Isaiah Aleksenko poses with the individual gold medals he won at the Sun Conference Championships held at the Florida Aquatics Swimming & Training facility in Ocala, Florida from Feb. 6 to 8, 2025.
ISAIAH Aleksenko of the CNMI definitely made waves in his first official collegiate meet, the Sun Conference Championships, winning five gold medals and setting two National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics records in the 100 Fly and 200 Fly at the Florida Aquatics Swimming & Training facility in Ocala, Florida on Feb. 6 to 8.
A Marianas High School graduate, Aleksenko gave his best performance in his debut with the Keiser University Seahawks as he aided his team to their third straight Sun Conference title while earning some personal achievements along the way.
In all three individual events that Aleksenko participated in, he dominated the competition with ease.
In the 100 Back, he claimed gold with a time of 46.49, setting his personal best and posting a school and meet record. He also set new NAIA records in the 100 Fly and 200 Fly with respective times of 45.94 and 1:44.55, earning two additional gold medals.
He likewise earned gold medals in the 200 Free Relay and 400 Medley Relay as his team’s lead leg.
For his outstanding overall performance, he was named the Sun Conference Swimmer of the Year.
In the previous semester, Aleksenko was not eligible to compete, so he saw the Sun Conference Championships as an opportunity for redemption.
“I felt really good and I’m happy that I’m eligible and able to compete for my school,” Aleksenko said. He added that he was “shocked” when he learned that he had set new NAIA records. “I’m happy and proud of myself that all the training that I have been doing paid off in just my freshman year of college,” said Aleksenko, a student of Keiser University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
When asked what was next for him, he said, “I’m going to keep working hard, continue training, and see how far I can go while also focusing on my education.”
He added, “I want to thank all my coaches for the work that they have put into me in order for me to accomplish these things. And I thank my mom for always supporting me because without her I would not be where I’m at today. I’m also thankful to my teammates for always cheering me on.”
