Three Tennessee Swimmers Earn SEC Weekly Honors Following CSL Run

Tennessee swimming is making waves across the Southeastern Conference this week, as three student-athletes have secured weekly honors following a strong showing at the College Swimming League Championship.

According to official reports from utsports.com, junior Koby Bujak-Upton and freshmen Charlotte Crush and Drew Eubanks have been recognized for their standout performances in the pool.

For Bujak-Upton, this marks a career milestone as he earns his first SEC Male Swimmer of the Week award. His performance was anchored by a dominant showing in the 200-yard freestyle, where he touched the wall in 1:32.20.

That time currently stands as the second-fastest in the nation for the early season. He also secured a second-place finish in the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 4:15.20, rounding out his highest-scoring meet of the year.

The freshman class is proving to be a catalyst for the program, with Charlotte Crush leading the charge. Crush secured her third SEC Freshman of the Week honor after a dominant display that saw her rewrite the history books. Her 100-yard backstroke time of 49.06 not only shattered the previous Tennessee school record but also established a new SEC benchmark, eclipsing the 49.20 mark set by Bella Sims on February 21, 2025.

The impact of these times extends beyond individual accolades. Crush also contributed to a 200-yard freestyle relay team that broke its own program record, finishing in 1:24.76. Currently, she holds the fastest time in the nation in the 100-yard backstroke and ranks in the top two nationally across three separate individual events.

Drew Eubanks joined Crush in receiving SEC Freshman of the Week honors, marking his third time earning the recognition this season. Eubanks finished third in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 52.63 and was a key contributor to the 200-yard medley relay team, which took third place in the 4×50 Medley Relay Super Skins competition.

The success of these three athletes highlights a broader shift in collegiate swimming, where early-season records are increasingly tied to the high-intensity, multi-event formats favored by the College Swimming League. While traditional dual meets remain a staple of the sport, the adoption of “Super Skins” and similar high-stakes relay formats forces athletes to maintain peak physiological performance across multiple heats in a single session.

This increased demand on swimmers is not without its critics. Some coaches argue that pushing for top-tier times in November can lead to overtraining, potentially compromising the long-term recovery cycles needed for the NCAA Championships held in the spring. However, the data suggests that for programs like Tennessee, the current strategy is yielding results in both depth and national ranking.

As the season progresses, the focus for this trio shifts from early-season awards to the consistency required for the postseason. With Crush holding a national-best time and Bujak-Upton establishing himself as a top-two contender in the 200 free, the Tennessee program is a major factor in the upcoming conference championship.