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The Howard University women’s swimming and diving team brought home its first Northeast Conference (NEC) championship in program history, becoming the first women’s Historically Black Colleges and University (HBCU) swimming and diving team to win an NCAA Division I conference title.
The men followed suit, winning back-to-back NEC championships and securing their third conference title in four years. The victories mark a major milestone for a program that has been the only HBCU Division I swim team in the nation since 2016.
Nicholas Askew, the director and head coach of swimming and diving, struggled to find a single word to describe the moment, as the championship coincided with the 100th anniversary of Black History Month.
“It’s a feeling that I don’t know if I can really put into one word, my heart is so full of pride and joy with what the team has accomplished,” Askew said. “The women’s team being able to be the first HBCU to ever win an NCAA conference title is beyond huge — it’s titanic.”
The swimming and diving coaching staff, made up largely of Howard alumni, was named the 2025–26 NEC Coaching Staff of the Year after leading both teams to conference championships for the first time in program history.
Since the Feb. 20 win, which took place at the Spire Institute in Geneva, Ohio, the program has drawn national media attention from outlets including Sports Illustrated, Togethxr, NBC4 Washington, HBCU Gameday, Black Enterprise and Andscape.
A 2021 USA Swimming Report estimates that around 1.5 percent of its approximately 295,000 competitive swimmers are Black. Askew said the swim team serves as a powerful source of representation, proving that Black athletes can compete at an elite level in swimming, particularly through an institution like Howard.
“We want to stand as a representation, especially in our community, where Black folks don’t have a great relationship with water spaces,” Askew said. “Whether it be [due to] the transatlantic slave trade, enslavement, segregation or Jim Crow, these are ugly stains on our history that have discouraged us from seeing ourselves in this space.”
Askew noted that the women’s team became its own varsity program in 1979 under coach Yohnnie Shambourger, when the athletic department officially separated women’s swimming and diving as its own team.
Graduating senior and team captain Zuilda Nwaeze, a freestyle and butterfly swimmer, is a three-time NEC 50 freestyle champion, the first female HBCU swimmer to earn an NCAA “B” cut and was named the NEC Outstanding Swimmer for the second consecutive year.
She said the championship represents validation for the team and those who came before them.
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“We’re making history and proving to little girls and boys that there’s a place for them and that Howard is an option,” Nwaeze, a psychology major, said.
Nwaeze said she made the intentional decision to attend Howard after the murders of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery in 2020, understanding the importance of being surrounded by people who looked and thought like her.
Last season, the women placed second at the NEC championships, scoring 683.5 points to Central Connecticut State University’s 726.5 — a 43-point margin, the smallest deficit in program history.
Askew said the narrow loss showed the team was capable of contending for a title.
Following the loss, the team held a huddle and took accountability, committing to push through adversity moving forward.
“All of this change came about a year ago when our women’s team really started to see that the only thing keeping them from success was themselves,” Askew said. “They had to change how the women’s team had operated in the past.”
Junior backstroke and butterfly swimmer Chanice Posada also contributed to the historic run, winning the 100 backstroke title, setting a school record time of 53.49. As a team captain alongside Nwaeze, Posada said her goal is to pour into younger teammates and build a lasting legacy.
“We don’t want to be the first and only ones,” Posada, a psychology major, said. “We want to start a dynasty and pass the baton to keep the torch lit.”
She added that the team’s internal growth made the difference this season.
“The biggest difference this year was the inner work we did, which was mending relationships, making sure everyone felt secure and confident,” Posada said. “That’s what separated us from losing before and winning now.”
With standout performances across relays, individual events and diving, freshmen swimmers Zenya Posada, Alyssa Napier, sophomore Gabrielle Vickles and Nwaeze secured the final points needed to secure the top spot when they won the 400 freestyle relay in 3:22.45, setting a new conference meet record.
In addition, Nwaeze, Gabrielle Vickles, Zenya Posada and Jasmine Morgan set a new school record in the 200 freestyle relay with a time of 1:31.53. Nwaeze, Zenya Posada, Julianna Gibson and Alyssa Napier also set a school record in the 800 freestyle relay, finishing in 7:30.35.
While the championship marks a historic achievement, the momentum continued. Nwaeze and Posada were selected to compete at the Bulldog Invitational this past weekend, hosted by the University of Georgia, marking the first time Howard has been represented at the meet.
Each year, universities host “last chance” meets that allow swimmers one final opportunity to qualify for the NCAA championships.
Additionally, the program competed in their last competition of the season, the CSCAA National Invitational Championships in Ocala, Florida, on March 12-14. The women’s teams finished in 31st place while the men’s finished in 29th place.
As the program plans to continue building on this momentum moving forward, Askew called on the Howard community to celebrate the moment and express the program’s overall gratitude.
“So many things have come together through the support of our team, department, fans and families,” Askew said. “I call on Bison Nation to celebrate this milestone. We promise to keep working hard to make everyone proud.”
Posada shared a message for young Black girls who see themselves reflected in their success.
“Don’t let your dreams die because of what people or your environment tell you is possible,” Posada said. “Feed your spirit and listen to those who pour into you in positive ways.”
Copy edited by D’Nyah Jefferson – Philmore