barisonek (New Vernon, N.J.), Palmer, first-year Lily Dunn (New Canaan, Conn.), and senior captain Lianna Rosman (Bethesda, Md.) teamed up to record an NCAA 'B' Cut time of 1:43.85, leaving them on the bubble for an invite to the national meet.

Elsewhere on Sunday, senior Emma Burke (New Hartford, N.Y.) placed fifth in the consolation final of the 200-yard butterfly in 2:07.46 after recording a prelims time of 2:07.39. 

Meanwhile, the 400-yard freestyle relay team of Dunn, first-year Katherine Reed (Wenham, Mass.), sophomore Taylor Rolefson (Piedmont, Calif.), and Rosman took eighth place in 3:30.88, beating their seed time by nearly four seconds. The 'B' team of junior Cora Zuwallack (East Falmouth, Mass.), junior Soph Clausman (Edina, Minn.), senior McKayla Kendall (Bangor, Maine), and sophomore Kendall Keshen (Santa Barbara, Calif.) recorded the fifth-fastest time among all NESCAC 'B" teams in the 400 free relay, touching the wall in 3:33.49, about two seconds faster than their seed time and good for 16th place overall.

Sunday's action marked the conclusion of the 2026 NESCAC women's swimming and diving championships. The Bobcats scored 543 points, good for 10th place.