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Toronto, Ontario’s Maya Bezanson has announced her verbal commitment to head down to Louisville, Kentucky next fall for the start of her NCAA career. Bezanson, who represents Etobicoke Swimming, excels in the free/IM events and is a Speedo Canadian Champion.
L’s up i’m headed to The Ville‼️so hyped to announce my verbal commitment to study and swim at the University of Louisville!! thank you to my family, friends, and coaches for all their support. I can’t wait to be apart of this amazing team. Go Cards!!❤️🖤
Bezanson has represented Team Canada at a handful of minor international meets. She swam at the FINA World Cup in Toronto back in 2022, placing 9th in the 400 free in 4:11.89, and also swam at Junior Pan Pacs that same year, taking 14th in the 400 free (4:17.85). More recently, she attended the Mel Zajac Jr. Invitational last summer, winning the 400 free (4:19.14) and taking 3rd in the 400 IM (4:55.24), the latter of which was a personal best at the time.
At the 2023 Speedo Canadian Championships (LCM), Bezanson hit a time of 4:16.84 to become the 400 free champion. That swim was slightly off her personal best of 4:15.71, which she had set at the Bell Candian Trials a year prior in 2022. Bezanson also swam the 200 IM (2:17.83) and 400 IM (4:53.50), finishing 2nd in both events and establishing a new PB in the latter.
A few months later in December, Benzanson swam in the Ontario Junior International, a short course meters meet. There, Benzanson took 2nd in the 400 IM with a time of 4:40.27 to establish a new best, taking over 3.5 off from her old PB, 4:43.82. She went on to hit another PB in the 200 IM, swimming a 2:12.37 for 5th. Benzanson wrapped up her meet with a 1:59.52 in the 200 free for 7th and a 4:09.91 in the 400 free for 4th. Her 400 free, a season best, just missed her PB of 4:09.38.
Best Times LCM (SCY Conversion):
- 100 free – 57.13 (48.58)
- 200 free – 2:01.59 (1:46.65)
- 400 free – 4:15.71 (4:46.50)
- 200 IM – 2:17.83 (2:01.06)
- 400 IM – 4:53.50 (4:18.64)
Louisville was second at ACCs last year, with only the national champions, Virginia, finishing ahead of them. They went on to finish 6th at NCAAs. The Cardinals are best known for their sprint prowess—as the duo of Gabi Albiero and Christiana Regenauer combined for 78 and 76 points at ACCs, respectively; meanwhile, the mid-distance freestyle group placed just 1 swimmer in the top 16 of the 500 free.
Bezanson will look to strengthen this weakness for the Cardinals, as her converted 500 free time would have ranked 2nd on Louisville’s roster last year and is already score-worthy for ACCs—she would have qualified in 10th. Additionally, Bezanson’s converted 400 IM time also would have qualified for the ‘C’ final while her 200 free would have qualified for the ‘B’ final. Bezanson will provide some cushion for a team that lost Regenauer this past season and will graduate Albiero by the time Bezanson arrives in Louisville.
Bezanson joins a strong class that includes the likes of USA Jr National Team Member Julie Mishler (sprint free), Ohio LSC Champion Kaitlyn Sallows (fly), Illinois HS state finalist Sadie Murphy (free/IM), and NC HS state finalist Lily Willis (IM).
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