2025-26 G-MAC Swimming and Diving Awards

A young Hillsdale College women's swimming and diving squad made waves in the 2025-26 season, with a runner-up finish at the G-MAC/MEC Championships in February, and that youth was well-rewarded in the G-MAC's release of postseason awards this Friday afternoon.

Hillsdale freshman Sasha Babenko was named the G-MAC's Freshman of the Year for women's swimming as well as earning first-team All-G-MAC honors. Babenko made an immediate impact on the Chargers, rewriting Hillsdale's school records in both the 100 backstroke (56.07) and 200 backstroke (2:02.37) while achieving NCAA B-cut times in both events in her first collegiate season. Babenko also was a part of two record-setting relays for Hillsdale, swimming legs on a 400 freestyle relay (3:29.24) that broke the program record, and a 200 medley relay (1:44.82) that also set a new best mark in Hillsdale history.

Along with her new school records, Babenko also posted top five all-time Hillsdale marks in the 50, 100 and 200 freestyle, as well as the 100 butterfly and 200 individual medley in her first collegiate season. She continues a storied tradition of Chargers winning the G-MAC Freshman of the Year award, as six of the nine winners since Hillsdale joined the G-MAC in 2017 have come from the Chargers squad, including Babkeno's teammate Matilyn Wilhelmsen, who won the award last year.

One of Babenko's toughest competitors for Freshman of the Year honors was her own teammate, Avery May, who also had a first season to remember at Hillsdale and also earned first team All-G-MAC honors.

May had a similar impact as Babenko for the Chargers in the distance races, posting B-cut times and the second fastest marks in Hillsdale history in both the 400 individual medley and the 500 freestyle, while also earning a spot in Hillsdale's all-time top 10 in the 1,000 freestyle. She was a major point scorer for the Chargers at the G-MAC/MEC Championships with four individual runner-up finishes in her signature events, and also swam a leg on both school record-setting relays in the 400 freestyle and 200 medley alongside Babenko. 

Both athletes figure to be key contributors for the Chargers and contenders for G-MAC honors for years to come. The pair came extremely close to competing at the NCAA DII National Championships as freshmen, missing the cut by just a couple of places in their best events, and figure to be strong contenders to take the next step and reach the pinnacle of their sport at the NCAA DII level as sophomores in the 2026-27 season to come.