The BYU men’s and women’s swim teams welcomed the United States Air Force Academy and Colorado Mesa University Friday for their first home dual meet of the 2025–26 season at the Stephen L. Richards Building pool.
With spirits high, the Cougars set the tone on the opening day of competition. The men’s team scored 120 points against Air Force and 111 against Colorado Mesa, while the women’s team scored 105 against Air Force and 110 against Colorado Mesa. Both results featured contributions from multiple athletes.
After competing at the Big 12 West Championship Meet and spending the past four weeks on the road, returning home provided an added boost of motivation for the Cougars.
Coach Emma Lythgoe credited the team’s success to the swimmers’ positive attitudes.
“Happy swimmers swim fast,” Lythgoe said.
successful day 1 😌 pic.twitter.com/PEHxm30BhL
— BYU Swim and Dive (@BYUSwim_Dive) January 24, 2026
BYU opened the meet with two first-place finishes in the 200 medley relay. The men’s A team — juniors Tanner Edwards and Jake Aina and sophomores Peter Etzold and Max Kleinman — won with a time of 1:26.04.
The women’s A team — senior Emma Marusakova, junior Tatum Cooley and sophomores Lucy Warnick and Sarah Eliason — finished first in 1:41.14.
Both teams recorded multiple first-place finishes and set new records throughout the day.
Cooley set a new pool record in the 100 freestyle with a time of 49.74, placing her No. 5 on BYU’s all-time top 10 list. Freshman Brinley Knoll won the 400 individual medley in 4:25.91. Marusakova took first in the 100 backstroke with a time of 55.12, while Eliason won the 100 butterfly in 54.55.
Tatum Cooley casually moving up on the board no biggie pic.twitter.com/fGk3nxcMA0
— BYU Swim and Dive (@BYUSwim_Dive) January 24, 2026
On the men’s side, sophomore Easton Mousser claimed first place and set a pool record in the 500 freestyle with a time of 4:25.74. Senior Tyler Edlefsen won the 400 individual medley in 3:55.42, and Edwards added a first-place finish in the 100 backstroke in 48.87.
The meet marked BYU’s first competition against Air Force this season and its second against Colorado Mesa. In their previous meeting, the Cougars won on both the men’s and women’s sides.
FINISHING THE DAY WITH ANOTHER W
— BYU Swim and Dive (@BYUSwim_Dive) January 24, 2026
The Men’s 400 Free relay A team (Plumb, Reed, Nelson, Kleinman) placed first with a time of 2:55.27 👏 pic.twitter.com/CF2Rw6l4a4
“They looked very electric today,” Lythgoe said. “I think they’re just excited to swim in their own pool. They know the space and they know what they can do here, and they let it show today.”
The meet will resume Saturday at 11 a.m.
“If they do exactly what they did today, they’re going to have the same success,” Lythgoe said.