IU Indy’s Yassin Abdelghany Earns NCAAs Berth with 18.91 50 free on Day 2 of Horizon League Champs

2026 Horizon League Championships

• February 18-21, 2026
• IU Natatorium, Indianapolis, IN
• SCY (25 yards)
• Start Times: Prelims- 10 am ET, Finals- 5:30 pm ET
  • Wednesday: Finals Only- 5:30 pm ET
• Defending Champions
  • Women: Oakland (12x)
  • Men: Oakland (12x)
• Participating Teams: Cleveland State, Green Bay, IU Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Northern Kentucky, Oakland, Youngstown State
• Psych Sheets
• Championship Central
• Horizon League Championships Preview
• Watch: ESPN+
• Recaps: Day 1

Night two of the Horizon League Championships was highlighted by IU Indianapolis’ Yassin Abdelghany demolishing the previous Horizon League championship record in the men’s 50 freestyler in a blistering 18.91, and qualifying himself for the 2026 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships. This shatters the previous conference record of 19.56 from Cleveland State’s Alex Lewis from 2014.

In addition to those historical marks, this swim also makes Abdelghany the 3rd fastest mid-major performer in history, only trailing Yale’s Alex Righi who went 18.82 during the 2008-2009 season, and Remi Fabiani who also went that same 18.82 time last season with California Baptist last season.

The meet’s opening event saw Youngstown State’s Olivia Sweetman blow her heat of the women’s 500 freestyle out of the water, swimming four and a half seconds faster than her prelims time of 4:53.73 to earn her first individual Horizon League title of her career in 4:49.29. This time wiped away her former career best of 4:51.75 from these championships last season, where she finished 3rd. Oakland still put a stamp on this race, with the Golden Grizzlies finishing 2-3-4-5-7 for a massive points grab in the event. Though no other swimmer was within near four seconds of the champion Sweetman.

The next event saw another Penguin top the podium, as Quinn Cynor completed the sweep of the 500 frees for Youngstown State, battling back after turning 2rd at the 200 to win the event in 4:20.78. This marks his first Horizon League title, after accumulating multiple WAC event titles from his time at Wyoming prior to making the move to Youngstown, just over a second faster than Oakland’s Karel Subagyo in 4:21.80. The two will likely face off again in the 200 free final tomorrow evening with another horizon league crown up for grabs.

Oakland’s Clarissa Bezuidenhout led a 1-2 finish for the Golden Grizzlies alongside Kelley Hassett in the women’s 200 IM as the Oakland pair touched in 2:01.68 and 2:02.58, respectively. YSU’s Hannah Murray rounded out the top three as the only other sub 2:03 performer in 2:02.69.

Oakland’s Max Haney only trailed in the 200 IM for the first 50 yards of the race before taking control of the race, capped off by a key 24.72 free split to earn the win in 1:44.68,  two seconds better than his 2nd place time a season ago when he clocked 1:46.66.

The Milwaukee women also earned an individual title on the day as Gabrielle LePine toucheda near quarter of a second ahead of the event field to win the 50 free. That win was a three spot improvement over her performance last season where she finished 4th in 23.22.

IU Indy’s Sebastian Otero, who is no stranger to the top of the podium in the Horizon League, claimed his 4th consecutive league title in the men’s 1-meter diving, finishing 43 points better than the championship final field in 400.20.

The Milwaukee women continued their impressive showing at these championships with a 200 free relay win as LePine (23.11), Brielle Laube (22.65), Mara Freeman (23.62), and Christina Brooks (22.39) downed Oakland’s 1:32.49 effort in 1:31.77.

Oakland capped off the night with more Horizon League history by breaking their year-old conference record in the 200 free relay. The foursome of Ajjuub Ezzat (19.98), Micah Scheffer (18.97), Harry Nicholson (19.31), and Charlie Brown (18.90) earned a come from behind win over IU Indy (1:18.10) to clip their Horizon League record of 1:17.73 in 1:17.16. Scheffer, Nicholson, and brown were all returners from that 2025 record relay.

Team Standings After Day 2:

Women: 

1. Oakland- 321
2. Milwaukee- 231
3. IU Indy- 179.5
4. Cleveland State- 161
5. Youngstown State- 147
6. Green Bay- 118.5
7. Northern Kentucky- 54

Men:

1. IU Indy- 320.5
2. Oakland- 292
3. Youngstown State- 183
4. Milwaukee- 1155.5
5. Cleveland State- 119
6. Green Bay- 84
7. Northern Kentucky- 83