WASHINGTON (January 31, 2026) — Howard University women's swimming & diving delivered a commanding performance Saturday evening, defeating Catholic University of America, 223–47, in a nonconference dual meet at Burr Gymnasium to close the season.
 
Howard opened the meet on the boards where Iala Cropper (Rochester, N.Y.) captured first place in the 1-meter dive with a score of 172.55, setting the tone for the afternoon.
 
The Bison continued their strong start in the pool, winning the 200-yard medley relay as Chanice Posada (Houston), Alyssa Napier (Wilmington, Del.), Brooke Whitt (Chicago) and Gabrielle Vickles (El Dorado, Trinidad & Tobago) touched first in 1:45.90.
 
Howard controlled the distance events, led by Tiara Jackson (Los Angeles), who won the 1000-yard freestyle in 11:00.08 while Kali Garcia (Altamonte, Fla.) added a victory in the 500-yard freestyle, finishing in 5:15.13.
 
Sprint success followed, beginning with Posada claiming the 50-yard backstroke in 24.61. Whitt continued her standout performance by winning the 50-yard breaststroke in 26.11 and later securing first place in the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 57.64.
 
Napier earned the victory in the 100-yard freestyle, touching first in 53.03, while Zuilda Nwaeze (Columbia, Md.) captured the 100-yard breaststroke in 1:08.24. Howard also picked up wins in the 50-yard freestyle, 100-yard backstroke, 100-yard IM and 200-yard freestyle, showcasing depth across all disciplines.
 
The meet concluded with a Howard victory in the 400-yard freestyle relay, as Vickles, Mia Patton (Nassau, Bahamas), Julianna Gibson (Elk Grove, Calif.) and Kaelyn Mitchell (Mobile, Ala.) posted a winning time of 3:56.34 to close out the sweep.
 
Next, the Bison head to Geneva, Ohio where they compete in this year's NEC Championship (February 17-20).
 
For more information on Howard swimming and diving, visit the official Howard Athletics website at www.hubison.com.