Virginia breaks fourth American record at ACC Championships

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Posted on Friday, Feb. 18, 2022, 11:14 pm

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Courtesy UVA Media Relations

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A Virginia women’s relay set an American record for the third consecutive day, and it was the fourth American record overall for the Cavaliers at the 2022 ACC Swimming & Diving Championships on Friday night at McAuley Aquatic Center.

The most recently record to fall was in the women’s 400-yard medley relay. Freshman Gretchen Walsh, senior Alexis Wenger, sophomore Alex Walsh and junior Kate Douglass, respectively, crushed the previous American record by three seconds from 2018 and US Open and NCAA record by two seconds as they finished first in 3:22.63.

Virginia’s women have set an American record in three of the four relays at the ACC Championships.

WOMEN’S RESULTS

  • UVA capped off the night with its third American record and currently leads the standings with 1028.5 points. NC State is second (993) and Louisville third (787.5).
  • Senior Jessica Nava just missed defending her 200-yard butterfly title by .41 seconds as she finished second with a time of 1:54.54. Sophomore Abby Harter was fifth with a time of 1:55.43 and senior Julia Menkhaus finished 13th in 1:56.55.
  • Gretchen Walsh and freshman Reilly Tiltmann finished second and third in the 100-yard backstroke, respectively. Walsh swam a 50.13 to finish under pool and meet records and Tiltmann swam under the meet record with a 50.42.
  • Wenger swam set an ACC record in the 100-yard breaststroke prelims with a time of 57.22 and improved on that with a NCAA A time of 56.76 to set a UVA record, but finished just .04 seconds behind NC State’s Sophie Hansson for second. Sophomore Anna Keating was sixth with a 59.60.

MEN’S RESULTS

  • UVA is currently fourth with 715 points, behind NC State (1128.5), Louisville (935.5) and Virginia Tech (790).
  • Senior diver Walker Creedon just missed the podium on the platform, posting a score of 367.60 to finish fourth.
  • Junior Josh Fong was fifth in the 200-yard butterfly, clocking in at 1:42.27, a personal-best and the third-fastest time in UVA history. Senior Justin Grender swam the fourth-fastest time in school history to finish 11th in 1:43.38. Freshman Colin Bitz swam a personal-best 1:45.20 to finish 19th.
  • Four Cavaliers advanced to the 100-yard backstroke finals. Sophomore Matt Brownstead finished eighth (46.78) after posting the second-fastest time in UVA history (45.83) in prelims. Freshman Jack Aikins swam the fourth-fastest time with a 46.13 to finish 10th and junior Max Edwards recorded the fifth-fastest time (46.28) to place 13th. Sophomore Will Cole won the C Final in 46.63.
  • Sophomore Noah Nichols finished fifth in the 100-yard breaststroke in 52.07. Freshman Scooter Iida was 18th in 53.04 to move into sixth all-time at UVA. Freshman Daniel Worth finished 20th in 53.35 to rank ninth and August Lamb swam the 10th fastest time of 53.50 to finish 21st.
  • Grender, Nichols, Fong and sophomore Matt King, respectively, finished fourth in the 400-yard medley relay with a NCAA A time of 3:05.33.

UP NEXT

The final day of competition at the ACC Championships will include the 200 back, 100 free, 200 breast, women’s platform, 1650 free and the 400 free relay.