Gretchen Walsh Named VA Sports Hall of Fame Sportsperson of the Year
VIRGINIA BEACH, VA – Virginia senior women’s swimmer Gretchen Walsh has been selected as the recipient of the Steve Guback Sportsperson of the Year Award as announced today (March 11) by the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame.
The award recognizes an athlete, coach, team, administrator and/or individual who supports athletics and has distinguished themselves through outstanding athletic achievement during the 2024 calendar year.
Walsh was selected following an open nomination period and through a vote combining the Hall’s Board of Directors and the general public.
The award will be presented at the 2025 Induction Ceremony on Saturday, April 26, at the Westin Hotel in the Town Center of Virginia Beach.
In 2024 while competing for UVA Swimming, she helped lead the Cavaliers to their fourth consecutive team NCAA National Championship. Walsh concluded the meet with a perfect 7-for-7 first-place finishes, including three individual NCAA records, one relay NCAA record, and pool records in all seven events. She also helped lead the Cavaliers to their fifth consecutive ACC title, being named the ACC Most Valuable Swimmer. She was also the CSCAA Women’s Swimmer of the Year, the 2024 Honda Award Winner for Swimming, and the ACC Swimming Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Additionally, she was named the Atlantic Coast Conference’s Mary Garber Award Winner, which is presented to the ACC female student-athlete of the year across all sports.
Her excellence, however, did not stop when the academic year ended. Competing for Team U.S.A. at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France, Walsh would bring home four Olympic medals, two gold and two silver. She was a member of gold-medal winning relay teams in the 4×100 medley relay and the 4×100 mixed medley relay and would win silver in the 100m butterfly and 4x100m freestyle relay.
“You would be hard-pressed to find an athlete who had a better 2024 than Gretchen Walsh,” says Hall of Fame Chairman, Marty Miller. “The Hall is proud to honor her with the Sportsperson of the Year Award.”
The Sportsperson of the Year Award is named in honor of 2005 Virginia Sports Hall of Fame inductee, Steve Guback, who spent over 70 years in sports journalism.
More information about the award, and the 2025 Induction ceremony, can be found on the Hall’s website: www.vasportshof.com
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About the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame:
Since 1972, the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame has been proud to honor Virginia’s contributions to the world of sports. As the Commonwealth’s official hall of fame, our mission is to honor athletic excellence, serve as a nonprofit resource highlighting philanthropy through sports, while inspiring sports fans through programming and engaging entertainment.