NCAA Women’s Championships: Virginia Caps Meet with Relay Sweep

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

NCAA Women’s Championships: Virginia Caps Meet with Relay Sweep

The Virginia championship parade has been in motion since the start of the week in Knoxville, and it’s brought no shortage of signature moments.

In among the records and medals and accolades, one number will stand the test of time as illustrative of the Cavaliers’ dominance: Five, as in five-for-five, in relays.

Virginia became the first team to do the relay sweep since Stanford in 2018. It came with emphasis, the foursome of Kate Douglass, Alex Walsh, Maxine Parker and Gretchen Walsh taking down the NCAA, American, and U.S. Open records in 3:05.84.

Virginia was seeded at 3:06.83. Douglass went out in 46.37, a chance to take aim at Simone Manuel’s resilient 100 free record, though it survived again. Alex Walsh followed in 46.58, with Maxine Parker resisting the field trying to pull her in – and actually distancing from Stanford’s Amy Tang and Julia Dennis of Louisville – in 47.04. Then Gretchen Walsh dropped the hammer in 45.85, the fastest split of the meet.

Stanford finished second, Torri Huske, Taylor Ruck, Tang and Claire Curzan getting silver in 3:08.54. Louisville was third with NC State fourth.

 Event 21  Women 400 Yard Freestyle Relay
==================================================================================
         NCAA: N 3:05.84  3/18/2023 Virginia
                          K Douglass, A Walsh, M Parker, G Walsh
         Meet: M 3:05.84  3/18/2023 Virginia
                          K Douglass, A Walsh, M Parker, G Walsh
     American: A 3:05.84  3/18/2023 Virginia
                          K Douglass, A Walsh, M Parker, G Walsh
      US Open: O 3:05.84  3/18/2023 Virginia
                          K Douglass, A Walsh, M Parker, G Walsh
         Pool: P 3:05.84  3/18/2023 Virginia
                          K Douglass, A Walsh, M Parker, G Walsh
    School                                 Seed     Finals Points 
==================================================================================
  1 Virginia                            3:06.83    3:05.84N  40  
     1) Douglass, Kate SR             2) r:0.37 Walsh, Alex JR        
     3) r:0.24 Parker, Maxine JR      4) r:0.24 Walsh, Gretchen SO    
    r:+0.60  22.34        46.37 (46.37)
        1:08.51 (22.14)     1:32.95 (46.58)
        1:55.29 (22.34)     2:19.99 (47.04)
        2:41.74 (21.75)     3:05.84 (45.85)
  2 Stanford                            3:08.83    3:08.54   34  
     1) Huske, Torri SO               2) r:0.17 Ruck, Taylor SR       
     3) r:0.30 Tang, Amy SO           4) r:0.24 Curzan, Claire FR     
    r:+0.61  22.24        46.59 (46.59)
        1:08.62 (22.03)     1:33.33 (46.74)
        1:56.36 (23.03)     2:21.69 (48.36)
        2:43.75 (22.06)     3:08.54 (46.85)
  3 Louisville                          3:08.92    3:09.57   32  
     1) Albiero, Gabi JR              2) r:0.26 Regenauer, Chriiana SR
     3) r:0.34 Dennis, Julia FR       4) r:0.27 Welch, Ella FR        
    r:+0.61  22.76        47.38 (47.38)
        1:09.91 (22.53)     1:34.62 (47.24)
        1:57.02 (22.40)     2:22.11 (47.49)
        2:44.49 (22.38)     3:09.57 (47.46)
  4 NC State                            3:10.04    3:10.51   30  
     1) Berkoff, Katharine SR         2) r:0.15 Alons, Kylee 5Y       
     3) r:0.26 Webb, Abbey JR         4) r:0.13 Arens, Abby JR        
    r:+0.63  22.69        47.06 (47.06)
        1:09.42 (22.36)     1:34.65 (47.59)
        1:57.77 (23.12)     2:22.78 (48.13)
        2:45.33 (22.55)     3:10.51 (47.73)
  5 Ohio St                             3:10.12    3:10.52   28  
     1) Zenick, Katherine JR          2) r:0.25 Fulmer, Amy SR        
     3) r:0.26 Ivan, Teresa SO        4) r:0.18 Russo, Catherine JR   
    r:+0.63  22.58        47.14 (47.14)
        1:10.14 (23.00)     1:34.59 (47.45)
        1:57.13 (22.54)     2:22.45 (47.86)
        2:45.05 (22.60)     3:10.52 (48.07)
  6 Indiana                             3:13.45    3:12.39   26  
     1) Peplowski, Anna SO            2) r:0.33 Ristic, Ella JR       
     3) r:0.07 Turak, Ashley SR       4) r:0.25 Paegle, Kristina FR   
    r:+0.70  23.13        48.46 (48.46)
        1:11.60 (23.14)     1:37.25 (48.79)
        1:59.86 (22.61)     2:25.19 (47.94)
        2:47.34 (22.15)     3:12.39 (47.20)
  7 Texas                               3:11.29    3:12.59   24  
     1) Pash, Kelly SR                2) r:0.15 Bray, Olivia JR       
     3) r:0.24 Leibel, Kyla SR        4) r:0.34 Cooper, Grace JR      
    r:+0.65  22.94        47.87 (47.87)
        1:10.59 (22.72)     1:35.68 (47.81)
        1:58.62 (22.94)     2:24.18 (48.50)
        2:46.95 (22.77)     3:12.59 (48.41)
  8 Florida                             3:10.83    3:12.62   22  
     1) Nikonova, Ekaterina SO        2) r:0.34 Bates, Talia SR       
     3) r:0.13 Mack, Katie SR         4) r:0.10 Cronk, Micayla SO     
    r:+0.69  23.16        48.19 (48.19)
        1:11.09 (22.90)     1:36.45 (48.26)
        1:59.43 (22.98)     2:25.05 (48.60)
        2:47.51 (22.46)     3:12.62 (47.57)

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