US National Team member Brian Benzing will return to Towson University to train after spending the last year and a half at Indiana. Benzing spent his undergraduate career at Towson before spending his COVID-19 fifth year at Indiana.
“Definitely a personal decision. I have a great relationship with Tony at Towson and after reevaluating what I tink I needed, I decided it was best to return to Towson,” Benzing told SwimSwam on Wednesday.
Benzing first made NCAAs during his sophomore season in 2022 at Towson. There he made the ‘B’ final of the 100 breast, finishing 13th in a 51.66. He returned to NCAAs as a junior in 2023, finishing 15th in the 100 breast with a 51.48.
He had a huge senior season, finaling in both the 100 and 200 breaststrokes at the 2024 NCAA Championships, including a runner-up finish in the 100 breaststroke with a 50.59. He also was 16th in the 200 breast with a 1:52.71. Both of his times sit as his best times today.
Prior to beginning his senior season, Benzing announced that he would transfer to Indiana University for his COVID-19 fifth year. Indiana had the top breaststroke group in the NCAA last year which included six finalists in the 100 breast at the 2025 NCAA Championships. Benzing made the ‘B’ final with a 50.99 in the 100 breast.
He continued to train at Indiana after finishing his 5th year, and made the 2025-2026 US National Team roster in the 50 breaststroke. He was one of six breaststrokers to make the US National Team that also train at Indiana as Alexei Avakov made the team in the 100 breast, Travis Gulledge made the team in the 50 breast, Josh Matheny made the team in the 100 and 200 breaststrokes, Van Mathias made the team in the 50 and 100 breaststrokes, and Jassen Yep made the team in the 200 breast.
Benzing competed at 2024 US Olympic Trials after finishing his senior year at Towson and swam to a 1:00.16 in the 100 breast, a time that still sits as his personal best. His best time in the 50 breast is a 27.40 from 2025 US Summer Nationals.
Benzing will now return to Towson under Anthony Bruno, who is in his 3rd season with Towson. Bruno’s first year with the program was during Benzing’s senior year when Benzing was 2nd at 2024 NCAAs in the 100 breast.
Benzing will have the chance to train alongside Jed Garner who spent two years at Tennessee before transferring to Towson. Garner swam in prelims of the 100 and 200 breaststrokes at 2025 NCAAs. Garner swam to a lifetime best 52.12 in the 100 breast and a season best 1:52.45 200 breast at the 2026 CAA Championships. Garner will compete at the 2026 Men’s NCAA Championships next week.
just curious: What is the nature and meaning of the tattoo on his chest.??
My mind goes to “A Nightmare on Elm Street“, but I could possibly be…. no…. I am definitely…. wrong.
I think that pic is from when he was a Towson Tiger.. Just a Sharpie decoration 🙂
Didn’t he get worse at IU? Especially at NCAA’s he finished worse than he did at Towson. Sucks cuz I thought he was gonna be legit
How can these people afford to be going back and forth like this
Swimming in USA is not a poor peoples sport…..
Not sure what’s so expensive about moving from Bloomington Indiana to Towson Maryland when you’re early 20s and probably own a bed, a couch and some pots and pans
and he’s probably living at home rent free…people forget there is very little money to be made as a pro…
Literally no one forgets that.
being young allows you stomach variance with bigger payouts those who dont take risk dont eat
Looze’s unwillingness to let the breaststrokers individualize their training….
Look at van Mathias
John Long
Or he only swam 1 season under Ray…
Usually takes 6-8 months for both coach and athlete to get things ironed out as to what works for training/resting.
Article said he was there for a year and a half
Some people do better as big fish in small ponds, whatever works for you to improve. All the best to him.
What is the ‘small pond’ he’s returning to? He’s done with his college career, any competitions for him moving forward would be on a relatively big stage, no? Unless your comment is only referring to the training groups he’ll have available to him.
Good. Should’ve done it 9 months ago. Hope he improves.
Grass is not always greener ig
Unexpected
He didn’t improve at IU. Kinda makes sense to go back to what worked
Breaststroke U though!
Shouldn’t he go to UVA with Jake then? That was the original improvement
But also I thought Jake Shrum was the one who coached him when he was at his peak?