Madden wins 200 free: Virginia holds lead at 2021 NCAA Championships

Courtesy UVA Media Relations

Paige Madden (Mobile, Ala.) won the 200-yard freestyle to highlight night three for the Virginia women’s swimming & diving team at the 2021 NCAA Championships at the Greensboro Aquatic Center.

The Cavaliers lead the meet with 344 points. NC State is second (241), Texas third (224), California fourth (210) and Ohio State fifth (177.5).

It was Madden’s second win in two individual events. Madden won the 200 free in 1:42.35 to best her previous school record of 1:42. 39 in the event.

Virginia also picked up a pair of second place finishes. Ella Nelson (Nashville, Tenn.) started the night taking silver in the 400-yard individual medley in 4:02.33 to improve on her own UVA record. Kate Douglass (Pelham, N.Y.) took second in the 100-yard butterfly in 49.55, also besting her own UVA record.

Alexis Wenger (Detroit, Mich.) podiumed with a third-place finish in the 100-yard breaststroke. Wenger finished in 57.67, becoming the eighth fastest performer in history in the event.

The Cavaliers had three swimmers with Douglass in the 100 fly finals. Lexi Cuomo (Clifton, Va.) finished eighth in 51.80 to earn All-America honors. Abby Harter (Broadlands, Va.) finished 12th in 51.93 and Jessica Nava (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) was 15th in 52.15 as both earned honorable mention All-America.

In the 200 free, Alex Walsh (Nashville, Tenn.) finished fifth with a time of 1:44.12 to earn All-America honors. Kyla Valls (Miami, Fla.) earned honorable mention All-American with a 13th-place finish in 1:45.63.

UVA had two in the 100-yard backstroke finals. Caroline Gmelich (Rumson, N.J.) earned All-America honors with an eighth-place finish in 51.78. Reilly Tiltmann (Brookfield, Wis.) finished ninth with a time of 51.33 to earn honorable mention All-America honors.

Virginia concluded the night with a second-place finish in the 200-yard medley relay. Gmelich, Wenger, Cuomo and Douglass, respectively, combined for a time of 1:34.13.

Diving

On the 3-meter, Jocelyn Porter (Cornelius, N.C.) finished 22nd with a score of 290.75. Charlotte Bowen (Dana Point, Calif.) was 33rd with a 263.75 and Jennifer Bell (Pelham, N.Y.) finished 35th with a 260.65.

Up next

Virginia closes out the 2021 NCAA Championships on Saturday night. Prelims begin at 10 a.m. and finals are set for 6 p.m. Both sessions will be streamed live on ESPN3.