Swimming & Diving: UVA splits season opener against Florida

Courtesy UVA Media Relations

The Virginia swimming & diving teams split action with Florida on Friday at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center in Gainesville. UVA’s top-ranked women won 164-136, while the No. 15 men fell 202-93.

Virginia’s women posted 10 wins in the meet, with Gretchen and Alex Walsh both winning two events.

The Cavaliers had 15 swimmers and divers make their UVA debuts: Hayden Bellotti, Jack Berube, Aimee Crosbie, Teddy Cross, Tristen Davin, Noah Dyer, Tess Howley, Cavan Gormsen, Zack Larrick, Simon Lins, Jack Madoch, Jasmine Nocentini, Sam O’Brien, Maggie Schalow, Dean Treanor.

WOMEN’S RESULTS

• Two freshmen grabbed event wins in their UVA debuts. Cavan Gormsen picked up the first individual event win for UVA, taking the 1000-yard freestyle with a time of 9:42.49. Tess Howley won the 200-yard butterfly in 1:54.75.
• Sophomore Aimee Canny won the 200-yard freestyle in a time of 1:44.44.
• Junior Gretchen Walsh swept her two events, winning the 100-yard backstroke in 50.29 and the 100-yard freestyle in 47.19. Both times are the fastest in each event so far this season.
• Senior Alex Walsh led a UVA top-four sweep in the 100-yard breaststroke. Walsh won with a time of 59.37. Graduate transfer Jasmine Nocentini finished second in her UVA debut (59.81), followed by sophomores Emma Weber (1:00.37) and Zoe Skirboll (1:00.82).
• A. Walsh added a win in the 100-yard butterfly (51.87).
• Graduate student Ella Nelson won the 200-yard breaststroke by three seconds with a time of 2:09.68.
• The Cavaliers took both relays, winning the 200-yard medley relay with a time of 1:35.89 and the 400-yard freestyle relay in 3:14.73

MEN’S RESULTS

• Senior Will Cole placed was second in the 200-yard backstroke (1:47.97) and third in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 48.76.
• Junior Tim Connery was third in the 100-yard breaststroke in 55.34.
• Sophomore Sebastien Sergile was third in the 200-yard butterfly (1:46.39).
• Senior Matt Brownstead finished .4 seconds off first in a matchup with NCAA runner-up Josh Liendo (Florida). Liendo won in 19.43 and Brownstead took second in 19.82. Junior Connor Boyle clocked in third in 20.29.
• Brownstead followed that with a second-place finish in the 100-yard freestyle, finishing in 43.54.
• Junior Max Iida was second in the 200-yard breaststroke (2:01.52) and junior Matt Styczen took third (2:03.93).
• Senior Tanner Hering and sophomore Alex Hotta were second and third, respectively, in the 500-yard freestyle.
• Sophomore Kamal Muhammad was second (48.12) and freshman Hayden Bellotti was third (48.40) in the 100-yard butterfly.
• Styczen and Iida went two-three in the 400-yard IM. Styczen finished in 3:57.50 and Iida clocked a 4:02.52.
• UVA’s relay team of Brownstead, Boyle, Sergile and senior Tim Connery, respectively, finished second in the 400-yard freestyle relay (2:55.38).

DIVING

• Junior Lizzy Kaye placed second on the 3-meter (307.35) and third on the 1-meter (266.48) to lead UVA’s women.
• Senior Oliver Mills was the top finisher in both events for the men, taking fifth in the 3-meter (282.75) and 1-meter (289.13) events.

UP NEXT

Virginia will host Texas in a two-day dual meet Friday, Oct. 27 and Saturday, Oct. 28 at the Aquatic and Fitness Center.