Virginia Swimming & Diving splits with NC State

Courtesy UVA Media Relations

The No. 18/1 Virginia men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams split in Saturday’s dual meet against 3/5 NC State at the Aquatic and Fitness Center.

UVA’s women (6-0) won 173-122, while the men (2-4) fell 104-191. The Cavaliers finished with 17 event wins, with the women taking 13 of those. Virginia had four pool records go down on Saturday. Five Virginia women recorded two individual wins and Noah Nichols led the UVA men with two wins.

WOMEN’S RESULTS

• UVA opened the meet with a pool record swim of 1:33.74 to win the 200-yard medley relay. Gretchen Walsh, Alexis Wenger, Alex Walsh and Kate Douglass improved on their pool record set against Texas in the fall and the fastest time in the NCAA this season.
• Gretchen Walsh’s 50 backstroke leadoff leg (23.04) was the fastest ever by a US swimmer.
• Emma Weyant won the 500-yard and 1000-yard freestyle, with Maddie Donohoe finishing second in both distance events.
• Ella Nelson won the 200-yard freestyle in a season-best time of 1:47.15 and the 200-yard breaststroke in 2:08.94.
• Gretchen Walsh won the 100-yard backstroke and 100-yard freestyle.
• Kate Douglass swam a UVA pool record time of 51.30 to win the 100-yard butterfly. Douglass also took the win in the 50-yard freestyle (21.85).
• Alex Walsh followed that up with a pool record swim of 1:56.35 to win the 200-yard IM. Walsh also won the 200-yard butterfly (1:54.76).

MEN’S RESULTS

• UVA’s men closed out the dual with a huge win and a UVA pool record swim in the 200-yard freestyle relay. Matt Brownstead, Matt King, Justin Grender and August Lamb, respectively, finished first in 1:17.83 to set the new pool record.
• The Cavalier men’s relay of Matt Brownstead, Noah Nichols, Max Edwards and Matt King, respectively, combined for a 1:25.72 to finish third in the 200-yard medley relay. It was the fastest time of the season for UVA in the event.
• Noah Nichols swept the breaststroke events for the second day straight. He won the 100-yard breast in 53.26 and the 200-yard breast in 1:56.68. Casey Storch took second in the 200-yard breast in 1:58.42.
• Jack Wright finished third in the 200-yard freestyle in 1:37.15.
• Grender finished second in the 200-yard backstroke (1:44.02) and third in the 200-yard butterfly (1:46.49).
• Brownstead and King went two-three in the 50-yard freestyle and King added a third-place finish in the 100-yard free.
• Casey Storch and Sean Conway were first and second, respectively, in the 200-yard IM. Storch clocked in with a 1:47.37 and Conway finished in 1:48.48.

DIVING

• Lizzy Kaye won the 1-meter board with a score of 279.90.
• Maddy Grosz won the 3-meter board with a season-high and NCAA Zone qualifying score of 308.93.
• Walker Creedon finished second on the men’s 3-meter with a score of 334.50 and second on the 1-meter (316.88).

FROM TODD DESORBO

“It was a great weekend of racing at home to honor our fourth years in their last ever home dual meets. They have been such great leaders for us and have meant so much to our program and put so much into it. Happy to honor them and let them have an enjoyable weekend and they performed really well on top of that.”

“To start the day we had some great diving. I have to mention Maddy Grosz, who had her first dual meet win and a career-best and NCAA Zone score. She’s really been coming around the last few weeks, so excited to see her continue to develop.

“On the swimming side, it was an unbelievable competition and unbelievable environment. NC State is one of the best teams in the country on the men’s and women’s side so any opportunity to race that level of competition is fantastic. I think our programs elevate each other and our teams swam better than they have all season. That is our goal, the last dual meet of the season to be our best dual meet and use that to catapult the rest of the season as we go to ACCs and NCAAs.”

UP NEXT

Virginia will host the Cavalier Invite February 4-6 at the Aquatic and Fitness Center.