Virginia Wins Four Titles on Third Day of NCAA Championship

ATHENS, Ga. – The Virginia women’s swimming and diving team won four events on Friday (March 22) at the 2024 NCAA Division I Championships at the Jack Bauerle Pool at the Gabrielsen Natatorium in Athens, Georgia.

The Cavaliers won three individual events and a relay to remain at the top of the team leaderboard heading into the championship’s final day.

Virginia’s relay dominance continued with gold in the 400-meter Medley Relay, their third relay win of the championship. Junior Gretchen Walsh, senior Alex Walsh, junior Jasmine Nocentini, and senior Maxine Parker set an NCAA and US Open record with a time of 3:21.01 in the event. The mark eclipsed the previous mark of 3:21.80 set last year by Virginia. Both Walsh sisters were part of that relay as well.

The relay was the second record-setting performance of the night.

For the second straight day, Gretchen Walsh set American, NCAA, and US Open records en route to winning an individual title. She earned the top seed in the 100 Fly final after swimming a 48.26 in the prelims, .01 seconds off her own NCAA and American Record time of 48.25. In the final, she blasted past that mark, swimming a 47.42. Walsh set an NCAA, American and US Open record in the 50 Free on Thursday night.

Alex Walsh opened the session by winning the 400 IM with a pool-record time of 3:55.97, three seconds faster than the second-place finisher. It was the third straight year she won the NCAA title in this event. Grad student Ella Nelson also competed in the A-Final, finishing sixth with a 4:04.33.

Nocentini won her first NCAA individual title in the 100 Breaststroke. Nocentini swam a personal-best time of 56.96 in qualifying, the second-fastest time of the day to earn her spot in the 100 Breaststroke final. In the night session, she bettered that time with a 56.09, the second-fastest time ever to take gold. She is the first ever 100 Breaststroke champion in UVA program history. Sophomore Emma Weber finished third in the B-Final.

The Cavaliers had several other swimmers turn in All-America performances.

For the second straight day, junior Lizzy Kaye made program history in the diving competition. After becoming the first UVA diver to earn honorary All-America status by advancing to Thursday’s B-Final in the 1M, she earned a spot in the 3M A-Final with a sixth-place finish in the preliminaries. She placed eighth in the final with a score of 267.30.

In another A-Final swim, sophomore Aimee Canny finished sixth in the 200 Free with a personal-best time of 1:42.33.

The championship wraps up on Saturday with the 1650 Free, 200 Back, 100 Free, 200 Breast, 200 Fly, Platform Diving and 400 Free Relay. Prelims start at 10 a.m., with the finals starting at 6 p.m.

The Cavaliers have won eight titles at the meet: three relays and five individual events.

Virginia Notes

• This was Gretchen Walsh’s fifth career individual NCAA Championship and 11th relay title
• Alex Walsh has seven NCAA individual and 10 relay titles
• Gretchen Walsh owns or has participated in eight NCAA Records: 100 free, 50 free, 100 back, 100 fly, 200 free relay, 400 free relay, 200 medley relay and 400 medley relay.
• Alex Walsh has 24 All-America honors in her career
• This was Ella Nelson’s 18^th All-America honor
• Sophomore Carly Novelline posted a personal best in the 100 Fly prelims at 51.60, finishing 22^nd
• Freshman Tess Howley swam 51.99 in the 100 Back prelims, a personal best, finishing 27^th

Team Scores Through Day Three
1. Virginia 360.5
2.Texas 319.0
3. Florida 267.0
4.Tennessee 185.0
5. Stanford 177.0
6. USC 157.0
7. Indiana 138.0
8. Louisville 136.0
9. NC State 114.0
10. California 110.0

American Records Set by Cavaliers at the NCAA Championships
50 Free: Gretchen Walsh 20.37
100 Fly: Gretchen Walsh 47.42

NCAA Records Set by Cavaliers at the NCAA Championships
50 Free: Gretchen Walsh 20.37
100 Fly: Gretchen Walsh 47.42
400 Medley Relay: 3:21.01

Event Titles at the NCAA Championships (8)
200 IM, 50 Free, 400 IM, 100 Fly, 100 Breaststroke
200 Medley Relay, 200 Free Relay, 400 Medley Relay

NCAA Championships by Individual
Gretchen Walsh – 200 Medley Relay, 50 Free, 200 Free Relay, 100 Fly, 400 Medley Relay
Jasmine Nocentini – 200 Medley Relay, 200 Free Relay, 100 Breast, 400 Medley Relay
Alex Walsh – 200 IM, 200 Free Relay, 400 IM, 400 Medley Relay
Maxine Parker – 200 Medley Relay, 200 Free Relay, 400 Medley Relay
Carly Novelline – 200 Medley Relay

All-America – First Team
Gretchen Walsh – 200 Medley Relay, 50 Free, 200 Free Relay, 100 Fly, 400 Medley Relay
Jasmine Nocentini – 200 Medley Relay, 50 Free, 200 Free Relay, 100 Breast, 400 Medley Relay
Maxine Parker – 200 Medley Relay, 50 Free, 200 Free Relay, 400 Medley Relay
Alex Walsh – 800 Free Relay, 200 IM, 200 Free Relay, 400 IM, 400 Medley Relay
Ella Nelson – 800 Free Relay, 200 IM, 400 IM
Cavan Gormsen – 500 Free
Carly Novelline – 200 Medley Relay
Aimee Canny – 800 Free Relay
Alex Walsh – 800 Free Relay
Reilly Tiltmann – 800 Free Relay
Lizzy Kaye – 3M Diving

All-America – Honorable Mention
Lizzy Kaye – 1M Diving
Emma Weber – 100 Breast
Reilly Tiltmann – 100 Back