No. 9/1 Virginia Splits Dual with No. 3/11 Florida
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The No. 9/1 Virginia swimming & diving teams split in the dual meet with No. 3/11 Florida in the season opener on Saturday at the Aquatic and Fitness Center.
Virginia’s women won 11 of the 16 events with four swimmers sweeping their two individual events to top Florida 180-115. Senior Kate Douglass, junior Alex Walsh and sophomores Gretchen Walsh and Reilly Tiltmann all won two events.
Douglass took the win in the 100-yard breaststroke and 100-yard freestyle, setting a new pool record in the 100-yard free. The previous record was held by G. Walsh. G. Walsh won the 50-yard free and 100-yard butterfly. Walsh set a new pool record in the 100-fly, with the record previously held by Douglass. Tiltmann swept the 100 and 200-yard backstroke events and A. Walsh won the 200-yard free and 200-yard breaststroke.
On the men’s side, junior Noah Nichols swept the breaststroke events and junior Matt King and sophomore Jack Aikins picked up individual event wins. The men’s team fell 189-111 to the Gators.
WOMEN’S RESULTS
• UVA’s women opened the meet with a top-three sweep in the 200-yard medley relay. The team of freshman Carly Novelline, freshman Zoe SKirboll, A. Walsh and junior Maxine Parker, respectively, took the win with a time of 1:36.34.
• In the 200-yard freestyle, A. Walsh won in 1:45.25 and senior Ella Nelson finished second with a time of 1:45.81.
• The Cavaliers posted another top-two finish with Tiltmann winning the 100-yard backstroke (53.18) and Novelline placing second (53.93).
• Virginia dominated the breaststroke events, with all four swimmers taking the top four spots in both the 100 and 200. In the 100-breast, freshman Emma Weber was second (1:00.77), junior Anna Keating took third (1:01.12) and graduate student Jaycee Yegher was fourth (1:01.52). In the 200-yard breast, junior Anna Keating was second (2:12.51), Yegher third (2:13.31) and Weber fourth (2:14.11).
• Junior Abby Harter won the 200-yard butterfly with a time of 1:57.55 and junior Sam Baron finished third.
• In the 50 free, G. Walsh and Parker finished one-two, respectively. Walsh clocked in with a 21.40 and Parker was second in 22.21.
• Douglass completed her event sweep with a win in the 100-yard freestyle in a pool record time of 47.49.
• UVA took the top two spots in the 200-yard backstroke, with Tiltmann winning (1:56.87) and sophomore Ella Bathurst finishing second (1:58.09).
• Freshman Claire Tuggle picked up her first collegiate win in the 500-yard freestyle (4:47.19) and Nelson was second (4:48.64).
• G. Walsh and senior Lexi Cuomo combined for a one-two finish in the 100-yard butterfly. Walsh winning in a poll record 50.53 and Cuomo finishing in 54.10.
• G. Walsh, Douglass, Parker and A. Walsh, respectively, closed out the women’s meet with a 3:11.34 in the 400-yard freestyle to set a pool record by three seconds.
MEN’S RESULTS
• The Cavaliers finished two-three in the men’s 200-yard medley relay. UVA’s top relay group finished first but was later disqualified.
• Senior Jack Wright battled to the finish to take second in the men’s 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:36.36.
• Junior Will Cole, senior Max Edwards and senior Sean Conway finished two-three-four, respectively in the men’s 100-yard backstroke.
• Nichols won the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 52.23 and the 200-yard breaststroke in 1:55.00.
• King won the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 42.68 and was second in the 50-yard freestyle in 19.42.
• Aikins won the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 1:46.06 and Conway was third in 1:46.84.
• Freshman Kamal Muhammad finished second in the 200-yard IM with a time of 1:47.49.
DIVING
• The men’s and women’s diving kicked off on Friday afternoon with the 3-meter board.
• Senior Charlotte Bowen led the Cavaliers with a second-place finish on the 3-meter, scoring a 290.70. Sophomore Lizzy Kaye was third (285.60) and senior Jenn Bell finished fourth (278.60)
• Kaye finished second on the 1-meter with a score of 273.08. Bell was third with a 266.78 and junior Maddy Grosz finished fourth (256.13).
• For the men, junior Oliver Mills finished third on the 3-meter (292.80) and 1-meter boards (266.10).
UP NEXT
Virginia will travel to No. 2/3 Texas for a dual meet on Friday, November 4 in Austin, Texas.