NCAA Women’s Championships: Virginia Sets NCAA Meet Record in 200 Free Relay Win, Extends Team Lead

Virginia's Gretchen Walsh, Lexi Cuomo, Maxine Parker & Kate Douglass -- Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

NCAA Women’s Championships: Virginia Sets NCAA Meet Record in 200 Free Relay Win, Extends Team Lead

The University of Virginia is now three-for-three in relay wins at the NCAA Championships, and as expected, the 200 freestyle relay was a dominant effort. Kate Douglass, fresh off a win and the fastest time in history in the 200 IM, led off in 21.01, giving her more than a half-second advantage on the next-best first-leg swimmer, Stanford’s Torri Huske, and the Cavaliers pulled away to win by more than a second.

Gretchen Walsh, the runnerup earlier in the individual 50 free, split 20.59 on the second leg. From there, Lexi Cuomo and Maxine Parker would finish the job, and Virginia touched in 1:24.51. That was well off the NCAA, American and U.S. Open records of 1:23.87 that a Virginia quartet swam at the ACC Championships last month, but this group did beat the meet record of 1:24.55 established last year.

Douglass, Walsh and Cuomo are all veterans of plenty of first-place Cavaliers relays, and both last year and this year, Cuomo has been a perfect complement to her more-heralded teammates, a swimmer who thrives the most in these relays. “I love being on relays. I think they’re the most fun to be a part of. I always tend to swim faster on them,” she said. “I think I bring a lot of emotion. I have a lot of quirks, and I think at meets, I have a lot of energy. It doesn’t feel like reality to me. I don’t know where it comes from on the team end. I just think we have a lot of love for each other, and it comes out in different ways.”

Meanwhile, Parker, a junior transfer, was racing on an A-relay at a championship meet for the first time after not participating in any relays at ACCs last month. “I felt like they would set me up well, and I just wanted to bring it home for them,” Parker said. “It was really exciting to be on it. Definitely a privilege.”

In a potentially significant swing, the Cavaliers secured first-place points without utilizing one of their primary stars, Alex Walsh. The elder Walsh was on both of Virginia’s winning relay efforts Wednesday evening, meaning she would have to skip one of the remaining events (with a maximum of four relays per swimmer), and head coach Todd DeSorbo made the calculated decision to remove her from the 200 free relay. The decision might have cost Virginia another record, but what counts at this meet is the score, and Virginia remains in the running for a sweep of all five relays, with Douglass and both Walsh sisters available for all remaining events.

Second place went to Stanford in 1:25.70 behind a team of Huske, Claire Curzan, Taylor Ruck and Amy Tang. Curzan’s 20.98 leg was third-quickest in the field, and Tang followedthe three Olympians to barely hold off Louisville for runnerup honors. Louisville’s Gabi Albiero, Christiana Regenauer, Julia Dennis and Ella Welch finished third in 1:25.73, and Ohio State, anchored by Teresa Ivan in 21.19, took fourth in 1:25.80.

LSU, propelled by Maggie Mac Neil splitting 20.37 on the second leg, the quickest effort of the race, finished fifth in 1:27.04. Earlier in the night, Mac Neil won the NCAA title in the 50 free in 20.79, the fastest time in history. Texas finished sixth in 1:27.11.

In the team competition, Virginia now owns a comfortable 46.5-point lead over Texas. The Cavaliers have 208.5 points, followed by the Longhorns’ 161. Louisville is third with 117, and Stanford has 106.

Notably, NC State is ninth with 66 points after the Wolfpack team was disqualified in the 200 free relay for a false start. NC State’s time of 1:25.92 would have been good enough for fifth place and 28 critical points, which would have put the Wolfpack into fifth by one point over Ohio State (93).

Event 7  Women 200 Yard Freestyle Relay
==================================================================================
         NCAA: N 1:23.87  2/15/2023 Virginia
                          K Douglass, G Walsh, A Cuomo, A Walsh
         Meet: M 1:24.51  3/16/2023 Virginia
                          K Douglass, G Walsh, A Cuomo, M Parker
     American: A 1:23.87  2/15/2023 Virginia
                          K Douglass, G Walsh, A Cuomo, A Walsh
      US Open: O 1:23.87  2/15/2023 Virginia
                          K Douglass, G Walsh, A Cuomo, A Walsh
         Pool: P 1:24.51  3/16/2023 Virginia
                          K Douglass, G Walsh, A Cuomo, M Parker
    School                                 Seed     Finals Points 
==================================================================================
  1 Virginia                            1:23.87    1:24.51M  40  
     1) Douglass, Kate SR             2) r:0.27 Walsh, Gretchen SO    
     3) r:0.25 Cuomo, Lexi SR         4) r:0.31 Parker, Maxine JR     
    r:+0.62  10.33        21.01 (21.01)
           30.83 (9.82)       41.60 (20.59)
          51.74 (10.14)     1:02.93 (21.33)
        1:13.42 (10.49)     1:24.51 (21.58)
  2 Stanford                            1:25.90    1:25.70   34  
     1) Huske, Torri SO               2) r:0.10 Curzan, Claire FR     
     3) r:0.21 Ruck, Taylor SR        4) r:0.27 Tang, Amy SO          
    r:+0.59  10.26        21.57 (21.57)
           31.38 (9.81)       42.55 (20.98)
          52.78 (10.23)     1:03.94 (21.39)
        1:14.23 (10.29)     1:25.70 (21.76)
  3 Louisville                          1:25.29    1:25.73   32  
     1) Albiero, Gabi JR              2) r:0.20 Regenauer, Chriiana SR
     3) r:0.07 Dennis, Julia FR       4) r:0.09 Welch, Ella FR        
    r:+0.61  10.49        21.62 (21.62)
          31.67 (10.05)       42.85 (21.23)
          52.95 (10.10)     1:04.24 (21.39)
        1:14.34 (10.10)     1:25.73 (21.49)
  4 Ohio St                             1:26.70    1:25.80   30  
     1) Zenick, Katherine JR          2) r:0.25 Fulmer, Amy SR        
     3) r:0.13 Funderburke, Nyah SO   4) r:0.07 Ivan, Teresa SO       
    r:+0.63  10.50        21.74 (21.74)
          31.93 (10.19)       42.98 (21.24)
          53.04 (10.06)     1:04.61 (21.63)
        1:14.70 (10.09)     1:25.80 (21.19)
  5 LSU                                 1:26.70    1:27.04   28  
     1) Milutinovich, Katarina SR     2) r:0.17 MacNeil, Maggie 5Y    
     3) r:0.21 Curry, Peyton SO       4) r:0.33 de Villiers, Miaela FR
    r:+0.64  10.70        22.24 (22.24)
           31.92 (9.68)       42.61 (20.37)
          53.06 (10.45)     1:04.82 (22.21)
        1:15.27 (10.45)     1:27.04 (22.22)
  6 Texas                               1:27.05    1:27.11   26  
     1) Cooper, Grace JR              2) r:0.30 Sticklen, Emma JR     
     3) r:0.31 Leibel, Kyla SR        4) r:0.20 Pash, Kelly SR        
    r:+0.61  10.52        21.96 (21.96)
          32.18 (10.22)       43.55 (21.59)
          53.95 (10.40)     1:05.43 (21.88)
        1:15.72 (10.29)     1:27.11 (21.68)
  7 Florida                             1:27.28    1:27.31   24  
     1) Nikonova, Ekaterina SO        2) r:0.16 Bates, Talia SR       
     3) r:0.26 Mack, Katie SR         4) r:0.13 Cronk, Micayla SO     
    r:+0.66  10.68        22.22 (22.22)
          32.52 (10.30)       44.18 (21.96)
          54.43 (10.25)     1:05.83 (21.65)
        1:16.02 (10.19)     1:27.31 (21.48)
  8 Indiana                             1:27.70    1:27.48   22  
     1) Peplowski, Anna SO            2) r:0.21 Turak, Ashley SR      
     3) r:0.18 Paegle, Kristina FR    4) r:0.10 Broshears, Elizbeth JR
    r:+0.71  10.78        22.13 (22.13)
          32.39 (10.26)       43.56 (21.43)
          53.94 (10.38)     1:05.21 (21.65)
        1:15.63 (10.42)     1:27.48 (22.27)
  9 UNC                                 1:26.99    1:27.49   18  
     1) Countie, Grace SR             2) r:0.32 Nel, Olivia SO        
     3) r:0.09 Pattison, Greer SO     4) r:0.11 Smith, Skyler SO      
    r:+0.71  10.46        21.77 (21.77)
          32.17 (10.40)       43.62 (21.85)
          53.94 (10.32)     1:05.58 (21.96)
        1:15.91 (10.33)     1:27.49 (21.91)
 10 California                          1:28.14    1:27.63   14  
     1) Davidson, Emma SR             2) r:0.25 Stadden, Isabelle JR  
     3) r:0.20 Gantriis, Emily JR     4) r:0.15 Stone, McKenna SO     
    r:+0.66  10.75        22.37 (22.37)
          32.63 (10.26)       44.00 (21.63)
          54.40 (10.40)     1:06.06 (22.06)
        1:16.24 (10.18)     1:27.63 (21.57)
 11 VT                                  1:28.68    1:27.89   12  
     1) Moore, Madelyn 5Y             2) r:0.07 Shackelford, Sarah SR 
     3) r:0.03 Bentz, Caroline JR     4) r:0.00 Atkinson, Emma JR     
    r:+0.61  10.69        22.47 (22.47)
          32.73 (10.26)       44.29 (21.82)
          54.45 (10.16)     1:05.99 (21.70)
        1:16.44 (10.45)     1:27.89 (21.90)
 12 USC                                 1:27.38    1:27.91   10  
     1) Delgado, Anicka JR            2) r:0.15 Garcia, Elise 5Y      
     3) r:0.15 Henderson, Hanna JR    4) r:0.18 Dobler, Kaitlyn JR    
    r:+0.65  10.89        22.38 (22.38)
          32.70 (10.32)       44.31 (21.93)
          54.46 (10.15)     1:05.82 (21.51)
        1:16.16 (10.34)     1:27.91 (22.09)
 13 Arkansas                            1:28.34    1:28.34    8  
     1) Ferraguti, Alessia 5Y         2) r:0.23 Sansores De La drea 5Y
     3) r:0.10 Cothern, Bella JR      4) r:0.11 Melton, Kobie 5Y      
    r:+0.64  10.89        22.71 (22.71)
          33.10 (10.39)       44.54 (21.83)
          54.68 (10.14)     1:06.23 (21.69)
        1:16.67 (10.44)     1:28.34 (22.11)
 14 Alabama                             1:27.21    1:28.40    6  
     1) Antoniou, Kalia 5Y            2) r:0.13 Petkova, Diana JR     
     3) r:0.15 Jones, Emily FR        4) r:0.20 Winter, Kailyn SO     
    r:+0.69  10.77        22.04 (22.04)
          32.59 (10.55)       44.24 (22.20)
          54.85 (10.61)     1:06.69 (22.45)
        1:16.99 (10.30)     1:28.40 (21.71)
 15 Michigan                            1:27.91    1:28.60    4  
     1) Flynn, Lindsay SO             2) r:0.45 Newman, Claire JR     
     3) r:0.09 Kan, Natalie SO        4) r:0.06 Kendall, Brady FR     
    r:+0.67  10.73        21.98 (21.98)
          32.67 (10.69)       44.33 (22.35)
          54.83 (10.50)     1:06.77 (22.44)
        1:16.90 (10.13)     1:28.60 (21.83)
 16 Northwestern                        1:28.71    1:28.79    2  
     1) Ervin, Lindsay FR             2) r:0.17 Strouse, Ashley SO    
     3) r:0.13 Brennan, Jamie FR      4) r:0.14 Larson, Ally SR       
    r:+0.67  10.98        22.44 (22.44)
          33.15 (10.71)       44.73 (22.29)
          55.17 (10.44)     1:06.79 (22.06)
        1:17.23 (10.44)     1:28.79 (22.00)

Women - Team Rankings - Through Event 7                      
 
  1. Virginia                        208.5   2. Texas                             162
  3. Louisville                        117   4. Stanford                          106
  5. Ohio St                            93   6. Indiana                            83
  7. Florida                            76   8. California                         74
  9. UNC                                73  10. Georgia                          66.5
 11. NC State                           66  12. Lsu                                62
 13. Tennessee                          61  14. Alabama                            56
 15. Wisconsin                          49  16. Southern California                37
 17. Kentucky                           26  18. Virginia Tech                      18
 19. Arizona                            17  20. Miami (Fl)                         16
 21. Duke                               13  22. Arkansas                           12
 23. Minnesota                          11  24. Michigan                           10
 25. South Carolina                      9  26. Florida St                          7
 26. Texas A&M                           7  28. UCLA                                4
 28. Arizona St                          4  30. Utah                                2
 30. Northwestern                        2  30. Auburn                              2

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