Carson Foster and Jillian Cox Win 800 Free on Night One of Longhorn Elite Invite

2026 Longhorn Elite Invite

• June 4-7, 2026
• Austin, Texas — Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center
• LCM (50 Meters)
• Psych Sheets
• Live Results: Also available on Meet Mobile “Longhorn Aquatics Elite Invite”

Night one of the Longhorn Elite Invite consisted of just one heat of mixed men’s and women’s 800 freestyle.

Men’s 800 Freestyle

1. Carson Foster (NYAC) — 7:52.00
2. Rex Maurer (TXLA) — 7:52.71
3. Cooper Lucas (TXLA) — 8:03.21
4. Bucky Gettys (AGS) — 8:25.10

Carson Foster won the men’s event in 7:52.00, dropping more than three seconds from his previous best of 7:55.51, which he swam at the U.S. Open in December. He beat teammate Rex Maurer, who finished 2nd in 7:52.71 by just seven tenths.

Foster and Maurer were very close throughout the race, with the two men trading the lead. At the 200 mark, Maurer turned in 1:55.27, just one hundredth ahead of Foster’s 1:55.28 in 2nd.

Foster took over the lead at the 300, turning in 2:55.11 to Maurer’s 2:55.20. He extended the lead over the next 200 meters, splitting 4:54.79 to Maurer’s 4:55.30. This was the biggest lead until the finish.

At the 700 mark, Maurer had closed the lead to just a tenth turning in 6:55.17 to Foster’s 6:55.07.

Foster swam 29.20/27.73 on the final two 50s to be the only swimmer under 28 seconds on the final 50, earning the win.

Maurer was 7:52.71, a three-second add from his lifetime best of 7:49.53, which he swam at last summer’s U.S. Nationals.

• Foster’s Splits: 55.88/59.40/59.83/59.87/59.81/1:00.23/1:00.05/56.93
• Maurer’s Splits: 55.68/59.59/59.93/1:00.06/1:00.04/1:00.19/59.68/57.54

Women’s 800 Freestyle

1. Jillian Cox (TXLA) — 8:26.04
2. Kate Hurst (TXLA) — 8:29.58

On the women’s side, Jillian Cox swam the top time of 8:26.04, a little more than six seconds off her lifetime best 8:19.73, which she set in July of 2023.

She was one of just two women in the event and came in a little more than three seconds ahead 2nd place finisher, teammate Kate Hurst‘s 8:29.58.

Cox led the women’s race from wire-to-wire splitting 1:01.70/ 1:04.00/ 1:03.81/ 1:03.23/ 1:03.00/ 1:03.47/ 1:03.56/ 1:03.27.

Hurst’s swim was about a second off her lifetime best of 8:28.92, which she swam in June of 2024. Hurst split 1:02.07/1:04.62/1:03.91/1:03.84/1:03.52/1:04.47/1:04.40/1:02.74.