Koby Bujak-Upton Clocks Numerous Best Times Ahead of Aussie Trials at MAC Charlotte Open

NC MAC Charlotte Open

• May 14-17, 2026
• Mecklenburg County Aquatic Center, Charlotte, NC
• LCM (50 meters)
• Results

Just weeks from the start of the Australian Trials, rising Tennessee sophomore Koby Bujak-Upton clocked several lifetime best long-course times at the MAC Charlotte Open, claiming three event wins in the process.

This past college season, Bujak-Upton, one of just nine college swimmers in history to swim a sub-1:30 second SCY 200 freestyle, became the fastest freshman ever to swim the event, and the first ever to crack that 1:30 barrier during their freshman season. He ended up finishing 2nd in the 200 freestyle at the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships in 1:30.11.

Bujak-Upton managed to clock best times in all three sprint freestyle distances in Charlotte. He clocked 22.90 in the 50 free, a three-tenth drop from his previous best of 23.20 from the Australian Age & MC Age Championships in April of 2024. In Charlotte, he also posted best times in the 100 free and 200 free. Touching in 48.96 and 1:48.44, besting his former top times in those events of 49.66 and 1:48.74, which were done last June at the Australian Trials.

He will be competing next week at the Australian Trials in Sydney, where he is entered in all three sprint freestyle events.

There were several other big-time performances in Charlotte, including 16-year-old David Sammons, who rewrote his own long-course personal record book, including both the 200 IM (2:03.70) and 400 IM (4:20.65). He also added a pair of butterfly bests, touching in 25.53 in the 50 fly, and 1:57.98 in the 200 fly. That 200 fly time ranks him as the 9th fastest 15-16 year old ever in the NAG rankings.

Summons’s 400 IM also moves him up in the NAG rankings; he now sits in a tie for 12th all-time for the 15-16 age group, while his 200 IM now ranks 31st in the 15-16 age group.

In the 200 back, Sammon also clocked a career fastest 2:01.98, which moves him up to 48th all-time in the 15-16 National Age Group rankings.

Tennessee’s Lexi Stephens also had a productive outing in Charlotte, coming away with a pair of backstroke wins; touching in 1:01.40 in the 100 back and 2:13.60 in the 200 back. Her 100 back was just off her best from the Tennessee May Invitational last May, 1:01.26; her 200 back best came in 2024 at the NOVA LC Kick Off meet in 2:12.64.