UC-San Diego Scores At D1 NCAAs After Just Six Seasons Transitioning From D2 To D1

2026 NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships

• Wednesday, March 18 – Saturday, March 21, 2026
• McAuley Aquatic Center, Atlanta, GA
• Defending Champions: Virginia (5x)
• Championship Central
• Preview Index
• Psych Sheet
• Live Stream
• Live Results
• Live Recaps
  • Prelims: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3
  • Finals: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3

Chloe Braun of UC-San Diego made history for the program, earning the team its first ever points at a Division I NCAA Championships. UCSD is only in its sixth season at the Division I level and only its 2nd year as a full member where the school is allowed to compete at NCAAs.

The senior Braun made NCAAs last year, the first season that the school was eligible to swim at NCAAs. She finished 20th in the 100 breast in a lifetime best 59.09 and 50th in the 200 breast. She was the only swimmer for the team at last year’s meet.

Braun returned to NCAAs this year and is one of three swimmers that earned an individual invite. Not only did UCSD have more swimmers, but Braun earned the program their first ever points at NCAAs as she finished 16th in the 100 breaststroke with a 58.98. Prior to this season, that would have earned Braun another swim but with the elimination of ‘B’ finals, Braun did not have another swim.

“I would have loved to have a second swim,” Braun said. “I mean, we talked about it today with my team and I mean, so many great things happen at night in finals. It’s where the magic happens. It’s kind of sad to have to be only top 8. Definitely sad.”

“Maybe I could have scored an extra 1 or 2 [points], but yeah anything can happen in final. I was like, oh, I only came here for one [swim]. So it’s like, yeah, ok, but I thought I also think I could have done better at night. So it’s a bit frustrating, but I definitely would have loved to have that,” Braun continued. 

UCSD head coach Marko Djordjevic led the team from the Division II to the Division I level. They were one of the top teams at the Division II level in 2019, their last full Division II Championships before the transition to Division I. They finished 6th on the women’s side and 10th on the men’s side at the meet.

“It was definitely quicker [to score than I thought] and it was obviously, when we made the transition from D2 to D1, it was kind of a dream coming true. For me as a coach, I know that we had a four years of a reclassification period to wait and it was just like, ok, can we really be ready? Because it is really, with all due respect, with the fasting, it’s happening in the Division I NCAA Championships. This is the fastest,” said Djordjevic.

“It was always a goal [to score] and it definitely came faster, than we expected in the first year when we were eligible, Chloe had a great swim, qualified and got us here last actually last year was at Federal Way and it was really an amazing moment. It was really important for us coming back from the meet and Chloe sharing her experience that like it’s possible and we just did it and they’re all athletes over there. They’re all like us and we can be there.”

Djordjevic also shared his opinions on the absence of ‘B’ finals, which Braun would have qualified for if it were a year ago. 

“Get the B finals back…if we’re scoring 16 people, let the people swim in finals. I think that like what we said, the magic happens in the final, the inspiration happens in the final…I think that it’s a big mistake not having the opportunity to continue scoring based on the finals performances, having the second swim get those jitters out from the like a lot of athletes coming here to have one swim and it’s 1 and done. Maybe they will be a next level athlete when they understand that they are capable of doing something in the morning coming back in the finals.”