Get ready for some thrilling NCAA swimming action! The first week of NCAA Division I conference meets has come to a close, and we've got some exciting news to share. Nine swimmers have already punched their tickets to the NCAA Championships, with five women and four men securing their spots.
The final night of the meets was a real nail-biter, with two Big West swimmers making their mark. Carter Dooling from Grand Canyon University took an impressive second off his personal best in the men's 200 breaststroke, clocking in at 1:54.56, just under the NCAA AQ standard. Meanwhile, Samantha Banos from UCSB dominated the women's 200 fly with a time of 1:56.44, smashing the standard by over six tenths of a second.
But here's where it gets controversial... Karol Ostrowski from Hawaii and Vili Sivec from CSUB both swam AQ times, but since they had already qualified earlier in the meet, they only count as one swimmer each. Ostrowski picked up a third NCAA event with his win in the 100 freestyle, while Sivec's time in the 200 fly was a new personal best, beating his previous mark by a second.
And this is the part most people miss... even though these swimmers have already qualified, their performances are still worth celebrating! They continue to push the boundaries and set new personal records, which is an inspiration to all athletes.
Let's take a closer look at the new qualifiers:
New Women's Qualifiers
| Swimmer Name | School | Conference | Event | Time | 2025 Invite Time |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Samantha Banos | UCSB | Big West | 200 Fly | 1:56.44 | 1:55.82 |
New Men's Qualifiers
| Swimmer Name | School | Conference | Event | Time | 2025 Invite Time |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Carter Dooling | Grand Canyon | Big West | 200 Breast | 1:54.56 | 1:52.89 |
All Women's Qualifiers After Week One
| Swimmer Name | School | Conference | Event | Time | 2025 Invite Time |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Eva Boehlke | UC San Diego | Big West | 200 IM | 1:57.43 | 1:56.69 |
| Holly Nelson | Hawaii | Big West | 50 Free | 22.28 | 22.01 |
| Asia Kozan | UC San Diego | Big West | 200 Free | 1:45.52 | 1:44.74 |
| Chloe Braun | UC San Diego | Big West | 100 Breast | 58.95 | 59.51 |
| Samantha Banos | UCSB | Big West | 200 Fly | 1:56.44 | 1:55.82 |
All Men's Qualifiers After Week One
| Swimmer Name | School | Conference | Event | Time | 2025 Invite Time |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Tom Thalau | Hawaii | Big West | 200 IM | 1:43.93 | 1:42.65 |
| Karol Ostrowski | Hawaii | Big West | 50 Free | 19.13 | 19.02 |
| Vili Sivec | CSUB | Big West | 100 Fly | 45.91 | 45.12 |
| Carter Dooling | Grand Canyon | Big West | 200 Breast | 1:54.56 | 1:52.89 |
As we look ahead to the next week of meets, we can't help but wonder: Will these swimmers continue to dominate, or will new contenders emerge? What do you think? Share your predictions and thoughts in the comments below! Let's keep the swimming spirit alive and celebrate these incredible athletes!
