The 2026 Eddie Reese Showdown: Session 1 Recap, Ksawery Masiuk Makes NCAA Debut
The Eddie Reese Showdown, a prestigious swimming event, took place on January 23-24, 2026, at the Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center in Austin, Texas. The meet was conducted in SCY (25 yards), and the full meet results can be found on the Meet Mobile app under the event "Eddie Reese Texas Showdown Fri & Sat AM."
The morning session provided a glimpse of what to expect in the evening's finals, with the highlight being the highly anticipated debut of Polish World's Medalist Ksawery Masiuk. Masiuk's journey to the NCAA has been a complex one.
Masiuk initially committed to NC State in July 2022, planning to join the Wolfpack in the fall of 2023. However, he decided to take an Olympic redshirt year and defer his enrollment until after the 2024 Paris Olympics. In April 2023, he changed his mind and opted to stay home, choosing to continue training with his longtime coach rather than compete in the NCAA.
In September 2024, Masiuk announced his commitment to the Texas men's team for January 2025. This enrollment was later deferred due to formalities, and he finally arrived on campus earlier this month. Masiuk made his swimming debut on Friday morning, racing the 50 butterfly and finishing in 5th place with a time of 20.91.
The session also featured the first SCY meet for Masiuk, and he is expected to showcase his skills in backstroke events, where he is a World Championship medalist. Masiuk's performance in these events will be crucial to Texas' success.
Another notable swimmer, Hubert Kos, made his season debut for the Longhorns after taking the first semester off. He raced in the World Cup and the U.S. Open, breaking two SCM World Records in the 100 and 200 backstroke. Kos finished the 50 back in 20.98, securing 2nd place behind Texas teammate Will Modglin, who won with a time of 20.75.
The morning session consisted primarily of 50-meter stroke events, which are not NCAA or conference events, along with the 400 IM and various relay races.
Women's Recap:
After the first session, the Texas women's team holds an eight-point lead over Louisville, with 257 points to the Cardinals' 249 in 2nd place. Ohio State is just 30 points behind Texas in 3rd place with 227 points.
Louisville won the 200 free relay, finishing in 1:26.36, just half a second ahead of the Texas 'A' relay's 1:26.88. The Texas team included Eva Okaro, Lucy Mehraban, Lillie Nesty, and Erin Gemmell.
In the 50 breast event, Louisville's Anastasia Gorbenko claimed victory with a time of 26.28, finishing just half a second ahead of Ohio State's Maria Ramos Najji and Louisville teammate Mia Cheatwood.
Texas made a strong comeback in the 400 IM, with Campbell Stoll securing the top time in 4:05.79, outperforming OSU's Paige Delma by over four seconds. Angie Coe completed the top three for Texas with a time of 4:10.49.
Eva Okaro continued Texas' winning streak in the women's 50 fly, finishing in 23.35, just 0.17 seconds ahead of Louisville's Caroline Larsen, who came in 2nd. Lillie Nesty rounded out the top three for Texas.
The 50 backstroke event saw Louisville take the top two spots, with Camille Murray leading the pack in 24.31 and Julie Mishler in 2nd with a time of 24.38. Texas' Emma Kern finished 3rd.
The morning session concluded with the 400 medley relay, which was won by Louisville. The team of Camille Murray, Anastasia Gorbenko, Ella Welch, and Julia Dennis swam a new season best of 3:27.40, surpassing their previous time of 3:28.11 from the Ohio State Invite in November.
Texas finished 2nd with their team of Emma Kern, Angie Coe, Campbell Stoll, and Eva Okaro.
Men's Recap:
The Texas men's team dominated the points rankings after just one session, scoring 256 points and leading by approximately 40 points over Louisville's 215 in 2nd place. Ohio State trailed with 159 points in 3rd place.
Louisville kicked off the morning with a win in the 200 free relay, finishing in 1:16.33. The Texas team of Garrett Gould, Ksawery Masiuk, Rafael Fente Damers, and Will Modglin closely followed in 2nd place with a time of 1:16.51.
Texas secured the top two spots in the men's 50 breaststroke, with Nate Germonprez swimming 23.56 and Campbell McKean in 2nd with 24.02. Finnley Conklin finished 3rd for Louisville.
In the men's 50 fly, Ohio State's Matthew Klinge emerged victorious with a time of 20.38, just two hundredths ahead of Texas' Garrett Gould, who came in 2nd. Louisville's Aiden Musso finished 3rd.
Rex Maurer claimed the top time in the men's 400 IM with a time of 3:41.17, outperforming Louisville's Jackson Millard by two seconds. Tristan Jankovics secured 3rd place for Ohio State.
Will Modglin won the 50 back for Texas in 20.75, with Hubert Kos in 2nd and Charlie Crush in 3rd for Louisville.
The men's meet concluded with the 400 medley relay, where Texas took the top two spots. The 'A' team of Will Modglin, Nate Germonprez, Hubert Kos, and Garrett Gould swam 3:03.03, finishing three seconds ahead of the Texas 'B' team.
