Isaiah is Sun Conference Swimmer of the Year, again

NMI’s swimming prodigy Isaiah Aleksenko is having another breakout season in his sophomore year after being named Sun Conference Swimmer of the Year for the second straight year, once again helping Keiser University capture its fourth consecutive title at the Sun Conference Championships last Feb. 7 in Ocala, Florida.

After bursting onto the collegiate scene at the NAIA school last year with five gold medals and the conference title, Aleksenko somehow raised the bar even higher this season—collecting seven gold medals and setting seven meet records.

Most notably was his gold medal in the 100 backstroke breaking the meet record with a time of 45:77 seconds. He said he’s currently ranked 23rd among all college divisions (NCAA DI, DII, DIII, and NAIA) and says he’s just milliseconds away from cracking the top eight.

He also bagged a gold in the 200 individual medley at 1:46.72 and gold in the 200 butterfly at 1:44.09. In relay events, he and his team swam to gold in the 200 relay at 1:26:47, in the 200 freestyle at 1:19.06, in the 400 medley relay at 3:12.04, and the 400 freestyle relay 2:56.42.

With back-to-back Sun Conference Swimmer of the Year titles, Aleksenko said the second one hit differently. “I’m really appreciative to win again and it means a lot,” he said. “This one meant a lot because I was also able to motivate some of my teammates and push them harder.”

There was pressure this year because he swam some off events than his usual lineup, but he said, “I still did good and I’m happy with the times.” When asked what was different this season, he said it was his mindset. “The biggest difference is motivating my teammates and pushing myself more in practice,” he said.

One swim he’s especially proud of? The 100 back. “I’m most proud of my 100 back,” he said. “Next year or maybe even this year, I’m going to push harder to achieve my goals.”

Even with all the success, he said he hasn’t forgotten home. “I want to not only carry my school’s name but also represent Saipan and my team back home and make sure to never forget where I truly came from and what built me from the ground up.”

There could be even bigger moves ahead as he’s looking to transfer to NCAA Division I. While he can’t directly speak to coaches yet because he’s not officially in the transfer portal, interest is already there. He said he currently has offers from Auburn University, Arizona State University, and North Carolina State University. He added that Arizona State University and University of Texas at Austin are at the top of his list, noting that Texas has a strong sprint program and elite-level coaching.

For now, though, the focus shifts to nationals. The Seahawks head to Elkhart, Indiana for the NAIA National Championships from March 4-7. At the 2025 NAIA National Championships, Aleksenko won three individual national titles and contributed to several relay victories, performances that led to him being named NAIA Swimmer of the Year.

There, Aleksenko says he’s chasing personal bests and looking to keep representing—his school, his team, and Saipan.