2018-19 Swimming & Diving Roster
Roster
Kenisha Liu
- Height:
- 5-7
- Class:
- Junior
- High School:
- Ruben S. Ayala HS
- Hometown:
- Chino, Calif.
Career Highlights
Six-time Individual NCAA Qualifier
38 Individual Event Wins
2020 CSCAA All-American (200 free)ย
2018 CSCAA All-America honorable mention (800 free relay)
Program Record-Holder in the 200 free relay (1:28.88, 2019)
Program Record-Holder in the 800 free relay (7:01.90, 2018)
2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 NCAA Championships Qualifier
2020 Relentless Bruin Award
2017 Newcomer of the Year Award
Four Pac-12 Championships "A" Finals
Freshman Program Record-Holder in the 200 freestyle (1:45.38)
Eight-time UCLA Director's Honor Roll
2019-20
Named a CSCAA All-American in the 200 free ... Qualified for the 2020 NCAA Championships in the 200 free after swimming a PR time of 1:44.37ย during the Pac-12 Championships ... Was set to be the No. 18 seed in the 200 free at NCAAs, UCLA's highest pre-meet seed ... Was the recipient of the program's Relentless Bruin Award ... Competed in all nine of the team's dual meets as well as the USD Pentathlon and Ohio State Invitational as a senior ... Recorded 10 individual event wins over the course of the year, spanning six events - she had three wins in the 200 free, two apiece in the 200 breast and 200 IM, and one apiece in the 50 fly, 100 IM, and 100 freestyle ... Had multiple individual event wins in the first four meets of the year ... Season-bests: 50 free (23.42), 100 free (48.57), 200 free (1:44.37), 200 breast (2:15.63), 200 IM (1:57.37) ... Had the best mark on the team in the 100 free, 200 free, and 200 IM ... Was on the top UCLA relay squad in the 200 free (1:30.40, second leg), 400 free (3:15.64, anchor), and 800 free (7:04.67, leadoff) ... Competed individually at the 2020 Pac-12 Championships in the 100 free, 200 free, and 200 IM ... Made the "A" Final of the 100 free and 200 IM, and made the "B" Final of the 200 free ... Best finish came in the 200 IM (1:57.37), where she set a season-best time en route to a sixth place finish ... Finished seventh in the 100 free (48.57) ... Won the "B" Final of the 200 free with a time of 1:45.09 ... Started off the year strong at the USD Pentathlon on Sept. 13, recording the best pentathlon time (4:51.64) of any participating swimmer, winning two events (50 free and 100 IM) and finishing top-five in eight of nine events overall ... Won the 100 free (51.29) and 200 free (1:50.83) in the Utah dual meet on Oct. 11 ... Clinched the 200 breast (2:19.95) and 200 IM (2:03.09) against UC Santa Barbara on Oct. 25 ... Picked up another pair of wins against Arizona on Nov. 1 in th 200 free (1:49.64) and 200 breast (2:15.63) ... In the Washington State dual meet on Jan. 11, won the 200 IM (2:04.45) and set a new PR in the 100 back (57.70) en route to a third place finish ... Named to the UCLA Director's Honor Roll for fall and winter quarters.ย
Summer 2019
Qualified for six Olympic Trials Cuts at the Speedo Championship Series (Jul. 18-21) in the 50 free, 100 free, 200 free, 100 fly, 200 breast, and 200 IM ... Placed 18th in the 200 LCM IM (2:14.33) and 23rd in the 100 LCM free (55.77) at the Phillips 66 Summer Nationals (Jul. 31-Aug. 4) ... Her 200 IM time made it into the top-100 world rankings at No. 83.ย
2018-19
Named to the Fall 2018 and Spring 2019 Director's Honor Rolls ... Pac-12 All-Academic Team honorable mention ... Qualified for the NCAA Championships in three individual events (200 IM, 100 free, 200 free), tying Claire Grover and Eloise Belanger for the team lead ... Logged eight individual wins and nine relay wins ... Had the best times among Bruins in the 100 free, 200 free, and 200 IM, and the second-best time in the 50 free and 100 breast ...ย Was part of a 200 free relay squad that set a school record of 1:28.88 on Feb. 28 at the Pac-12 Championships alongside Claire Grover, Amy Okada, and Maisie Jameson ... At NCAAs, was 28th in the 100 free (48.78), 43rd in the 200 free (1:47.21), 44th in the 200 IM (1:58.54), 26th in the 400 medley relay (3:35.96), and 25th in the 400 free relay (3:16.71) ... Was the first-place finisher in the 50 free on Jan. 7 in the USD/Harvard meet with a time of 23.09; finished runner-up at four other meets ... Competed at the Pac-12 Championships in the 100 free (eighth, 48.65), 200 free (16th, 1:46.77), 200 IM (17th, 1:56.66), 200 free relay (third, 1:28.88), 400 free relay (sixth, 3:17.21), 800 free relay (sixth, 7:06.92), and 400 medley relay (sixth, 3:36.06) ... Logged a B Cut time of 22.61 in the 50 free at USC on Feb. 15 ... Notched six B Cuts in the 100 free prior to NCAAs ... Won the 100 free on Feb. 1 at Stanford (49.80) and against Arizona on Nov. 2 (50.67) ... Had three B Cuts in the 200 free prior to NCAAs ... Won the 200 free in the USD/Harvard meet (1:47.82) and in the Arizona dual meet on Nov. 2 (1:49.46) ... Logged her best time in the 100 breast (1:01.53) at the Georgia Fall Invitational on Nov. 30 ... Swam the 200 breast at two meets, winning the event on Jan. 19 in the Oregon State dual meet (2:14.47) and finishing third on Oct. 27 at Utah (2:21.63) ... Won the 100 fly on Jan. 11 in the UCSB/UCSD meet (54.35) ... Picked up a win in the 200 IM on Feb. 2 at Cal (2:00.33) ... Helped the Bruins to four wins in the 200 free relay, one win the 400 free relay, three wins in the 200 medley relay, and one win in the 400 medley relay ...Season-bests: 50 free (22.61), 100 free (48.56), 200 free (1:45.89), 100 breast (1:01.53), 100 fly (54.35), 200 IM (1:56.66).
Summer 2018
Finished 18th in the 100 LCM free (55.44) at the Phillips 66 Summer Nationals (Jul. 25-29).ย
2017-18
CSCAAย All-America Honorable Mention in 800 free relay ... Selected to the 2018 Spring Director's Honor Roll ... Posted top-four times on the squad in the 50 free (22.53, second), 100 free (48.30, first), 200 free (1:44.71, second), 200 breast (2:13.66, fourth), 100 fly (53.97, third), 200 IM (1:57.40, second) ... Had the most individual top-four times on the team ... Was also part of UCLA's top relay squads in the 200 free (1:28.91, alongside Katie Grover, Sarah Kaunitz, and Amy Okada), 400 free (3:16.99; Sarah Kaunitz, Grover, Okada), and 800 free (7:01.90; Grover, Sandra Soe, Margaux Verger Gourson) ... Helped set school records in the 200 free (vs. USC) and 800 free (first day of NCAAs) relays ... Earned an honorable mention on the Pac-12 All-Academic Team ... Competed at NCAAsย individually in the 100 free and 200 free ... At Pac-12s, placed fourth in the 100 free (48.30, "B" Standard),ย fifth in the 800 freestyle relay (7:04.64, B Standard), fifth in the 200 free relay (1:29.37, "B" Standard), fifth in the 400 free relay (3:16.99, "B" Standard),ย fifth in the 400 medley relay (3:36.58), 15thย in the 200 free (1:46.21, seventh in the "B" Final, "B" Standard),17th in 200 IM (1:57.40, won the "C" Final and recorded a B Standard) ... In the USC rivalry meet on Feb. 9, won the 100 free (48.43), 200 free (1:45.42), and 200 free relay (1:28.91) ... Placed first in the 100 free (49.76) against Stanford on Jan. 26 ... At Oregon State on Jan. 12, won the 200 fly (2:01.97), 200 breast (2:17.23), and 400 medley relay (3:45.66) ... Against Arizona State on Nov. 4, won the 200 free (1:49.14) ... Placed first in the 200 free (1:48.09) and 200 IM (2:02.20) against Arizona on Nov. 3 ... Won the 200 free (1:49.13), 100 free (50.51), and 200 medley relay (1:42.56) at the Washington State Quad Meet on Oct. 28.
Summer 2017
Selected to 2017-18 National Junior Team by USA Swimming ... won 100 Free (55.36) at 2017 Speedo Junior National Championships (Aug. 8-12); also registered runner-up finish in 200 Free (2:00.34).
2016-17
Established then-school record in 800 Free Relay with Linnea Mack, Katie Grover and Madison White (7:04.59) โฆ earned teamโs Outstanding Newcomer award โฆ named to Athletic Directorโs Honor Roll for fall, winter, spring โฆ was part of three 400 Free Relay-winning teams; best time was 3:19.16 with Mack, Sarah Kaunitz and White at A3 Performance Invitational (Nov. 17-19) โฆ won 200 Free four times; best mark was 1:45.38 at USC (Feb. 10) โฆ won 200 Breast three times; best mark was 2:14.36 at Stanford (Jan. 27) โฆ won 200 IM two times; best mark was 2:01.45 against Arizona (Nov. 4) โฆ won 100 Free (51.59) at Washington State (Oct. 29) ... with Mack, Goldsmith and Sarah Kaunitz, won 200 Free Relay (1:31.24) at A3 Performance Invitational (Nov. 17-19); also won 400 Medley Relay with Mack, Emma Schanz and Amy Okada (3:40.17) and 400 IM consolation final (4:18.97) โฆ other notable times: 2:12.84 in 200 Breast (USC), 1:57.66 in 200 IM (Pac-12 Championships, Feb. 22-25).
High School
Liu lettered in swimming all four years at Ruben S. Ayala High School in Chino Hills, Calif. ... CIF and State Champion in 2014, 2015, and 2016 ... four-time League MVP ... team captain from 2014-16 ... Junior World Championships Team Finalist ... SCS Relay record holder ... top high school times include: ย 49.01 (100 Free), 1:45.89 (200 Free), 54.17 (100 Fly), 1:58.19 (200 IM).
Club
Competed for Bi-County Regional Elite Aquatics (BREA Aquatics) in Walnut, Calif. ... Selected to 2015-16 National Junior Team by USA Swimming.
Personal
Born in Fremont, CA ... Daughter of Jack Liu and Lora Yan ... Has an older brother, Kendrick ...Admires Allison Schmitt, Natalie Coughlin, Michael Phelps, and Missy Franklin ... Majoring in history.ย
Best Times
50 free - 22.53
100 free - 48.30
200 free - 1:44.37
100 back - 57.70
200 back - 2:06.39
100 breast - 1:01.53
200 breast - 2:12.36
100 fly - 53.97
200 fly - 1:59.40
200 IM - 1:56.66
(last updated: May 20, 2020)
