Virginia women’s team wins four events to jumpstart Tennessee Invite

Courtesy UVA Media Relations

Junior Alex Walsh won the 500 free and sophomore Gretchen Walsh won the 50 free, and the Virginia men’s and women’s swimming & diving teams saw two relay wins on the first night at the Tennessee Invitational on Thursday.

Virginia’s women lead Tennessee (63-28), Michigan (66-25), North Carolina (70-21) and Carson-Newman (78-13). UVA’s men lead North Carolina (64-45) and Carson-Newman (94-13), are tied with Michigan (54.5-54.5) and trail Tennessee (35-75).

Walsh won the 500 free with the fifth-fastest time in UVA history, going 4:38.34. It was also the fastest time in the NCAA this season by four seconds. She now owns top-10 times in 10 different events.

Walsh swam the fastest time in the country (again) in the 50-yard freestyle with a 20.94. Walsh’s time is just one-tenth of a second off the American, NCAA and US Open record of 20.84 held by teammate Kate Douglass.

WOMEN’S RESULTS

• Virginia’s women won both relays to highlight the first night at the Tennessee Invitational.
• The Cavalier relay team of senior Kate Douglass, junior Maxine Parker, senior Lexi Cuomo and sophomore Kate Morris, respectively, won the 200-yard freestyle relay in an NCAA “A” time of 1:26.96.
• Douglass teamed up with junior Alex Walsh, junior Abby Harter and Parker to clock a 3;29.15 to win the 400-yard medley relay with another NCAA “A” standard.
• Senior Ella Nelson finished third in the 500 free with a time of 4:41.92. Senior Maddie Donohoe (14th) and Morris (15th) made the B Final for the 500 free.
• Harter grabbed a second-place finish in the 200-yard individual medley with a time of 1:56.55 and sophomore Ella Bathurst was sixth in 1:57.97. Junior Sophia Wilson (11th) and junior Sam Baron (16th) made the B final.
• Douglass added a second-place individual finish in the 50-yard freestyle with a 21.46 behind Walsh’s 20.94. Cuomo won the B final with a time of 22.24 to finish ninth and freshman Carly Novelline was 12th in 22.75.

MEN’S RESULTS

• Junior Matt Brownstead, junior Matt King, sophomore Jack Aikins and senior August Lamb, respectively, finished second in the 200-yard freestyle relay with an NCAA “A” time of 1:15.67.
• Senior Jack Wright made the A final of the men’s 500-yard freestyle, finishing in a tie for seventh with a time of 4:23.94. Freshman Sebastien Sergile won the C final in 4:23.48.
• Three men Cavaliers made the A final in the 200-yard individual medley. Junior Noah Nichols finished second in 1:44.72. Freshman Kamal Muhammad finished fourth (1:45.28) after entering the finals as the top qualifier, posting the seventh-fastest time in UVA history in prelims with a 1:44.49. Sophomore Max Iida was seventh in 1:47.36.
• UVA also had three in the A final of the 50-yard freestyle. King dropped two-tenths of a second off his season-best time to place third in 19.15. Brownstead was fourth in 19.20 and Aikins was sixth in 19.60.
• The Cavaliers closed out the night finishing second in the 400-yard medley relay. Aikins, Nichols, senior Josh Fong and King, respectively, combined for a NCAA “A” time of 3:04.51.

DIVING

• Sophomore Lizzy Kaye finished third on the 3m board with score of 317.80 and senior Jennifer Bell was sixth with a 308.25 to lead the UVA divers.
• UVA’s women finished fifth in the combined springboard event with a 277.65.

UP NEXT

Virginia will continue competition at the Tennessee Invite on Friday with prelims at 10 a.m., diving at noon and finals at 6 p.m.