{"id":581975,"date":"2024-03-23T18:02:59","date_gmt":"2024-03-24T01:02:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=581975"},"modified":"2024-03-23T19:34:53","modified_gmt":"2024-03-24T02:34:53","slug":"ncaa-womens-championships-virginia-punctuates-title-run-with-dominant-400-freestyle-relay","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/ncaa-womens-championships-virginia-punctuates-title-run-with-dominant-400-freestyle-relay\/","title":{"rendered":"NCAA Women’s Championships: Virginia Punctuates Title Run With Dominant 400 Freestyle Relay"},"content":{"rendered":"

NCAA Women’s Championships: Virginia Punctuates Title Run With Dominant 400 Freestyle Relay<\/strong><\/p>\n

Heading into the final event of the NCAA Women\u2019s Championships, the team title had already been decided. Via another sensational performance and display of power and depth, the University of Virginia had locked up a fourth consecutive crown. Still, the Cavaliers wanted to cap this latest title run with flair.<\/p>\n

Job done.<\/p>\n

Behind the quartet of Jasmine Nocentini<\/strong>, Alex Walsh<\/strong>, Gretchen Walsh<\/strong> and Maxine Parker<\/strong>, Virginia claimed victory in the 400-yard freestyle relay. The Cavaliers touched the wall in 3:05.89, good for a 2.71-second margin over runnerup Florida. Virginia’s time is the second-fastest in history, falling just shy of the 3:05.84 mark produced at last year’s NCAA meet.<\/p>\n

Of course, Gretchen Walsh was at the forefront of the triumph, as the junior sensation delivered another stunning performance. Having already set numerous records over the weekend, including a barrier-breaking showings in the 100 butterfly (sub-48) and 100 freestyle (sub-45), Walsh split 45.17 for the third leg. Her American and NCAA records in the 100 freestyle arrived earlier Saturday night, with Walsh touching the wall in 44.83.<\/p>\n

Nocentini, the Northwestern transfer who proved to be a key cog in the Cavs’ success, opened the relay with a 47.06 effort. Alex Walsh followed in 46.54, and was followed by her sister’s 45-low effort. Parker closed out the event with a split of 47.12, giving Virginia plenty of cushion over Florida, which was timed in 3:08.60.<\/p>\n

“I told the girls before the relay, \u2018Just have fun. Maybe swim a little bit fast,'” Virginia head coach Todd DeSorbo<\/strong>. “And Gretchen said, \u2018Make sure we win and win by a lot.\u2019 She said it. I said, \u2018OK, go for it.\u2019 I\u2019m actually surprised they went as fast as they did in that relay. It\u2019s a long meet. Everybody\u2019s exhausted. I was shocked they came as close to the record as they did. It\u2019s really impressive.”<\/p>\n

The 40 points claimed in the final relay lifted Virginia’s total to 527.5 for the four-day meet, with Texas finishing in second in the team standings with 441 points.<\/p>\n