SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -- By the time the final results were posted at the UOP Invite, Samantha Banos had made her mark. With first-place finishes in the 200 individual medley, 100 butterfly, and 100 IM, she delivered one of the most dominant individual performances of the weekend.
For senior Samantha Banos, that moment was exciting, but what made it especially stand out was the feeling surrounding it.
"The UOP Invite was our first meet of the season, so the energy was really high," Banos explained. "My team went in with no expectations other than to have fun and race. It was clear that my teammates were excited, whether that be because it was the freshmens' first meet as a gaucho or because we wanted to continue the momentum from last seasons' success, which is what made the weekend so special."
That sense of excitement is something Banos has carried with her throughout her career, but its foundation was built long before college competition. Growing up, she spent countless hours in the pool refining her technique, especially in butterfly, the stroke that would help elevate her into the swimmer she is today.
"I've been a butterflier my whole life," Banos said. "I've spent countless hours taking lessons with my coach growing up, learning how to perfect my stroke and maximize my strength and abilities during a race."
Over time, butterfly became instinctive. The repetition and attention to detail allowed her to race without overthinking, something that later gave her the confidence to branch out into new events.
"Now, racing butterfly is like second nature to me," she said.
That comfort opened the door to mid-distance freestyle events, which Banos only began seriously focusing on last season. For her, the shift wasn't about abandoning what she was best at, but expanding her potential as a swimmer.
"I only started focusing on my freestyle events last year, so it has been refreshing to add more variety to my training," Banos said. "During practices, I ask my coaches to give me tips on my technique and am always looking to learn how I can better myself."
The willingness to step out of her comfort zone paid off during her junior 2024-25 season, which Banos now looks back on as a turning point. After competing in the same event lineup for two years, she and her coaches decided it was time to switch it up.
"The first time I competed this new lineup was at a dual meet in Pepperdine, just before midseason," she said.
Because it was a dual meet, Banos had to swim all three of her individual events within a short window, a challenge that pushed her mentally and physically. Despite the difficulty of this challenge, she rose to the occasion and delivered one of her strongest performances of the season.
"I ended up swimming personal bests in two out of my three individual events," she said. "That meet became a turning point in my season."
The experience gave her confidence not just in the change, but herself.
"It made me realize that by adjusting my training for these new events, I could set myself up for success," Banos said.
That confidence has allowed Banos to compete across a wide range of distances, from sprint butterfly to the 500 freestyle. Preparing for such variety, she says, comes down to understanding herself as a swimmer first.
"Knowing how I race and taking advantage of my strengths is a huge factor to preparing to race a sprint event versus a distance event," she said. "Having so much experience racing these events, it's easy to switch my mindset and remind myself what the different events should feel like."
Since 2019, Banos has also represented the Colombian National Team, gaining international racing experience that has shaped her approach in the pool. She has carried that experience into her collegiate career, using it to set a standard and elevate those around her. Some of Banos' most memorable moments have come in relays, where her focus shifts away from individual pressure.
"I find that I perform my best during relays because I am focused on swimming for my teammates and our shared success rather than feeling the pressure that I would feel during an individual event," she said.
One of those moments came this season when her 400 medley relay broke a team record, an achievement that stood out even with her many accolades.
Beyond the pool, Banos has learned how to balance the demands of being a high-level athlete with academics. Between classes and a 20-hour practice week, structure and routine are essential.
"Being an athlete has provided me with discipline, time management, and organizational skills that translate to being a successful student," she said.
As her collegiate career moves toward its final chapters, Bano's has shifted away from results and toward reflection.
"As a team, I want everyone to feel like they put their all into their season and feel proud of what they accomplished. Our culture is not built on winning, it's built on being supportive of one another no matter what and by remembering how lucky you are to be swimming in the best place ever," Banos said. "As for myself, I don't have any specific swimming goals other than to leave this program knowing that I left an impact like the one I felt from the strong and intelligent women captains before me. I know that having a group of friends that I get to be around everyday and call family is so special and something that I will never take for granted, especially coming from a very small team growing up, so I want to stay present and enjoy every moment left of this season."
For Banos, swimming has always been about more than medals or times. It has been a space for growth, challenge, and self-discovery. She continues to show up day in and day out, and that commitment was recognized recently as she was named Big West Athlete of the Week for the fourth time this season. That consistency has shown up clearly in her results. During the 2025-26 season, Banos recorded 18 first-place victories across a wide range of events and meets, including sprint and mid-distance butterfly, individual medley events, and both the 200 and 500 freestyle, highlighting her ability to succeed across strokes and distances.
Even as her collegiate career enters its final stretch, her season and list of accomplishments is far from finished. Her focus continues to remain on embracing each opportunity as it comes. "I want to stay present and enjoy every moment left of this season," Banos said.
