Sasha Babenko continued a banner freshman season on Tuesday afternoon by winning her second G-MAC Women's Swimmer of the Week Award for the 2025-26 campaign, the conference office announced.

Babenko won five events this weekend across two meets as Hillsdale won both the California (PA) Winter Frenzy and the Vulcan Invite title on back-to-back days in Pennsylvania. Babenko started on Friday by winning the 100 freestyle in 53.78 and swimming a leg on the winning 400 medley relay (4:06.14) to help the Chargers claim the Winter Frenzy Invite. She followed it up with three event victories on Saturday, taking first in the 50 freestyle (24.75) and 100 backstroke (58.77) while also swimming on the winning 400 freestyle relay (3:42.54) to lead the Chargers to victory at the Vulcan Invite.

With her freshman season not even fully over, Babenko has already left her mark on the Chargers. She set new school records in November in both the 100 (56.21) and 200 (2:03.06) backstroke, as well as participating in record-setting 400 freestyle and 200 medley relays at the same meet, the Don Kimble Invitational in Grand Rapids. 

The performance of Babenko and the rest of the Chargers' freshman class has Hillsdale optimistic it will do well at the G-MAC/MEC Championships beginning on February 10 at the C.T. Branin Natatorium in Canton, Ohio. First, however, the Chargers finish off the regular season in Canton this Saturday, in a double-dual meet against host Malone and Fairmont State beginning at noon.