IU Indy's Yassin Abdelghany made a splash at the 2026 Horizon League Championships, shattering records and securing a spot at the 2026 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships. On the second day of the competition, Abdelghany clocked an astonishing 18.91 in the men's 50 freestyle, breaking the previous Horizon League record of 19.56 set by Cleveland State's Alex Lewis in 2014. This achievement not only qualifies him for the NCAA Championships but also places him as the third-fastest mid-major performer in history, trailing only Yale's Alex Righi and Remi Fabiani of California Baptist. But the drama didn't end there.
In the women's 500 freestyle, Youngstown State's Olivia Sweetman dominated her heat, slicing 4.5 seconds off her prelims time to claim her first individual Horizon League title in 4:49.29. This performance eclipsed her previous career best of 4:51.75 from the previous season's championships. Oakland's Golden Grizzlies swept the event, finishing 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 7th, showcasing their depth and strength in the sport. Quinn Cynor of Youngstown State followed suit, winning the 500 free in 4:20.78, just over a second ahead of Oakland's Karel Subagyo.
The women's 200 IM saw Oakland's Clarissa Bezuidenhout and Kelley Hassett claim 1st and 2nd places, respectively, with times of 2:01.68 and 2:02.58. Hannah Murray of YSU rounded out the top three with a time of 2:02.69. Max Haney of Oakland dominated the 200 IM, trailing only for the first 50 yards before taking control, ultimately winning in 1:44.68, two seconds faster than his second-place time from the previous season.
The Milwaukee women also shone, with Gabrielle LePine claiming the 50 freestyle title, improving her performance from the previous season by three spots. IU Indy's Sebastian Otero, a familiar face at the top of the Horizon League podium, secured his 4th consecutive league title in the men's 1-meter diving, finishing 43 points ahead of the championship final field. Milwaukee's women's 200 free relay team, featuring LePine, Brielle Laube, Mara Freeman, and Christina Brooks, outpaced Oakland's effort, winning in 1:31.77.
The night's climax belonged to Oakland, who broke their own year-old conference record in the 200 free relay. The quartet of Ajjuub Ezzat, Micah Scheffer, Harry Nicholson, and Charlie Brown earned a come-from-behind victory over IU Indy, clipping their Horizon League record of 1:17.73 in 1:17.16. Scheffer, Nicholson, and Brown were all returning members of the 2025 record-breaking relay.
Team standings after Day 2 saw Oakland leading the women's competition with 321 points, followed by Milwaukee with 231, IU Indy with 179.5, Cleveland State with 161, Youngstown State with 147, Green Bay with 118.5, and Northern Kentucky with 54. In the men's category, IU Indy took the lead with 320.5 points, followed by Oakland with 292, Youngstown State with 183, Milwaukee with 115.5, Cleveland State with 119, Green Bay with 84, and Northern Kentucky with 83.
The Horizon League Championships continue to showcase the talent and determination of swimmers across the conference, with records being broken and new stars emerging.
