LOS ANGELES – Texas A&M's Ava Whitaker and Roberto Bonilla Flores posted NCAA qualifying cuts to highlight the Aggies' day two performance at the season-opening USC Invitational on Saturday at the Trojans' Uytengsu Aquatics Center.
Scoring at the meet was based on head-to-head dual meets against each of the competing teams. On the men's side, the No. 23 Aggies fell to No. 15 USC, 197-155, and the No. 2 Indiana Hoosiers, 278-74. For the women, the No. 25 Aggies were out-scored by No. 9 Indiana, 238-108, No. 12 USC, 245-106, and No. 23 UCLA, 195-151.
Whitaker, a junior transfer from Nacogdoches, Texas, placed second overall with a time of 1:56.09, which was more than second under the 2026 NCAA meet qualifying standard. Whitaker was closely followed by teammate Katie Walker in third place in 1:58.16.
Bonilla Flores, a junior from Guatemala City, placed second in the men's 200 breaststroke while beating the NCAA qualifying cut by about a tenth of second in 1:54.82. Junior Logan Brown trailed his teammate in a fifth-place with a time of 1:56.20.
The Aggies also received a strong finishes from junior Rachel Love, who placed second in the women's 1,650 freestyle in 16:42.33, and senior Batuhan Filiz, who was third in the mens' 1,650 in 15:19.18. Freshman diver Emilio Trevino took third on the 3-meter board with a score of 367.35.
Texas A&M opened the day with the 200 medley relay with the women's foursome of Kaitlyn Owens, Claire Gass, Whitaker and Ella McQuinn touching in fourth in 1:38.40 and the men's relay of John Simmons, Lane White, Chase Swearingen and Jack Madoch taking fourth in 1:26.49.
The Aggies closed out the meet in the 400 free relay with the women (McQuinn, Owens, Celina Springer, Reagan Sherrard) placing sixth in 3:21.29, and the men (Ben Sytsma, Madoch, Daniil Pancerevas, Brown) touching in fourth place in 2:55.89.
Texas A&M returns to action next week with a Friday dual meet at 2 p.m. against TCU at the Texas A&M Student Recreation Natatorium.