LumaLanes Performance of the Week: Kate Douglass Anchors Virginia to American and NCAA Record-Smashing 400 Medley Relay; Third Relay Record of Meet

Kate Douglass -- Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

Kate Douglass Anchors Virginia to American and NCAA Record-Smashing 400 Medley Relay; Third Relay Record of Meet

Performance of the Week, sponsored by LumaLanes

For the third consecutive day, the University of Virginia women swam the fastest time in history in a relay, and this time, the Cavaliers annihilated the NCAA and U.S. Open records in the 400 medley relay by more than two seconds. They beat the American record by nearly three seconds. The team of Gretchen Walsh, Alexis Wenger, Alex Walsh and Kate Douglass, combined to swim a time of 3:22.34, compared to the previous NCAA and U.S. Open record of 3:24.59 set by NC State at last year’s NCAA Championships. The previous American record (3:25.09) had belonged to a Simone Manuel-led Stanford team since 2018.

Gretchen Walsh led off in 49.71, four tenths faster than her individual 100 back time from earlier in the evening, and she became the second-fastest swimmer in the nation this season and sixth-fastest in history with that effort. Walsh touched out NC State backstroker Katharine Berkoff by 0.04. Wenger followed with a 56.79 breaststroke split, just ahead of Sophie Hansson’s 56.96. Alex Walsh then split 49.59 on the butterfly leg, handing Douglass a lead of four tenths, and then Douglass pulled away with a massive 46.25 anchor leg.

Virginia won ended up winning by more than two seconds over NC State as the Wolfpack team of Berkoff, Hansson, Kylee Alons and Abbey Webb touched in 3:24.78. The Wolfpack swam the third-fastest 400 medley relay in history behind only Virginia’s time here and NC State’s previous record swim from last year’s NCAAs.

More than six seconds back in third place was the North Carolina team of Sophie Lindner, Lillian Higgs, Elizabeth Vannote and Grace Countie. The Tar Heels posted a time of 3:30.87.

Previously, the Cavaliers had broken the all-time record in the 200 free relay and smashed their own 200 medley relay standard, so it was no surprise to see Virginia setting a third record in this relay. Still, beating the mark by more than two seconds made that effort one of the most impressive relay performances in recent college swimming history.

Live Results

Event 30  Women 400 Yard Medley Relay
==================================================================================
         MEET: # 3:26.25  2/19/2021 University of Virginia, UVA-V
                          A Walsh, A Wenger, A Cuomo, K Douglass
         CONF: % 3:24.59  3/18/2021 NC State Univ., NC State
                          K. Berkoff, S. Hansson, K. Alons, J. Poole
         AMER: $ 3:25.09  3/15/2018 Stanford
                          A Howe, K Williams, J Hu, S Manuel
         USOP: & 3:24.59  3/18/2021 NC State, NC St
                          K Berkoff, S Hansson, K Alons, J Poole
         NCAA: ! 3:24.59  3/18/2021 NC State
                          K Berkoff, S Hansson, K Alons, J Poole
         Pool: ^ 3:26.14  3/17/2016 Stanford, Stanf
                          A Howe, S Haase, J Hu, L Neal
                 3:31.66  A
                 3:33.78  B
    School                           Seed     Finals       Points 
==================================================================================
  1 UVA  'A'                      3:27.12    3:22.34%A       64  
     1) Walsh, Gretchen C FR          2) r:0.21 Wenger, Alexis SR     
     3) r:0.27 Walsh, Alexandra SO    4) r:0.30 Douglass, Katherine JR
    r:+0.68  23.88        49.71 (49.71)
        1:15.97 (26.26)     1:46.50 (56.79)
        2:09.16 (22.66)     2:36.09 (49.59)
        2:57.79 (21.70)     3:22.34 (46.25)
  2 NCSU  'A'                     3:26.44    3:24.78^A       56  
     1) Berkoff, Katharine F JR       2) r:0.37 Hansson, Sophie SR    
     3) r:0.22 Alons, Kylee SR        4) r:0.13 Webb, Abbey SO        
    r:+0.59  24.34        49.75 (49.75)
        1:16.20 (26.45)     1:46.71 (56.96)
        2:09.26 (22.55)     2:36.51 (49.80)
        2:59.24 (22.73)     3:24.78 (48.27)
  3 UNC  'A'                      3:34.83    3:30.87 A       54  
     1) Lindner, Sophie M SR          2) r:0.30 Higgs, Lillian SR     
     3) r:0.16 Vannote, Elizabeth JR  4) r:0.36 Countie, Grace SR     
    r:+0.67  24.84        51.75 (51.75)
        1:19.52 (27.77)     1:51.19 (59.44)
        2:15.01 (23.82)     2:42.96 (51.77)
        3:05.49 (22.53)     3:30.87 (47.91)
  4 Louisville  'A'               3:32.64    3:31.50 A       52  
     1) Ulett, Tristen D SO           2) r:0.09 Astashkina, Mariia SR 
     3) r:0.41 Albiero, Gabriela SO   4) r:0.35 Hetrick, Paige SO     
    r:+0.63  25.65        53.03 (53.03)
        1:20.63 (27.60)     1:52.47 (59.44)
        2:16.16 (23.69)     2:43.52 (51.05)
        3:06.32 (22.80)     3:31.50 (47.98)
  5 Duke  'A'                     3:36.46    3:32.70 B       50  
     1) Shuppert, Emma K JR           2) r:-0.03 Foley, Sarah SO      
     3) r:0.27 Ozkan, Aleyna SO       4) r:0.23 Smith, Mckenna FR     
    r:+0.55  25.17        52.93 (52.93)
        1:19.90 (26.97)     1:51.21 (58.28)
        2:15.10 (23.89)     2:43.62 (52.41)
        3:06.44 (22.82)     3:32.70 (49.08)
  6 FSU  'A'                      3:34.03    3:33.10 B       48  
     1) Quaglieri, Tania JR           2) r:0.02 Kucheran, Nina SR     
     3) r:0.26 Halden, Jenny SO       4) r:0.14 Moynihan, Rebecca SR  
    r:+0.65  25.48        53.31 (53.31)
        1:20.83 (27.52)     1:52.00 (58.69)
        2:15.71 (23.71)     2:44.56 (52.56)
        3:07.19 (22.63)     3:33.10 (48.54)
  7 ND  'A'                       3:34.95    3:34.11         46  
     1) Christman, Madelyn T FR       2) r:0.17 Jew, Eleanor JR       
     3) r:-0.03 Gillilan, Coleen JR   4) r:0.25 Whiting, Sydney SO    
    r:+0.69  25.95        53.39 (53.39)
        1:21.34 (27.95)   1:53.70 (1:00.31)
        2:17.12 (23.42)     2:45.38 (51.68)
        3:08.57 (23.19)     3:34.11 (48.73)
  8 VT  'A'                       3:36.84    3:34.28         44  
     1) Atkinson, Emma R SO           2) r:0.04 Gyorgy, Reka 5Y       
     3) r:0.40 Alonso, Luana FR       4) r:0.42 Shackelford, Sarah JR 
    r:+0.69  25.02        52.15 (52.15)
        1:20.86 (28.71)   1:53.56 (1:01.41)
        2:17.84 (24.28)     2:46.12 (52.56)
        3:08.72 (22.60)     3:34.28 (48.16)

Name*

Email*

Welcome to our community. We invite you to join our discussion. Our community guidelines are simple: be respectful and constructive, keep on topic, and support your fellow commenters. Commenting signifies that you agree to our Terms of Use