By Sean Griffin on SwimSwam
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Maeve Collins has announced her intention to swim for the University of California-Santa Barbara for the next four years. Collins made the announcement on Instagram, writing:
I am so excited and honored to announce my verbal commitment to continue my academic and athletic career at University of California Santa Barbara!! I would like to thank my friends, family, Coach Matt, Coach Adam and Coach Walker. Thank you Coach Jax, Coach Justin and Coach Mark for this incredible opportunity. I can’t wait to be a part of this amazing team!! #GoGauchos
Top SCY Times:
- 100 Butterfly: 54.73
- 200 Butterfly: 2:02.57
- 50 Freestyle: 24.20
- 100 Freestyle: 51.96
- 200 Freestyle: 1:52.52
Collins hails from Western Springs, Illinois, where she attends Lyons Township High School and swims year-round with RISE Aquatic Club. She’s primarily a butterfly specialist, strong in both the 100 and 200, who also competes in the 50, 100, and 200 freestyles, meaning she could prove valuable for all five collegiate relays.
Over the past year, Collins dropped from 54.92 to 54.73 in the 100 fly, 2:06.41 to 2:02.57 in the 200 fly, 24.43 to 24.20 in the 50 free, 52.50 to 51.96 in the 100 free, and 1:54.95 to 1:52.52 in the 200 free.
At the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) State Championships last month, she finished fourth in the 100 fly (55.22) after logging her second-fastest time of 54.74 in prelims. She also helped Lyons finish runner-up in the 200 medley relay (24.18 fly split) and contributed to seventh and eighth-place finishes in the 200 and 400 free relays with splits of 23.81 and 51.29, both well under her flat-start PBs. It was her third year qualifying for the meet; she finished fifth in the 100 fly as both a sophomore and junior.
Beyond high school competition, Collins is an NCSA qualifier, Winter Juniors qualifier, and Summer Junior Nationals qualifier. She also competed at the World Aquatics World Cup this past November, finishing 22nd in the 100 fly (1:01.23), her first time swimming the event in short course meters.
UCSB is a member of the Big West Conference, where its women’s team won last season, scoring 773.5 to UCSD’s 714.5.
Collins’ personal bests in the fly events would have placed eighth in both ‘A’ finals at last season’s conference meet. Her 100 and 200 free times would have squeaked her into the consolation finals, while her 50 free (24.20) is just under half a second off the 23.78 that was needed for a second swim.
On last season’s depth charts, she would have ranked fourth in both flys, fifth in the 200 free, seventh in the 100 free, and 14th in the 50 free. She could be an immediate factor on the squad’s 800 free relay if she can approach a sub-1:52 swim.
Samantha Banos, who won the 200 fly, 200 free, and 500 free at the 2025 conference meet, is graduating this May, making Collins’ arrival particularly timely. She will overlap one season with the team’s top all-around flyer, Sammie Hall (54.41/2:00.02), as well as Makena Leacox (52.80), the reigning 100 fly conference champion.
Collins joins a UCSB recruiting class that includes five other publicized recruits: Stela Sufuentes, Lillia Barlow, Lilli Perner, Melina Seider, and Viola Griebenow.
If you have a commitment to report, please send an email with a photo (landscape, or horizontal, looks best) and a quote to Recruits@swimswam.com.
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Read the full story on SwimSwam: 54.7/2:02.5 Butterfly Specialist Maeve Collins Commits To UCSB’s Class Of 2030
