Virginia sets another American record, women lead at ACC Championships

Courtesy UVA Media Relations

The Virginia women’s 200-yard medley relay team set an American Record to open the third night of competition at the 2022 ACC Championships on Thursday night at the McAuley Aquatic Center.

It is the third American Record a Virginia relay has set at the championships. Freshman Gretchen Walsh led off with the fastest ever 50-yard backstroke in 22.82. Senior Alexis Wenger swam the breaststroke leg, followed by junior Lexi Cuomo in the butterfly and junior Kate Douglass anchored with freestyle. The group finished in 1:31.81 to improve on the American Record UVA set at the 2021 ACC Championships.

WOMEN’S RESULTS

• The UVA women are currently first in the standings with 790.5 points. NC State is second (690), Louisville third (547.5), Duke fourth (425) and North Carolina (365) fifth.
• Virginia’s women won all four swimming events on Thursday night and have won all nine events so far at the championship.
• Junior Ella Nelson and freshman Emma Weyant took the top two spots in the 400-yard IM. Nelson won her second consecutive ACC title in the event with a meet record and personal-best time of 4:02.11. Weyant finished second in 4:04.90. Sophomore Sophia Wilson with a personal-best time of 4:11.60.
• Douglass completed her three-peat in the 100-yard butterfly, setting a meet record time of 49.86 to win the ACC title. Cuomo finished eighth in the 100 fly in 52.79. Senior Jessica Nava won the B Final in a personal-best 51.71 and Abby Harter was right behind her for 10th in 52.15.
• Sophomore Alex Walsh won her second individual ACC title of the meet with a UVA record time of 1:42.28 in the 200-yard freestyle. Freshman Reilly Tiltmann was fourth in 1:44.37, the ninth-fastest time in school history. Ella Bathurst finished 10th in a personal-best 1:46.02 and Maddie Donohoe was 12th with a personal-best 1:46.63.
• Freshman Lizzy Kaye competed in the 3-meter diving finals, finishing eighth with a score of 283.10. Her prelim score of 320.25 ranks seventh all-time at UVA.

MEN’S RESULTS

• The Cavaliers are currently in fourth place with 487 points. NC State leads with 843.5 points, Louisville is second (634.5), Virginia Tech is third (561) and Georgia Tech is fifth (382.5).
• UVA’s relay team of sophomore Matt Brownstead, sophomore Noah Nichols, junior Josh Fong and sophomore Matt King, respectively, finished sixth in the 200-yard medley relay with a time of 1:24.59, the fourth-fastest time in UVA history.
• Senior Casey Storch led UVA with a fifth-place finish in the 400-yard IM with a time of 3:44.37. Junior Sean Conway was eighth in 3:49.02 and Colin Bitz finished 10th in 3:47.82.
• In the 100-yard butterfly, junior Max Edwards finished 22nd in 46.82 and Fong was 23rd in 46.96. Fong swam a personal-best 46.56 in prelims, which ranks sixth all-time at UVA.
• Four Cavaliers advanced to the 200-yard freestyle finals. Junior Jack Wright led UVA with a 15th-place finish in 1:34.88 and freshman Connor Boyle was 16th in 1:35.15. Boyle swam a personal-best 1:34.72 in prelims, which ranks 10th all-time at UVA. Senior Justin Grender was 19th in 1:35.20 and sophomore Will Cole finished 20th in 1:35.26.

UP NEXT

Friday’s events will include the 200-yard butterfly, 100-yard backstroke, 100-yard breaststroke, men’s platform diving and 400-yard medley relay with prelims at 10 a.m. and finals at 6 p.m.