Along the edge of the pool at the Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center stood two seasoned sophomores, Jillian Cox and Kate Hurst, preparing to swim the 1000-yard freestyle alongside three other men’s team swimmers. But this time, Cox and Hurst were not competing as teammates.
Texas women’s swim and dive opened its season Friday at the annual Dust Off Your Boots Invitational, splitting into Orange and White Squads, with the Orange narrowly edging out the White 136-127. Cox aided in the Orange victory, beating Hurst by nearly 16 seconds in the 1000-yard free.
“It’s kind of fun to do a White and Orange where we’re on the same team,” junior Campbell Stoll said. “Physically, we’re all at Texas, but just splitting up into the White and Orange creates a super competitive environment.”
Stoll had a standout day, winning the 200-yard fly and 200-yard individual medley, as well as posting a personal best in the 100-yard fly with 51.38 seconds. Her previous best was 51.44 last season against Indiana.
Outside of the 1000-yard free, Cox earned a win in the 500-yard free, finishing a second and a half ahead of fellow sophomore Lillian Nesty, who placed second in two individual races and first in the mixed 400-yard freestyle relay.
The intrasquad scrimmage gave both the women’s and men’s teams the opportunity to compete together, something not possible during the regular season. It’s a chance to show off their skills and gauge which athletes are prepared for breakout seasons.
“I think it’s definitely fun to be where we’re getting more towards a combined program, so being able to compete more as a team with the men and the women is super fun,” Stoll said.
The true story of the meet, however, was the freshmen performances. In her Texas debut, Kiki Padar earned victories in both the 100 and 200-yard free. Padar showcased the talent the Longhorns expected from her as a top-12 recruit in the 2025 women’s class.
A former Arizona State University commit before Bob Bowman’s move to Texas, Padar is expected to be a focal point in this year’s freshman class. She represented Hungary at the 2024 Olympics, where she helped her team finish sixth in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay.
Several other freshmen impressed as well, earning first place in several individual races: Eva Okaro in the 50-yard free, Sarah Rodrigues in the 200-yard backstroke and Avery Collins in the 200-yard breast.
“I think our freshman class is coming in as big dogs,” Stoll said. “They’ve been practicing really hard, so just seeing what they can bring to our team is really exciting.”
Though a freshman, Okaro is well-versed in the pool. The British national joined Texas this season after impressive appearances in the British Championships and Paris Trials that landed her a spot on the biggest stage in the sport.
Okaro placed first in three of the four events that she participated in, falling second only in the 100-yard fly to Stoll.
In the diving events, junior Bayleigh Cranford stood out, placing first in the 1-meter and second in the 3-meter dive. The 2025 All-American was beaten out by junior Caroline Kupka, who made a comeback performance after placing fourth in the 1-meter dive.
The Longhorns will face the Crimson Tide on Oct. 10 in Tuscaloosa to begin their conference schedule.
“Obviously, Alabama has a great team, and I’m sure they have a great environment, too,” Stoll said. “So just bringing this energy into their environment is super important.”
