Every meet, every practice and every record set is preparation for the Big Ten Championship – the culmination of elite swimmers battling each other at the most competitive meet in the nation.

The conference resembles Olympic-level competition and is highly anticipated throughout the season.

Last year, the team finished in seventh place. But with a blend of experience and talented newcomers, the Bruins have an opportunity to write a different ending.

No. 22 UCLA swim and dive (2-4-1, 1-1-0 Big Ten) prepares to face top conference rivals from Feb. 18 to Feb. 21 in Minneapolis for the Big Ten Championships. After a three week break, the Bruins are ready for redemption since falling to No. 11 crosstown rival USC in a dual meet on Jan. 30.

UCLA set new school records in its 174-126 loss to USC, winning six events.

Senior Fay Lustria, freshman Jada Duncan and junior Sarah Bennetts set the school record in the 200-yard medley relay in 1:35.15. Duncan, junior Alexis Schaffer, as well as redshirt senior Gizem Guvenc and sophomore Claudia Yovanovich set the second record in the 400 freestyle relay, finishing in 3:13:56.

UCLA defeated Nevada 163-80 on Jan. 31st to end the regular season on a high note for the graduating seniors who were honored at the meet.

“It was surreal knowing it was my last time racing at Spieker (Spieker Aquatics Center), but I was so happy to race for my team and have my team do the same for me, race for all the seniors, and just to see everyone in the stands – it was really, really special,” said senior Rosie Murphy.

Murphy secured the 200 IM for the Bruins with a time of 1:56.22 against Nevada and was the only swimmer to have reached the wall in under two minutes. Murphy was a 2025 NCAA Championships qualifier last season, and set the Bruins’ fastest time of 1:56.66 in the 200 IM at the 2025 Big Ten Championships.

“This team is just amazing. Being so close-knit with them has really made a huge difference,” Murphy said. “I came in really hungry this year, and I was locked in.”

Prior to the USC and Nevada meets, Murphy broke the school record in the 200-yard backstroke against then-No. 7 California in 1:51.59. The standout senior boasts the experience to prepare for and set an example heading into postseason competition.

Lustria is no stranger to the Big Ten Championships, as she recorded the top three times on the team in the 100 back, 100 fly and 200 fly. She recently upset crosstown rival USC in the 200-yard medley relay in 1:35:15.

“This senior class is pretty significant and pretty special,” said coach Jordan Cordry. “Some seniors have done a lot in their time here, and they’ve had a lot of performance responsibility and leadership responsibility the entire time they’ve been here.”

It isn’t only the seniors, however, who shape this crew. Freshmen Erica Jaffe, Applejean Gwinn and Duncan have brought a fresh mix of energy and depth to the team.

Duncan recently set a school record in the 100-yard butterfly against then-No. 3 Stanford with a time of 51:06. Gwinn won the 1650 free in 16:53.67 against Nevada. While Jaffe claimed first place in the 200-yard backstroke in the Ohio State Invitational in 1:57.57 and against Iowa in 2:01.06.

“These three freshmen are something special,” Cordry said. They have a lot of confidence. They have really big goals, but they walked right into this team. And from the moment all three of them committed to UCLA, they knew they were signing up for something bigger than themselves.”

Minneapolis will host Illinois, No. 4 Indiana, Iowa, No. 6 Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, No. 14 Ohio State, Penn State, No. 23 Purdue, Rutgers, No. 16 Wisconsin and USC to determine the 2026 conference champion.

The last time UCLA saw a gauntlet of Big Ten opponents was Nov. 18 to Nov. 21 at the Ohio State Invitational. The team placed sixth out of a pool of 12 teams.

During the tournament, Murphy set a school record in the 200 IM finals with a time of 1:54.89. Duncan claimed sixth place in the 100 free. Bennetts scored an “A” final qualification and took sixth place in the prelims of the 200 breast.

During the 2025 Big Ten Championships, Bennetts contributed to the team’s top times in several events and can make a splash for the Bruins in the upcoming tournament.

“The swimming world has not really paid attention to us that much this year – which has kind of frustrated us,” Bennetts said. “But we just want to prove to them and everyone else that they should know that we’re out there, and that we’re swimming fast.”

The Bruins have proven speed. They moved up to No. 22 compared to No. 23 last year while at the championship.

With a team of promising freshmen and seasoned seniors, UCLA will have the opportunity to pursue conference supremacy.

“We’re super pumped,” Bennetts said. “We’re excited, and Big Ten weekend is something to watch.”