Dinos @ Kelowna 2026

42 Dinos spent the second weekend in May in Kelowna as the Kelowna Aquajets welcomed us to their home pool.

This was the biggest group of Dinos we’ve ever brought to the meet and the widest spread of groups - which meant showing up as one united front and bringing the Dino Spirit from day one.

A big theme of the weekend was learning ~ The Dino Way ~

What does it mean to be part of UCSC? This weekend, it meant being fully engaged in the meet - bringing BIG team spirit, plenty of “TREX” cheers, learning our Bronto cheer for Dino wins, and keeping energy high through every session. It meant being part of something bigger than individual performances, and our athletes rose to the occasion - finding their voices and repping the team louder and prouder with each passing day.

Sessions were split into 14&Over and 13&Under, meaning early mornings with a nice midday break for our older athletes, and sleep-ins with quick turnarounds to finals for our younger swimmers. Each night we reunited for finals, and it was the perfect way to wrap up every day together.

Throughout the weekend we recognized standout swims from each session, with winners sporting some killer glasses while keeping an eye out for the next great race from a teammate.

Day 1 Prelims: Ella Kinden (200 IM) & Julianna Simonson (100 Back)
Day 1 Finals: Divay Malik (200 Fly) & Hayden Lee (200 IM)
Day 2 Prelims: Maria Haboc (100 Br) & Zaahir Bidmus (100 Br)
Day 2 Finals: Finley Wong (50 Fly) & Lorea Diaz De Espada (100Br)
Day 3: Brooklyn Roberts (200 Br) & Zach Vinuya (200 Br)

Each day, in addition to swimming their hearts out, athletes had a picture of the day challenge. 
• Day 1 was their best 0.5 
• Day 2 was awarded to the best trio photo (3+ Dinos rocking team gear - bonus points for a mixing of groups)
• Day 3 we tried to snap the best photo of or with Coach Dan (we got creative with this one)

^Check out our socials to catch some of the best snaps of the weekend

To wrap up the weekend, we drove off into the sunset... away from the pool and straight to the beach. Chilly water and blistering winds didn't stop us from wrapping up the weekend with laughs and time with teammates. 

This weekend would not have been possible without our terrific trio of chaperones: Katrina K, Bruce M, and Jen M.
THANK YOU for everything you do for our athletes.

This meet left us proud of the team culture we showcased, excited about the steps we’ve taken toward our goals (whether big or small) and eager to see what the rest of the season has in store.

Cheers to an amazing weekend in Kelowna! 🦖