Matt Brownstead Sets UVA 50 Free Record at NCAA Championships
ATLANTA – Sophomore Matt Brownstead became the fifth-fastest performer in history in the 50-yard freestyle on Thursday night at the 2022 NCAA Championships at McAuley Aquatic Center.
Brownstead put down an 18.60 in finals to finish third and earn All-America honors. He improved on his own UVA record time of 18.85 from prelims earlier in the day. It was Brownstead’s first top-eight individual finish at the NCAA Championships.
Sophomore Matt King finished 12th in the 50 free in 19.02, the second-fastest time in UVA history. King swam a then-personal-best 19.05 in prelims.
The Cavaliers closed out the night with a fifth-place finish in the 200-yard freestyle relay. Brownstead, King, freshman Connor Boyle and junior August Lamb, respectively, clocked in with a time of 1:14.70 for the second-fastest time in school history. The fifth-place finish was UVA’s best finish in a relay at NCAAs since finishing fourth in the 800 free relay in 2012.
Virginia is ninth in the standings with 70.5 points. Texas (180), Florida (159), California (158), NC State (124), Arizona State (111), Georgia (100), Stanford (94) and Indiana (78) are the top eight.
In Prelims
- Senior Casey Storch finished 43rd in the 200-yard individual medley with a time of 1:44.90.
- Boyle just missed qualifying for finals, finishing 17th in the 50 free in career-best 19.18.
- Lamb was 21st in the 50 free with a career-best 19.25.
- Freshman Jack Aikins finished 34th in the 50 free with a time of 19.47.
UP NEXT
Friday’s events will include the 400-yard individual medley, 100-yard butterfly, 200-yard freestyle, 100-yard breaststroke, 100-yard backstroke, 3-meter diving and the 400-yard medley relay.