Canny, Nelson and Gretchen Walsh Win Gold for UVA at ACC Championships

GREENSBORO, N.C. – It was another record-setting night for UVA standout Gretchen Walsh at the ACC Championships and Thursday she was joined at the top of the medal podium by two other Cavaliers who claimed individual titles. Walsh set the NCAA, American and US Open record in the 100 butterfly with a time of 48.25. It was her fourth gold medal of the event and the 13th in her career at UVA.

It was the third NCAA and American record that Walsh has been a part of at the Greensboro Aquatic Center this week. She also posted records in the 50 free (20.77) and was on UVA’s record-setting 200 freestyle relay (1:23.63) team. During that event she swam a split of 19.95 to become the first woman to ever break 20 seconds during a freestyle event.

Also picking up gold for the Cavaliers on day three of the championship was Ella Nelson in the 400 individual medley and Aimee Canny in the 200 freestyle. Nelson opened the evening’s final by swimming a winning time of 4:03.80. The win was her fourth consecutive at the ACC Championships in the event. It was second gold of the competition and the 10th she has claimed at Virginia. Canny took first place in the 200 freestyle with a performance of 1:43.10. It was her second gold of the championship and the fourth in her career.

Maxine Parker also made it to the podium for UVA, finishing third in the 200 free (1:44.31).

The Cavalier men were led by a pair of A-final finishes in the 400 individual medley. Sebastien Sergile swam a personal best time of 3:44.23 to place fourth. That ranks as the seventh best performance in the event in UVA history. Matt Styczen was seventh in the race at 3:46.07.

The ACC Championships run through Saturday. The Cavalier women enter the meet ranked No. 1 in the CSCAA poll. while the UVA men are No. 20.

Men’s Highlights
• Matt Styczen turned in a personal best time (3:44.6) in the 400 IM to finish fourth in the morning prelims
• Sebastien Sergile also had a PB in the 400 IM (3:45.22) in the prelim swim
• Will Cole recorded a PB (1:34.77) in the 200 free prelim

Women’s Highlights
• Ella Bathurst was fourth in the 400 IM (4:10.50) while Anna Keating placed fifth (4:11.56) in the race
• Carly Novelline had a PB of 51.77 to finish sixth in the 100 fly
• UVA advanced five swimmers to the A-final of the 200 free that Canny won. Cavan Gormsen posted a personal best time of 1:44.32 to place fourth, Reilly Tiltmann was sixth (1:44.45) and Tess Howley was seventh (1:45.71).

Team Scores

Women

1. Virginia – 846.5
2. Louisville – 683
3. NC State – 573
4. Duke – 433.5
5. North Carolina – 401.5
6. Virginia Tech – 308.5
7. Notre Dame – 276
8. Florida State – 266
9. Pittsburgh – 226
10. Miami – 221
11. Georgia Tech – 220

Men

1. NC State – 812.5
2. Notre Dame – 559.5
3. Virginia Tech – 469.5
4. Louisville – 458
5. Florida State – 386
6. North Carolina – 380
7. Virginia – 344.5
8. Pittsburgh – 315
9. Georgia Tech – 309
10. Duke – 164
11. Miami – 94

HOW TO FOLLOW
Prelims and finals will be streamed live on ACCNX. Links for the live streams and live results each day will be available on VirginiaSports.com. The evening sessions will air on the ACC Network the next morning. Craig Minervini, Amy Van Dyker and Jason Baumann will call the action.

SCHEDULE
Each day finals will begin at 5:30 p.m. Prelims begin at 9:30 a.m.

ORDER OF REMAINING EVENTS
Friday: 200 fly, 100 back, 100 breaststroke, women’s platform, 400 medley relay
Saturday: 1650 free, 200 back, 100 free, 200 breaststroke, men’s platform, 400 free relay

SMITHFIELD COMMONWEALTH CLASH
The ACC Championships serves as the Smithfield Commonwealth Clash matchup for Virginia and Virginia Tech. The rivalry between Virginia Athletics and Virginia Tech Athletics has a long and storied history dating back more than 125 years within the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Cavaliers and Hokies first faced off on the gridiron in Charlottesville in 1895. First coined the Commonwealth Clash during the 2014-2015 season, the rivalry has expanded and intensified across the 22 sports the two institutions face off in head-to-head competition. The final ACC standings was worth a point in the Clash on the men’s and women’s sides. UVA’s women won a point and the Virginia Tech men’s team won a point. Heading into Monday’s night men’s basketball game between the Cavaliers and the Hokies, Virginia leads this year’s Clash 5.5 to 1.5. UVA captured the Clash in 2015, 2016 and 2019 and 2023 while Virginia Tech has won the Clash in 2017, 2018 and 2022. The 2020 and 2021 clashes were canceled due to the pandemic.