NCAA Women’s Championships: Gretchen Walsh Scares 100 Free Record to Surge Past Star-Studded Field

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

An another showdown of the top sprinters in the country at 2023 NCAA Division I Women’s Championships, Virginia’s Gretchen Walsh put together the second-fastest race in history and dominated a star-studded field to put her stamp on a special meet, leading Virginia to a third consecutive NCAA title.

Walsh was out fast and continued to pull away from a star-studded field to win the 100 free in 45.61, just five hundredths away from breaking the American record set by Simone Manuel in 2017.

“It hasn’t sunk in really because of so many emotions with the national championship (as a team) and everything, but I was really thrilled with that time,” Walsh said. “For me, the 100 free has always been my baby, and it shows all the hard work I put in is paying off. I couldn’t be happier to go that time and win it for my Hoos. It is such a privilege to just be able to be a part of this team. I couldn’t be prouder of this legacy we created.”

Walsh opened with a 21.72 and continued to build her lead and very quickly the race was for second.

Stanford’s Torri Huske closed strong to take that second spot and finish in 46.46.

LSU’s Maggie Mac Neil was just behind in third at 46.58, ahead of Louisville junior Gabi Albiero (46.80) and NC State senior Katharine Berkoff (46.87).

Only Manuel has been faster than Walsh now, while Mac Neil’s previous NCAA championship time (46.02) is now fourth all time.

Walsh said the loaded field added a huge amount of significance to her victory.

“(It means more) totally,” she said. “I was nervous going into it because it really could have been anyone’s race. I took it out because that has always been my race strategy. I wanted to get ahead of the field and I wanted to hold on – and that’s what I did.”

Ohio State junior Katherine Zenick took sixth (47.27), while Louisville’s Chrisiana Regenauer and Hawaii’s Laticia-Leigh Transom tied for seventh at 47.50.

Event 17  Women 100 Yard Freestyle
=========================================================================
         NCAA: N 45.56  3/18/2017 Simone Manuel, Stanford
         Meet: M 45.56  3/18/2017 Simone Manuel, Stanford
     American: A 45.56  3/18/2017 Simone Manuel, Stanford
      US Open: O 45.56  3/18/2017 Simone Manuel, Stanford
         Pool: P 46.15  11/23/2019Erika Brown, Tennessee
    Name                 Year School            Prelims     Finals Points 
=========================================================================
                       === Championship Final ===                        
 
  1 Walsh, Gretchen        SO Virginia            46.66      45.61P  20  
    r:+0.74  21.72        45.61 (23.89)
  2 Huske, Torri           SO Stanford            47.19      46.46   17  
    r:+0.61  22.27        46.46 (24.19)
  3 MacNeil, Maggie        5Y LSU                 46.90      46.58   16  
    r:+0.63  22.30        46.58 (24.28)
  4 Albiero, Gabi          JR Louisville          46.88      46.80   15  
    r:+0.61  22.41        46.80 (24.39)
  5 Berkoff, Katharine     SR NC State            46.91      46.87   14  
    r:+0.66  22.44        46.87 (24.43)
  6 Zenick, Katherine      JR Ohio St             47.34      47.27   13  
    r:+0.64  22.50        47.27 (24.77)
  7 Regenauer, Christiana  SR Louisville          47.33      47.50   11.5
    r:+0.68  22.85        47.50 (24.65)
  7 Transom, Laticia-Leig  5Y Hawaii              47.39      47.50   11.5
    r:+0.59  22.99        47.50 (24.51)
 
                        === Consolation Final ===                        
 
  9 Fulmer, Amy            SR Ohio St             47.62      47.39    9  
    r:+0.66  22.95        47.39 (24.44)
 10 Parker, Maxine         JR Virginia            47.42      47.72    7  
    r:+0.73  22.90        47.72 (24.82)
 11 Antoniou, Kalia        5Y Alabama             47.55      47.89    6  
    r:+0.69  22.82        47.89 (25.07)
 12 Paegle, Kristina       FR Indiana             47.99      47.99    5  
    r:+0.68  22.99        47.99 (25.00)
 13 Stepanek, Chloe        JR TAMU                47.97      48.06    4  
    r:+0.68  22.94        48.06 (25.12)
 14 Canny, Aimee           FR Virginia            47.98      48.10    3  
    r:+0.75  23.18        48.10 (24.92)
 15 Countie, Grace         SR UNC                 47.70      48.14    2  
    r:+0.71  22.96        48.14 (25.18)
 16 Cuomo, Lexi            SR Virginia            47.89      48.31    1  
    r:+0.71  22.93        48.31 (25.38)
 
                Women - Team Rankings - Through Event 17                 
 
  1. Virginia                        424.5   2. Texas                           298.5
  3. Stanford                          277   4. Louisville                        234
  5. NC State                          229   6. Ohio St                           195
  7. Tennessee                         178   8. Indiana                           164
  9. Florida                           150  10. UNC                               132
 11. California                        121  12. Alabama                           107
 13. Wisconsin                         100  14. Lsu                                95
 15. Georgia                          86.5  16. Southern California                86
 17. Kentucky                           44  18. Minnesota                          37
 19. Miami (Fl)                         36  20. Arizona                            32
 21. Michigan                           29  22. Virginia Tech                      28
 23. Texas A&M                          26  24. South Carolina                     25
 25. Duke                               20  26. Auburn                             14
 27. Northwestern                       13  28. Arkansas                           12
 29. Hawaii                           11.5  30. Miami (Ohio)                        9
 31. Florida St                          7  31. Penn                                7
 31. Purdue                              7  34. UCLA                                6
 35. Akron                               5  36. Arizona St                          4
 37. Georgia Tech                        2  37. Utah                                2
 39. Florida Int'l                       1

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