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Virginia's Women Set Four Pool Records, Lead Texas After Day One

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The No. 1 Virginia women’s swimming & diving team (2-0) took the lead on the final event of the first day to hold a 103-102 edge over No. 2 Texas (2-0) heading into Saturday’s competition. The Cavalier men trail the Longhorns, 156-49.

“Great day for both our men and our women,” head coach Todd DeSorbo said. “It was special to be able to celebrate our women’s national championship to start off the meet and unveil our new banner, and to do it while Texas is here. It is rare that a college dual meet has two of the top teams in the country battling it out with multiple national champions and multiple Olympians. It is just a special time and competition to have them here in our pool and welcoming fans back in the facility. It was a great environment and our team really fed off that.”

Coming down to the final event of the afternoon, UVA’s women needed to go first and third in the 400-yard freestyle relay to take the lead heading into Saturday. The group of Kate Douglass, Gretchen Walsh, Lexi Cuomo and Alex Walsh, respectively, set a pool record with a 3:14.14 to win the event.

Kate Morris, Ella Nelson, Ella Bathurst and Reilly Tiltmann, respectively, just out-touched Texas with a 3:19.85 to take third and give the Cavaliers the 103-102 advantage.

WOMEN’S RESULTS

  • UVA’s women set five pool records on Friday.
  • The 200-yard medley relay group of G. Walsh, Alexis Wenger, A. Walsh and Douglass, respectively, combined for a pool record time of 1:34.25 to take the win.
  • Emma Weyant won two individual events, setting a new pool record in the 400-yard IM (4:05.68). She also took first in the 1000-yard freestyle (9:42.71).

“Shoutout to Emma Weyant, her 400 IM and 1000 free double, winning both in season-bests. Her 4:05 in the 400 IM in a dual meet, that is probably the fastest that I have ever seen by far. Obviously, she is an Olympic medalist in that event, so really showed off her abilities today in the shorter pool.”

  • Ella Bathurst swam to a second-place finish in the 200-yard freestyle, with a time of 1:47.87.
  • Douglass and Cuomo went 1-3 in the 50-yard freestyle. Douglas won with a pool record time of 22.07 and Cuomo was third in 23.19.
  • G. Walsh won the 100-yard backstroke with a pool-record time of 51.12 and Reilly Tiltmann finished third in 52.78.
  • Wenger grabbed first in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 58.88.

MEN’S RESULTS

  • Matt Brownstead, Noah Nichols, Max Edwards and Matt King, respectively, finished second in the 200-yard medley relay.
  • Brownstead and August Lamb took second and third, respectively, in the 50-yard freestyle.
  • Justin Grender finished third in the 200-yard butterfly with a time of 1:46.65.
  • Sean Conway notched a third-place finish in the 100-yard backstroke, clocking in with a 48.23.
  • Noah Nichols finished second in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 53.13.
  • UVA’s men closed out the first day with a second-place finish in the 400-yard freestyle. King, Lamb, Grender and Brownstead, respectively, posted a time of 2:53.68.

DIVING

  • The day started with diving, as Texas swept the women’s 1-meter and 3-meter boards. Lizzy Kaye was the top finisher for the Cavaliers on both events, posting a 284.48 on the 3-meter and a 265.28 on the 1-meter.
  • Texas’ Hailey Hernandez set a UVA pool record with a 333.00 on the 1-meter.
  • The Longhorns took the men’s diving events as well, with Jordan Windle winning both. Walker Creedon finished fifth on the 3-meter to lead UVA with a 345.90 and Nicholas Sanders was the top finisher on the 1-meter with a 301.05.

MORE FROM HEAD COACH TODD DESORBO

“The team elevated relative to where they had been in the past and answered a tough challenge from Texas. I’m really pleased with where we are halfway through the meet. Texas has always had unbelievable divers; they have Olympians there as well. For the women to overcome the deficit in diving and have a one-point lead was good, it was a goal of ours. The men, Texas is easily the No. 1 team in the country. It is good for our men to see that and battle with them and challenge them. A couple of tight battles in the relays, really exciting to see our guys take them down to the wire in the relays as well as individual races. Pleased with how we did tonight. The back half of the meet is tomorrow morning, so it will be challenge coming off the adrenaline, emotion and fight from tonight to do it again. I am excited to see how the team responds. It will be a challenge but will ultimately set us up to be successful at the end of the season. Happy with their performances and looking forward to tomorrow.”

UP NEXT

Virginia and Texas conclude the two-day dual meet on Saturday, November 6. The competition resumes at 10 a.m. at the Aquatic and Fitness Center and will be streamed on ACCNX.

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