The UCLA women’s swimming and diving team began the 2026 season with a decisive 179-101 victory over Iowa at the Spieker Aquatics Center in Los Angeles. The Bruins secured wins in 13 out of 15 events during the dual meet, with Iowa only taking first place in the 200 IM and 400 medley relay.
The meet started with a win for UCLA in the 200 medley relay. Rosie Murphy, Sarah Bennetts, Gizem Guvenc, and Claudia Yovanovich finished with a time of 1:40.93. In individual races, Applejean Gwinn won the 1000 freestyle with a time of 10:15.71. Gizem Guvenc claimed her first individual win of the day in the 200 freestyle, finishing in 1:50.51.
UCLA swept the podium in the 100 backstroke, as Murphy, Yovanovich, and Erica Jaffe took the top three spots. Bennetts won the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:02.44, finishing more than two seconds ahead of her competitors.
Gwinn earned another victory by winning the 200 butterfly in 2:02.50. Ashley Kolessar placed third in that event with a time of 2:03.65.
Despite being ill before the meet, freshman Jada Duncan won the 50 freestyle in 23.03 seconds after strong performances last week in San Diego.
In other results, Guvenc and Anna Wetteland finished first and second respectively in the 100 freestyle (50.86 and 51.07). Jaffe took first place in the 200 backstroke (2:01.06), followed by Catherine Andrews (2:03.07).
Murphy added another win by taking first place in the 200 breaststroke with a time of approximately two minutes and one second. Kolessar finished first in the final distance event—the 500 freestyle—in a time of 5:01.68.
Murphy captured her fourth event win by claiming victory in the 100 butterfly (54.60), while Fay Lustria was second (54.98).
In diving events at day one of the Bruin Diving Invitational, Eden Cheng led UCLA divers by placing second overall on the one-meter board with a score of 580.40 points after topping qualifying rounds earlier that day; Molly Brascia also reached finals and placed fourth overall.
UCLA’s team diving group finished second behind Hawai’i after six dives totaling a score of 278.50 points.
Next on their schedule is hosting both day two of the Bruin Diving Invitational and a quad swim meet against Iowa, Utah, and UC Santa Barbara on Saturday morning starting at 10 am PT.
