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Gabi Brito, the top-ranked recruit in the girls’ high school class of 2028, has announced her verbal commitment to the University of California, Berkeley.
Brito, 16, is a dynamic sprinter who excels in freestyle, backstroke, butterfly and IM. She currently trains and competes out of Beach Cities Alpha in Santa Monica, Calif., and attends Santa Monica High School.
She wrote on Instagram:
I am beyond excited and grateful to announce my verbal commitment to continue my academic and athletic career at the University of California, Berkeley!
A huge thank you to Coach Justin and the entire BCA coaching staff for their constant support and for helping me grow throughout the years. To my teammates, thank you for pushing and motivating me every day at practice. Most importantly, thank you to my family for their endless sacrifices and support throughout this journey.
A special thank you to Coach Dave and the entire Cal coaching staff for believing in me and giving me this incredible opportunity. I can’t wait to be a Golden Bear!
Brito is an all-around talent, owning the fastest times in the girls’ high school class of 2028 in the 50 free (21.66), 100 free (47.77), 100 fly (50.74) and 200 IM (1:55.76), and ranking 2nd in the 100 back (51.46). Although it’s not tracked as they’re not NCAA Championship events, she’s also the fastest in the class in the 50 back (23.86) and 50 fly (23.17).
Last season, she was a dominant force at the 2025 Winter Junior Championships – West, going a perfect five-for-five with individual titles in the girls’ 50 free (22.09), 100 free (47.77), 100 back (51.78), 100 fly (51.55) and 200 IM (1:55.99). She also set best times in the 200 free (1:46.70) and 50 back (23.86) on relay lead-offs.
She lowered her best times in the 50 free (21.66) and 100 fly (50.74) at the CIF Southern Section Championships this past spring, ranking 3rd and 4th all-time in the girls’ 15-16 age group, respectively. One week prior to that, she knocked down her 200 free best time to 1:45.46, ranking 55th all-time among 15-16 girls.
She also currently sits 7th all-time in the 100 free, 15th in the 100 back and 17th in the 200 IM in the 15-16 age group.
In the unofficial 15-16 rankings in the stroke 50s, she’s third-fastest ever in the 50 fly and fourth-fastest ever int he 50 back, according to USA Swimming’s database.
BRITO’S BEST TIMES (SCY)
- 100 fly: 50.74 (best in class)
- 200 IM: 1:55.76 (best in class)
- 50 free: 21.66 (best in class)
- 100 free: 47.77 (best in class)
- 200 free: 1:46.07
- 50 back: 23.86
- 50 fly: 23.17
- 100 back: 51.46
- 200 back: 1:55.57
- 200 fly: 1:57.52
- 400 IM: 4:12.69
- 200 breast: 2:13.04
- 100 breast: 1:01.60
Most recently, Brito had a sensational long course season this past summer, highlighted by winning individual golds in the girls’ 50 free, 50 fly and 100 fly at the Junior Pan Pacific Championships in August, adding a fourth gold in the girls’ 4×100 free relay and winning a fifth medal with a silver in the mixed 4×100 medley relay.
Less than one month earlier at the U.S. National Championships, Brito won the junior final of the 50 free (24.99) and 100 free (54.85) in personal best fashion, and also placed 3rd overall in the 50 fly (26.08) and was the runner-up in the junior final of the 50 back (28.44) and 100 fly (58.72).
Her LCM best times currently rank her #8 all-time in the girls’ 15-16 age group in the 50 free, tied for 14th in the 100 free, and 15th in the 100 fly.
In terms of a future college schedule, Brito projects to be racing the 50 free, 100 free and 100 fly individually, and the impact she’ll make on Cal’s relays can’t be overstated. She’ll be a lynchpin on the free relays, and will be able to swim back, fly or free on the medleys.
Her personal best times would’ve placed 8th in the 100 fly, 13th in the 200 IM, tied for 14th and 20th in the 100 free at the 2026 NCAA Championships.
The commitment from Brito continues the momentum Cal has had on the women’s side over the past few years.
The Bears initially had the top-three-ranked recruit in the girls’ high school class of 2025 commit to them, though Alex Shackell ultimately decommitted and Teagan O’Dell transferred after her freshman year this past offseason. They still have #3 Claire Weinstein on the roster from that class, along with #5 Annie Jia, while Rylee Erisman, who ranked #1 in the girls’ class of 2026 after reclassifying from 2027, is also on the Cal roster as a freshman.
The Bears also have #9 in the class of 2026, Kelsey Zhang, currently in her freshman year.
In terms of future training partners, Brito will have Erisman, and potentially Mary-Ambre Moluh and Mia West, to work with in the sprint freestyle events—if Moluh and West use their fifth years of eligibility—while Moluh is one of the best backstrokers in the nation and Jia has established herself as one of the top butterfliers. West was also 3rd in the 200 IM last season at NCAAs, which is another event Brito could end up focusing on in college.
In the class of 2027, they have two top-20 recruits in #11 Khanh Seaton and #15 Mia Su, and Cal has also picked up verbal commitments from Honorable Mention recruits Stella Canoles and Katrin Otaegi in the girls’ class of 2028.
If you have a commitment to report, please send an email with a photo (landscape, or horizontal, looks best) and a quote to [email protected].
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