No. 1 Virginia Has 17 Swimmers Qualify for 2023 NCAA Championships
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The No. 1 Virginia women’s swimming & diving team and two-time reigning NCAA Champions had 17 swimmers qualify for the 2023 NCAA Championships, USA Swimming released on Wednesday (March 1).
UVA’s 17 swimmers are the most by any school to qualify for this year’s championship and the Cavaliers combined for 37 events among those swimmers. Eight of the 17 qualified in all three individual events and four made two individual events.
The Cavaliers that made the cut are junior Sam Baron (200 fly), sophomore Ella Bathurst (200 back), freshman Aimee Canny (100 free, 200 free, 200 IM), senior Lexi Cuomo (100 fly, 50 free, 100 free), senior Maddie Donohoe (500 free, 1650 free), senior Kate Douglass (200 IM, 100 fly, 200 breast), junior Abby Harter (200 IM, 100 fly, 200 fly), junior Anna Keating (200 breast), freshman Sophia Knapp (1650 free), senior Ella Nelson (200 IM, 400 IM, 200 breast), freshman Carly Novelline (100 fly, 100 back), junior Maxine Parker (100 free, 50 free), sophomore Reilly Tiltmann (100 back, 200 free, 200 back), junior Alex Walsh (200 fly, 200 IM, 400 IM), sophomore Gretchen Walsh (100 free, 50 free, 100 back), freshman Emma Weber (100 breast, 200 breast) and graduate student Jaycee Yegher (100 breast).
Douglass, the 2022 CSCAA Women’s Swimmer of the Year, qualified in the 200 IM, 100 fly and 200 breaststroke. Douglass won NCAA individual titles in the 100 fly and 200 breast in 2022 as well as the 50 free. Douglass, who owns the UVA record with 21 total All-America honors, looks to become the all-time leader in First Team individual All-America honors as she enters with nine behind Leah Smith’s 10.
Alex Walsh won all three individual events in 2022 and returns to the championships, qualifying in the 200 fly, 200 IM and 400 IM. Walsh amassed 13 All-America honors in her two years, currently tied for 14th all-time at UVA.
Nelson earned top-eighth finishes in all three individual events last season, including a third-place finish in the 400 IM. Nelson is tied for 18th all-time at UVA with 12 total All-America honors. Gretchen Walsh won an individual NCAA title in the 100 free at the 2022 NCAA Championships and was part of all four of UVA’s NCAA championship relays.
UP NEXT
Virginia’s divers will compete in the 2023 NCAA Zone A Championships March 6-8 to determine divers that will compete at the 2023 NCAA Championships.