Swimming & Diving: Hoos split with Hokies on Senior Day

Courtesy UVA Media Relations

The No. 1 Virginia women’s swimming and diving team defeated Virginia Tech in UVA’s final home dual meet of the season on Saturday. The No. 17 UVA men fell against the No. 19 Hokies.

TEAM SCORES
Women: Virginia 215, Virginia Tech 85
Men: Virginia Tech 198, Virginia 102

The Virginia women (5-0) won all but two races and swept the diving events against the Hokies (2-3).

On her senior day, Gretchen Walsh logged the fastest 50 Fly split ever in the 200 Medley Relay. Walsh posted a 20.87 in her leg, beating her own previous fastest split (21.50) set last January. Walsh also set pool records in the 50 Free (20.73) and the 100 Free (46.12).

Freshman Katie Grimes went 3-for-3 in her collegiate debut, winning all three of her events. In her very first event, the 200 Fly, Grimes posted a 1:53.23, setting a pool record with the fourth-fastest time in the NCAA this season. She won the 200 IM by out-touching teammate Aimee Canny by 0.01 seconds.

Senior Lizzy Kaye won the 1-meter (295.58) and the 3-meter (335.25) diving events.

The Cavalier men (1-4) won two events against the 4-1 Hokies, with freshman David King taking the 1000 Free with a 9:03.43 and Hayden Bellotti the 200 Fly with a 1:43.69.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

• The women’s 200 Medley Relay (Claire Curzan, Alex Walsh, Gretchen Walsh, Anna Moesch) set a pool record (1:31.53) in the first event of the meet, the second fastest 200 medley relay in history, just two one-hundredths off the NCAA and American record time of 1:31.51 set by the Cavaliers at the 2023 NCAA Championships
• Grad student Alex Walsh made her season debut, winning the 100 Fly (51.98) and placing second behind Grimes in the 200 Fly (1:53.86)
• Gretchen Walsh’s 50 Free time of 20.73 is the fifth fastest of all time. She owns the six top times in the event
• Junior Aimee Canny won the 1000 Free, posting the 10^th fastest time in program history with a 9:41.62
• Sophomore Claire Curzan won the 200 Free (1:43.64). Junior Zoe Skirboll won the 100 Breast (59.29). Junior Emma Weber won the 200 Breast (2:09.63). Sophomore Tess Howley won the 500 Free (4:43.58)
• Spencer Nicholas’s time of 45.93 in the 100 Back ranks fifth on the UVA all-time list. He finished second in the race
• Katie Grimes logged the sixth fastest time in program history in the 200 Fly (1:53.23) and the ninth fastest in the 200 Back (1:51.56)
• Virginia had an attendance of 1,307 for the meet, an Aquatic & Fitness Center record, and the second home meet this year with more than 1,200 fans in attendance
• Virginia honored 14 seniors in the Senior Day ceremony: Colin Bitz, Connor Boyle, Tim Connery, Max Iida, Sam O’Brien, Nick Sanders, Matthew Styczen, Peter Thompson, Ella Bathurst, Abby Kapeller, Lizzy Kaye, Kate Morris, Reilly Tiltmann, Gretchen Walsh Additionally, this was the final home dual for four graduate students: Jessica Buntman, Anna Keating, Maxine Parker, and Alex Walsh

UP NEXT

The Cavaliers compete at the Texas Duals (Jan. 24-25) in Austin.