Virginia Breaks American and NCAA Records in Women’s 200 Free Relay; Gretchen Walsh Anchors in 20.58
The University of Virginia women opened the ACC Championships with a dominant performance in the women’s 800 freestyle relay Tuesday evening, and they began the Wednesday evening session in even more impressive fashion as they took down a three-year-old American record in the 200 free relay. Virginia’s team of Kate Douglass (21.10), Alex Walsh (21.38), Lexi Cuomo (21.41) and Gretchen Walsh (20.58) swam a time of 1:24.47, eight hundredths faster than the 1:24.55 that Cal set at the 2019 NCAA Championships.
Douglass led off in a 21.10, just one hundredth off her best time of 21.09 that ranks her as the third-fastest performer in history, while Gretchen Walsh anchored in an insane 20.58, which is the sixth-fastest 50 freestyle relay split ever. Virginia’s time was almost a second-and-a-half faster than the 1:25.78 that Cal swam at last season’s NCAA Championships.
Virginia crushed the conference record of 1:25.97 set by a Cavaliers foursome also featuring Douglass, Cuomo and Alex Walsh at last year’s NCAA Championships. But the addition of the younger Walsh sister to the squad gives the Cavaliers a group that looks essentially untouchable heading into the national championships.
NC State finished second in 1:26.51 with Katharine Berkoff, Kylie Alons, Sophie Hansson and Heather Maccausland, while Louisville’s Gabi Albiero, Christiana Regenauer, Tristan Ulett and Arina Openysheva took third in 1:27.08.
Event 5 Women 200 Yard Freestyle Relay
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MEET: # 1:26.15 2/21/2019 North Carolina State Universit, NC St
K Perry, K Alons, S Rowe, S Hansson
CONF: % 1:25.97 3/18/2021 University of Virginia, UVA
K. Douglass, A, Cuomo, K. Valls, A.Walsh
AMER: $ 1:24.55 3/21/2019 California
M Murphy, K McLaughlin, A Bilquist, A Weitzeil
USOP: & 1:24.55 3/21/2019 California, California
M Murphy, K McLaughlin, A Bilquist, A Weitzeil
NCAA: ! 1:24.55 3/21/2019 California
M Murphy, K McLaughlin, A Bilquist, A Weitzeil
Pool: ^ 1:26.80 3/17/2016 California, Calif
F Osman, K Vredeveld, V Hull, A Bilquist
1:28.43 A
1:29.21 B
School Seed Finals Points
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1 UVA 'A' 1:26.61 1:24.47$A 64
1) Douglass, Katherine C JR 2) r:0.39 Walsh, Alexandra SO
3) r:0.19 Cuomo, Alexa JR 4) r:0.12 Walsh, Gretchen FR
r:+0.66 21.10 42.48 (21.38)
1:03.89 (21.41) 1:24.47 (20.58)
2 NCSU 'A' 1:27.61 1:26.51^A 56
1) Berkoff, Katharine F JR 2) r:0.17 Alons, Kylee SR
3) r:0.29 Hansson, Sophie SR 4) r:0.07 Maccausland, Hether JR
r:+0.69 21.63 42.74 (21.11)
1:04.55 (21.81) 1:26.51 (21.96)
3 Louisville 'A' 1:27.83 1:27.08 A 54
1) Albiero, Gabriela M SO 2) r:0.06 Regenauer, Chriiana JR
3) r:0.28 Ulett, Tristen SO 4) r:0.16 Openysheva, Arina SR
r:+0.61 21.92 43.51 (21.59)
1:05.33 (21.82) 1:27.08 (21.75)
4 UNC 'A' 1:29.30 1:27.13 A 52
1) Countie, Grace K SR 2) r:0.08 Nel, Olivia FR
3) r:0.12 Pattison, Greer FR 4) r:0.07 Lowe, Heidi SR
r:+0.70 21.63 43.35 (21.72)
1:05.30 (21.95) 1:27.13 (21.83)
5 VT 'A' 1:29.60 1:27.96 A 50
1) Landon, Anna G SR 2) r:0.19 Shackelford, Sarah JR
3) r:0.04 Bentz, Caroline SO 4) r:0.15 Atkinson, Emma SO
r:+0.67 21.96 43.58 (21.62)
1:05.77 (22.19) 1:27.96 (22.19)
6 FSU 'A' 1:29.57 1:29.39 48
1) Moynihan, Rebecca E SR 2) r:0.32 Halden, Jenny SO
3) r:-0.02 Quaglieri, Tania JR 4) r:0.17 McDonald, Madeleine SR
r:+0.70 22.64 44.86 (22.22)
1:07.14 (22.28) 1:29.39 (22.25)
7 Duke 'A' 1:31.68 1:29.65 46
1) Smith, Mckenna A FR 2) r:0.23 Snyder, Sarah JR
3) r:0.14 Truong, Kyanh FR 4) r:0.23 Hollander, Shayna SR
r:+0.69 22.65 44.90 (22.25)
1:07.48 (22.58) 1:29.65 (22.17)
8 ND 'A' 1:30.31 1:30.07 44
1) Christman, Madelyn T FR 2) r:0.05 Gillilan, Coleen JR
3) r:0.01 Potter, Madison JR 4) r:0.08 Scannell, Quinn 5Y
r:+0.64 23.10 45.23 (22.13)
1:07.78 (22.55) 1:30.07 (22.29)
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