GENEVA, Ohio — Howard University women's swimming & diving continues to control the 2026 NEC Championships at the SPIRE Institute, leading the field with 613 points through three days of competition. Runner-up and reigning champions Central Connecticut State trails with 572 points, and Wagner rounds out the top three with 286 points as the Bison position themselves for what would be the program's first NEC title.
Howard opened finals with a statement.
Alyssa Napier (Bowie, Md.) captured gold in the 100-yard butterfly, touching in 54.54 to secure 20 points. Teammate Samara Beniot followed closely behind, earning silver in 55.20, giving the Bison a 37-point swing in the event.
In the 400-yard IM,
Faith McCallister (Abingdon, MD) won the consolation final with a strong 4:34.00, pushing the Bison ahead with nine more points.
The 200-yard freestyle proved to be one of the tightest races of the night.
Zuilda Nwaeze (Columbia, Md.) finished runner-up in 1:49.90, narrowly missing gold in a dramatic final 25 yards.
Zenya Posada (Norwalk, CT) also scored in the championship final, helping Howard separate from the field. In the consolation final,
Iala Cropper (Rochester, NY)placed third, adding key depth points.
Howard dominated the 100-yard breaststroke as
Rhanishka Gibbs (Nassau, Bahamas) surged to gold in 1:02.89, winning decisively and delivering another 20-point performance.
The Bison followed with another title in the 100-yard backstroke, where
Chanice Posada (Houston, Texas) powered to victory in 54.51, edging the field in a championship-caliber finish. In the consolation final,
Gabrielle Vickles (El Dorado, Trinidad & Tobago) placed third to continue the scoring momentum.
Howard closed the evening in electric fashion in the 400-yard medley relay. The quartet of Posada, Gibbs, Napier, and Nwaeze combined for a winning time of 3:42.03, securing 40 points and sending the Howard section of SPIRE into a roar as the Bison extended their team lead heading into the final day.
With one session remaining, Howard stands within reach of history.
Day Four action can be streamed live on NEC Front Row on February 20th.
For more information, visit the official Howard Athletics website at
www.hubison.com.
