Gretchen Walsh named ACC’s female student-athlete of the year

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Posted on Wednesday, Jul. 3, 2024, 6:59 pm

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Courtesy UVA Media Relations

Photo: UVA Athletics

Junior Virginia swimmer Gretchen Walsh has been named the Atlantic Coast Conference’s Mary Garber Award Winner. The award is presented to the ACC female student-athlete of the year.

She becomes the third Cavalier to win the award. Women’s basketball standout Dawn Staley repeated as the recipient in 1991 and 1992, and women’s soccer player Morgan Brian was honored in 2015.

The ACC Women’s Swimmer of the Year, Walsh helped the Cavaliers to their fifth consecutive conference championship this season and the program’s fourth consecutive NCAA team title.

In addition to her in-pool success, Walsh, a commerce major, was selected as the ACC Scholar-Athlete of the Year for Swimming and Diving and named a first-team All-American by the College Sports Communicators.

Walsh set four American Records at the ACC Championship meet on the way to winning seven individual and relay gold medals (400 free relay, 100 free, 100 fly, 400 medley relay, 800 free relay, 200 free relay, 50 free). Walsh was the most valuable swimmer at the 2024 ACC Championships.

She was named the Honda Sport Award winner for swimming & diving and the 2024 Collegiate Swimming & Diving Coaches of Association of America Swimmer of the Year after capturing three individual NCAA titles while setting the fastest times ever in those races for the 50 free, 100 free and 100 fly.

She also swam legs on all four of UVA’s championship relay teams – 200 free relay, 400 free relay, 200 medley relay and 400 medley relay.

A member of Team USA for the upcoming Paris Summer Olympic Games, Walsh won the 100 butterfly and finished second in the 50 freestyle to qualify as an individual competitor in those two events. During the semifinals of the 100 fly, she set the world record with a time of 55.18. She will also compete on U.S. relay teams at the Paris Games.