Just months into transferring from Arizona State University to The Master’s University, graduate student Evan Nail has broken the NAIA Record in the men’s 200 IM.
Swimming at the La Verne Invitational on November 21, Nail swam a time of 1:46.19 to not only win the event by 2.5 seconds, but also break the NAIA record of 1:46.76, set by Keiser’s Alex Kusik in 2023.
Entering the meet, Nail’s best time in the event was 1:47.99, a time he produced nearly three years ago at a dual meet between ASU and Arizona.
NAIA 200 IM All-Time Top 5 Performers:
- Evan Nail (Masters) – 1:46.19
- Isaiah Aleksenko (Keiser) – 1:46.48
- Alex Kusik (Keiser) – 1:46.76
- Kevin Keil (SCAD) – 1:47.51
- Fynn Kunze (Keiser) – 1:47.61
The biggest difference compared to his previous best was the butterfly leg, where he dropped exactly nine tenths, going from 23.93 to 23.03. Breaststroke was also a big factor, as he split 0.77 faster, clocking 30.72 compared to 31.49. He also shaved a few hundredths on backstroke, improving from 26.79 to 26.71, and freestyle, dropping from 25.78 to 25.73.
His margin over the previous record came on the front half, as Kusik opened in 24.10 and 27.31 on fly and back before closing faster with splits of 30.58 and 24.77 over the final 100.
Splits Comparison:
| Nail’s New Record | Kusik’s Prior Record | Nail’s Former Best Time | |
| Butterfly | 23.03 | 24.10 | 23.93 |
| Backstroke | 26.71 (49.74) | 27.31 (51.41) | 26.79 (50.72) |
| Breaststroke | 30.72 (1:20.46) | 30.58 (1:21.99) | 31.49 (1:22.21) |
| Freestyle | 25.73 (1:46.19) | 24.77 (1:46.48) | 25.78 (1:47.99) |
Notably, Keiser sophomore Isaiah Aleksenko, the reigning NAIA champion in the 100 fly, 100 back, and 200 back, clocked 1:46.48 just last week to undercut Kusik’s former record and come just shy of Nail’s new mark.
Beyond his record-setting 200 IM swim, Nail also won the 200 breast (1:58.91), and took second in the 100 breast (54.66). He just missed his 200 PB by a tenth, while he demolished his former 100 best of 56.44.
He now ranks third in the 200 breast and sixth in the 100 breast in the NAIA so far this season.
The Master’s University is a four-year Christian Liberal Arts institution in Santa Clarita, California, offering undergraduate, graduate and online degrees. The team is led by head coach Curren Bates, who has been at the helm of the program since 2022.
A member of the Pacific Collegiate Swim Conference, the team finished fifth out of nine teams at the 2025 conference meet. They went on to take ninth at the NAIA Championships to wrap up the season.
Nail’s current best times would have won the conference titles in both breaststroke and IM events last season. His breast personal bests are faster than the winning times of 56.14 and 2:02.07, while his 1:47.99 and 3:51.19 would have easily beaten the IM winners’ times of 1:49.98 and 3:58.33.
At the 2024 NAIA Championships, outside of his new 200 IM record, Nail’s best 200 breast and 400 IM would have each earned runner-up, while his 100 breast PB would have been quick enough for third. Keiser junior Noel de Geus won both breaststrokes with times of 51.73 and 1:57.18, with Milligan junior Caleb Fry the runner-up in the 100 in a time of 53.92.
Nail has raced the 400 IM only once so far this season, clocking a 12th-ranked 4:04.41 in early October. Last year’s champion, Savannah College of Art and Design’s Kevin Keil, has graduated, and Nail’s PB would top the current season standings by more than three seconds.
