This post was updated Jan. 7 at 12:00 a.m.

Roster turnover is one of the few things guaranteed in college sports.

And the Bruins lost substantial talent to graduation and the transfer portal after last season.

But freshman Jada Duncan has emerged as a bright spot in the Bruins’ 2025-26 campaign.

UCLA defeated Tulane 211-46 and UC San Diego 165-92 but fell to No. 15 Wisconsin 146-111 on Saturday at their first meet of 2026 in La Jolla, California. Duncan – who earned Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors in November – took home three out of five of the team’s event wins, capturing the 100-yard butterfly, 100-yard freestyle and 200-yard freestyle victories.

Saturday’s matchup was the Bruins’ first with Bex Freebairn as associate head coach. Freebairn officially joined UCLA in late December following stints at Missouri, the University of Akron and Washington State.

UCLA Athletics did not provide media availability for the team’s athletes or coach.

While the Bruins began the season ranked No. 23, they slipped out of the rankings after falling to Arizona 160-139 in November. Saturday’s affair marked the first time since 2023 that the Bruins have gone into their first meet of the new year unranked.

UCLA showcased its freestyle roster’s depth with at least two Bruins finishing in the top four of the 50-yard, 100-yard and 200-yard freestyle.

Duncan out-touched Wisconsin’s Blair Stoneburg by less than two-tenths of a second in 1:46.28 to win the 200-yard freestyle, and senior Rosie Murphy rounded out the top three in 1:47.72. UCLA captured three of the top four spots in the 100-yard freestyle, with Duncan winning the event in 48.81, sophomore Anna Wetteland earning third in 50.24 and sophomore Josie Arbuckle securing fourth in 50.28.

Sophomore Claudia Yovanovich took home the 50-yard freestyle in 22.79 – just shy of her career-best time of 22.44, which she set at the Ohio State Invitational in November. Wetteland and junior Alexis Schaffer touched just behind Yovanovich, putting up 23.12 and 23.27 marks, respectively, securing the Bruin podium sweep.

Yovanovich also took the runner-up spot in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 53.44, proving herself to be one of the Bruins’ most consistent athletes. The Seattle, Washington, local led the Bruins’ 200-yard freestyle relay with junior Sarah Bennetts, Schaffer and Wetteland, who also took second in 1:30.42.

Murphy, who earned Big Ten Swimmer of the Week honors in November, won the 200-yard backstroke in 1:54:01 – more than six seconds before second and third-place finishers freshman Erica Jaffe and senior Fay Lustria, respectively. She also took second in the 200-yard IM, touching the wall about three-tenths of a second behind Wisconsin’s Maggie Wanezek in 1:57.05.

UCLA’s swimmers will face off against Iowa at Spieker Aquatics Center on Jan. 9, while its diving squad will compete at the Bruin Diving Invitational from Jan. 9 to 11.