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

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Posted on Thursday, Nov. 17, 2022, 1:05 pm

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Courtesy UVA Media Relations

Photo: UVA Athletics

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.