8x Relay All-American Gabi Fa’amausili Using 5th Year Eligibility at Georgia

Gabi Fa’amausili will take advantage of the NCAA waiver that awards all athletes who competed in the 2020-2021 collegiate season an extra year of eligibility because of the complications of the COVID-19 pandemic. Fa’amausili will be continuing onto a 5th season with the Georgia Bulldogs, alongside fellow Georgia women’s swim & dive 5th year Danielle Della Torre. You can find our post on Della Torre here.

Hailing from New Zealand originally, Fa’amausili is a freestyle and backstroke sprinter for the Bulldogs who has been particularly critical to the team’s success on relays during her career. In the 3 NCAA Championships Fa’amausili has competed in, she’s been a member of 8 scoring Georgia relays. She’s also had her share of individual success, qualifying for the NCAA Championships in 2018, 2020 (which ultimately as cancelled), and 2021. She finished 26th in the 50 free at the 2018 NCAAs, and 30th in the 50 at the 2021 NCAAs.

Over the course of her career, she’s been named to the SEC First Team once, and the SEC Second Team twice. Outside of her NCAA accomplishments, Fa’amausili has competed internationally for New Zealand. She represented New Zealand at the 2019 World University Games, and competed at 2 World Junior Championships, winning Gold in the 50 backstroke in both 2013 and 2015. At both World Junior Championships, Fa’amausili also set the World Junior Record in women’s 50 back. Fa’amusili has also won 4 New Zealand Short Course National titles. She was set to compete for New Zealand at the 2017 World Championships, but had to withdraw due to a knee injury.

Here are Fa’amausili’s lifetime bests in SCY (yards) events:

• 50 free – 21.97
• 100 free – 48.58
• 50 back – 24.31
• 100 back – 52.71

In October 2020, the NCAA granted all winter sport athletes the option to use an extra year of eligibility following complications from the COVID-19 pandemic. Under normal circumstances, Division I student-athletes have a 5-year window during which they can use up their four seasons of eligibility. However, given the current situation with COVID-19, student-athletes of all class years have been offered an additional season of eligibility, regardless of where they are in their 5-year window. For a detailed breakdown on what the stakes are surrounding a 5th-year decision in 2021, click here.