{"id":603874,"date":"2025-01-27T05:37:09","date_gmt":"2025-01-27T12:37:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=603874"},"modified":"2025-01-27T08:56:43","modified_gmt":"2025-01-27T15:56:43","slug":"fanfare-and-spectacular-racing-lift-college-swimming-during-record-breaking-four-team-derby","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/fanfare-and-spectacular-racing-lift-college-swimming-during-record-breaking-four-team-derby\/","title":{"rendered":"Fanfare and Spectacular Racing Lift College Swimming During Record-Breaking Four-Team Derby"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fanfare and Spectacular Racing Lift College Swimming During Record-Breaking Four-Team Derby<\/strong><\/p>\n

This was the best of what the college swimming regular season can offer: high-level racing in the often-lethargic month of January inspired by the stakes of competition against other high-level programs. Sure, it’s interesting to see swimmers mess around in off-events during one-sided dual meets (think\u00a0Torri Huske<\/strong> racing the 200 breaststroke against UCLA)<\/a> , but the environment in Austin, Texas, this weekend is what swimmers and coaches thrive \u2014 and fans, too, with 2331 of them showing up for Friday evening’s session.<\/p>\n

As expected, the Eddie Reese Texas Showdown produced a slate of record-threatening performances along with one actual national mark, with the Virginia women’s 400 medley relay setting an American record<\/a> while falling just short of the U.S. Open and NCAA marks they set with Italian breaststroker Jasmine Nocentini<\/strong> on the team last season.<\/p>\n

That relay gave\u00a0Gretchen Walsh<\/strong> the chance to claim one of the few college swimming records missing from her ledger, the fastest relay split ever in the 100-yard butterfly. In previous years,\u00a0Kate Douglass<\/strong> and Gretchen’s older sister\u00a0Alex Walsh<\/strong> had handled that leg on UVA’s medley relays with Gretchen on backstroke, but with\u00a0Claire Curzan<\/strong> now leading off, Gretchen is off to fly, and her 47.15 was the quickest split ever by a full 1.61 seconds. Between that and her 47.48 clocking in the individual event, the first 46s are surely coming in the next two months.<\/p>\n

Not that there was any doubt, but the Virginia women reaffirmed their status as national-title favorites over the weekend, particularly with defeats of three-time national runnerup Texas and pesky conference rival NC State. Alex Walsh did not compete for Virginia in the fall, but she is position to finish her college career with a bang after recording the country’s fastest times in the 200 IM and 100 breaststroke over the weekend.\u00a0Katie Grimes<\/strong> is fitting in perfectly at UVA, having posted college swimming’s fastest 400 IM of the season with a 3:59.02.<\/p>\n

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Hubert Kos — Photo Courtesy: Andrea Masini \/ Deepbluemedia \/ Insidefoto<\/p><\/div>\n

Meanwhile, we got another clue that the Texas men will be extremely tough to beat in year one under\u00a0Bob Bowman<\/strong> as they downed defending national champion (and Bowman’s former team)\u00a0Arizona State. While no records were set on the men’s side,\u00a0Hubert Kos<\/strong> and\u00a0Luke Hobson<\/strong> continued to show their mettle as individual Olympic medalists, and we’re sure that Texas is thrilled to have\u00a0Chris Guiliano<\/strong> on board as the centerpiece sprinter the roster lacked.<\/p>\n

Rex Maurer<\/strong> continues to back up his breakthrough to the country’s elite<\/a>, and breaststrokers\u00a0Nate Germonprez<\/strong> and\u00a0Will Scholtz<\/strong> continue to take steps forward. Cal and Indiana will have plenty to say when it’s time to award trophies, but Texas has made its intentions clear.<\/p>\n

Eddie Reese Texas Showdown Links<\/h2>\n