The UC Santa Barbara Men’s and Women’s Swimming Teams will commence their 2026-2027 season at the University of the Pacific Invitational in Stockton, California, on October 2 and 3, 2026. They will compete against Cal State Bakersfield, Stanford University, Saint Mary’s College, UC Davis, and the host, University of the Pacific.
Both teams are set to defend their titles from last season where the men’s team finished first among four teams with 918.5 points, and the women’s team placed first among three teams with 1,436 points at the same event.
The Gauchos have added 15 new athletes for the season: five freshmen and one junior to the men’s team, including Breck Boyd, Laird Delbridge, Chase Lewis, Cillian McBride, Will Titley, and junior Josh Noonan, a transfer from American River College. The women’s team welcomes nine freshmen: Lillia Barlow, Elaine Birkhold, Maeve Collins, Viola Griebenow, Lilli Perner, Melina Seider, Stela Sufuentes, Abigail Tamayo, and Kayla Thompson.
Ezra Dickerson has joined UC Santa Barbara as assistant coach for both the men’s and women’s swimming teams, providing additional leadership and coaching expertise for the upcoming season.
After the invitational, UCSB will host Saint Mary’s College on October 9 and 10, followed by a meet against BYU on October 16. Both weekends’ competitions begin at 10 a.m. Fans can follow the events live via Overnight’s streaming platform.
CSB Take
The start of the 2026-2027 season marks a critical opportunity for UC Santa Barbara to maintain its standing in the Big West Conference. The infusion of new talent and coaching support with Ezra Dickerson’s addition should help both programs build on last year’s success. Early competitions will be important to develop team cohesion and establish momentum leading into conference play.
Source: Original report
