On March 19, UC San Diego senior Chloe Braun made program history by scoring the Tritons’ first-ever point in the Division-I NCAA swimming championship finals. In Atlanta, Georgia, Braun placed 16th in the 100-yard breaststroke preliminaries, marking a milestone for the Tritons.
In UCSD’s sixth year post-transition from Division II to Division I and its second year of postseason eligibility, three Triton women punched their tickets for the NCAA finals. For the second consecutive year, Braun represented the Tritons in the 100-yard breaststroke. Juniors Eva Boehlke and Asia Kozan joined her, both swimming the 200-yard individual medley. Kozan also competed in the 200-yard freestyle.
Kozan opened the competition for the Tritons in her first-ever NCAA appearance. She swam a competitive 200-yard freestyle, placing 41st with a time of 1:46.83. Her time left her within striking distance of the next five finishers — all separated by under a second — and just tenths of a second away from breaking into the top 36.
In the preliminary round of the 100-yard breaststroke, Braun placed 16th with a time of 58.98, scoring UCSD’s first point. She finished only 0.09 seconds behind Fresno State’s Mackenzie Miller Lung in 15th. Braun earned Honorable Mention All-American status, becoming the first Triton swimmer to achieve an honor at the Division-I level.
In past years, Braun’s performance would have earned her a chance to perform in the “B” group finals and compete against swimmers who placed ninth to 16th in the event. Braun finished only 0.76 seconds behind Duke’s Kaelyn Gridley in ninth place; the opportunity to participate in the finals would have given her a promising chance to place higher. However, the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America changed the structure of the meet for the 2026 season, removing the second-chance performance for those in the “B” group.
Consequently, Braun’s NCAA career ended after her 16th-place finish in the preliminary round. She concluded her Triton years as one of UCSD swimming’s fastest competitors — an All-American and UCSD’s Athlete of the Year in 2025.
Kozan and Boehlke rounded out the Tritons’ showing at the 2026 NCAA Championship finals, competing together in the 200-yard IM. In Boehlke’s first NCAA appearance, she finished 33rd with a time of 2:00.04. Kozan followed closely behind in 34th with a time of 2:01.24. In her NCAA finals debut, Kozan became the first swimmer in UCSD’s Division-I history to compete in multiple events at the championship finals.
