Cleveland State University finished third in both the men's and women's Horizon League Championships held Wednesday through Saturday at the IU Natatorium in Indianapolis, Indiana. Oakland swept the competition taking both titles.

Men's Horizon League Championship

The Vikings placed third at the Horizon League Championships with a score of 491.

Cleveland State finished the competition with two individual champions: Paddy Johnston and Jackson Nester.

Oakland won the title with 949 points, and IU Indianapolis was the runner-up with 624 points.

Johnston put on an electric show in the 200-yard butterfly as the senior broke the Horizon League and school record twice. Johnston put down a time of 1:44.72 in prelims and bested it in the finals with a 1:44.67 en route to his first championship.

Nester medaled for the third time at the championships after placing third in the 200-yard backstroke, improving his third-fastest time in school history to 1:43.90. Noah Greer came in seventh place with a time of 1:48.14.

The 100-yard freestyle saw Daniel Lyngaas claim sixth with the sixth-fastest time, 44.27. Connor Green was two spots back with a time of 44.81.

Tyler Schultze took home fourth place in the 200-yard breaststroke, touching in 1:58.61, the fifth fastest time. In the B-final, the Vikings claimed the second through fifth spots.

In the B-final of the 200-yard butterfly, Nate Steiner won with a time of 1:49.66.

Vittorio Cappabianca led the way in the 1650-yard freestyle, finishing in 13th place with a time of 16:09.24.

Cleveland State closed out the championships with a runner-up finish in the 400-yard freestyle relay as Lyngaas, Johnston, Joe Parkhurst, and Connor Green put up a school record time of 2:56.06.

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Women's Horizon League Championship

Cleveland State finished third at the 2025 Horizon League Championships with a team score of 614.5 points. The Vikings had two individual champions: Grace Chelf and Giovanna Cappabianca.

Oakland won the title with 830 points and Milwaukee was the runner-up with 655 points.

Cappabianca won the 200-yard breaststroke after putting up a school record time of 2:15.19. This is Cappabianca's third medal of the championship. Kellsie Krisch won bronze after clocking the fifth fastest time of 2:17.80. Ella Ciez took seventh with a time of 2:22.62.

Alaina Brown placed fourth in the 200-yard backstroke, registering the second-fastest time in school history, 2:01.55. Kayla Brock came in eighth place with a time of 2:05.41. Hannah Panko won the B-Final with a time of 2:03.90.

In the 100-yard freestyle, Ana Sofia Sousa (50.40) just edged out teammate Chelf (50.41) to finish third. These times were the third and fourth fastest in the record books.

Audrey Butcher won the B-final of the 200-yard butterfly after improving her eighth-fastest time to 2:06.40.
 

The 1650-yard freestyle saw Mackenzie Lipnick lead the Green and White with a fourth-place finish, clocking the second-fastest time, 17:06.45. Madison Taker came in sixth, improving her fifth fastest time of 17:12.60. Oliva Leonard came in ninth with the eighth fastest time, 17:17.95, and Isabella Caraballo was a spot back with the ninth fastest time, 17:19.07.

In 3M diving, Ellie Seiter scored 266.05 to place fifth, and Brooke Eichel was two spots with a score of 236.55.

The Vikings closed out the championship with a third-place finish in the 400-yard freestyle relay as Chelf, Hayley Palmer, Kaelah Baccus, and Sofia Sousa clocked a 3:23.32, the third fastest in school history.

Team Scores:

Men:

1. Oakland – 949
2. IU Indianapolis – 624
3. Cleveland State – 491
4. Milwaukee – 414
5. Youngstown State – 410
6. Green Bay – 294
7. Northern Kentucky - 135

Women:

1. Oakland – 830
2. Milwaukee – 655
3. Cleveland State – 614.5
4. Youngstown State – 483
5. IU Indianapolis – 465.5
6. Green Bay – 227
7. Northern Kentucky