Gauchos Claim Second Place at Fall Navy Invitational
ANNAPOLIS, MD - The UC Santa Barbara swim teams concluded a strong showing at the Fall Navy Invitational this weekend, securing second place overall. The Gauchos delivered a series of notable performances, highlighted by multiple first-place finishes adn personal bests, marking a successful end to the 2025 portion of their season.
The invitational provided a crucial early-season test for the UCSB program, offering athletes an prospect to gauge their progress and build momentum heading into the new year. The results demonstrate the team’s depth and potential as they prepare for a competitive schedule in 2026, including a dual meet at UCLA in January and a home tri-meet with Pacific and UC Davis.
Hazel Derr led the Gauchos with a first-place finish in the 200 Backstroke, clocking in at 1:57.60.Samantha Banos also secured a victory in the 200 fly, posting a time of 1:56.14, a performance that places her second all-time in UCSB history and secures two of the top-five spots on the program’s all-time list. The women’s 400 Free Relay team further contributed to the team’s success, finishing first with a time of 3:21.00.
On the men’s side, Jack hendrick finished third in the 1650 Free, while Diego Castaneda took third in the 200 Back (1:46.17) and Lucas Hubbard finished close behind in fourth (1:46.18).Elek Zettle added a third-place finish in the 100 Free with a time of 43.78. The men’s 400 Free Relay team earned a silver medal, finishing in 2:54.74.
Mai Kawahata earned a silver medal in the 200 Breaststroke, finishing with a time of 2:13.40. Gretta Callison finished fourth in the 100 free (50.59),while Eugeanie Lanilis secured third place in the same event with a time of 50.43.
The women’s team will resume competition on January 10, 2026, at UCLA.The entire UCSB swim program will then return to the 805 for a tri-meet against the University of Pacific and UC Davis, marking their 2026 home debut.
