Cavaliers Win Two Events on Second Day of NCAA Championships

FEDERAL WAY, Wash.  – Virginia won two events on Thursday (March 20) at the 2025 NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatics Center in Federal Way, Washington.

Senior Gretchen Walsh won the 50 Free and then helped lead the 200 Free Relay to victory.

Virginia leads the team standings with 225 points, followed by Stanford (178) and Texas (152) through the first two days of the four-day competition.

On Thursday, the Cavaliers had seven swimmers advance from the morning prelims to the finals, with six making A Finals.

The Cavaliers had three swimmers in the A Final of the 50 Free. Gretchen Walsh won it in 20.49, her second straight year winning the NCAA title in the event. Sophomore Claire Curzan was second behind Walsh, posting a personal-best 21.11. Grad student Maxine Parker placed sixth with a 21.77.

Walsh, Curzan and Parker then teamed with freshman Anna Moesch to win the 200 Free Relay with a 1:24.45. Walsh led off the relay with a split of 21.37, tying her own American, NCAA and US Open record for the 50 Free.

This is the fourth-straight year that Virginia has won the 200 Free Relay.

Freshman Katie Grimes and sophomore Cavan Gormsen both made the A Final of the 500 Free with Grimes placing fourth (4:34.25) and Gormsen fifth (4:34.51).

Freshman Leah Hayes won the B Final of the 200 IM (1:53.71) for a ninth-place finish and her first career honorable mention All-America honors. Grad student Alex Walsh was denied her fourth NCAA title in the 200 IM, falling to Stanford’s Torri Huske in the final. Walsh touched at 1:50.14 behind Huske’s 1:49.67.

For the second straight year, Lizzy Kaye earned honorable mention All-America honors in 1m Diving. Kaye was 12th in the prelims to make the consolation final. She finished 11^th overall with a score of 306.85.

Friday’s events will be the 400 IM, 100 Fly, 200 Free, 100 Breast, 100 Back, 3m Diving and the 400 Medley Relay.

Prelims start at 1 p.m. ET with the finals session starting at 9 p.m. ET.

The meet runs through Saturday (March 22).

MEET NOTES

• The 50 Free was the 7^th NCAA individual title won by Gretchen Walsh in her career
• The 200 Free Relay is Walsh’s 14^th relay title, giving her 21 total NCAA event titles
• Gretchen Walsh owns all 10 of the fastest times ever in the 50 Free
• Maxine Parker now has eight career NCAA relay titles
• Alex Walsh earned her 30th overall All-America honor and her fifth time being an All-American in the 200 IM. She won the 200 IM in 2021, 2022 and 2024
• Swimmers in the A-Finals earn First Team All-America honors. Swimmers in the B-Finals are honorable mention All-Americans

Team Scores Through Day Two

1. Virginia 225
2. Stanford 178
3. Texas 152
4. Louisville 106.5
5. Indiana 102
6. Tennessee 93
7. Michigan 92
8. Cal 89.5
9. Florida 71
10. NC State 54

HOW TO FOLLOW

• All sessions will be streamed live on ESPN+ (subscription required)
• Live scoring will be available on the Meet Mobile app and through a link posted on VirginiaSports

American Records by Cavaliers at the NCAA Championships (2)
200 Medley Relay (1:31.10)
50 Free Gretchen Walsh 20.37 (ties previous mark)

NCAA Records by Cavaliers at the NCAA Championships (2)
200 Medley Relay (1:31.10)
50 Free Gretchen Walsh 20.37 (ties previous mark)

Event Titles at the NCAA Championships (3)
50 Free, 200 Medley Relay, 200 Free Relay

NCAA Championships by Individual
Gretchen Walsh – 50 Free, 200 Medley Relay, 200 Free Relay
Maxine Parker – 200 Medley Relay, 200 Free Relay
Claire Curzan – 200 Medley Relay, 200 Free Relay
Alex Walsh – 200 Medley Relay
Anna Moesch – 200 Free Relay

All-America – First Team
Gretchen Walsh – 50 Free, 200 Medley Relay, 200 Free Relay
Maxine Parker – 50 Free, 200 Medley Relay, 200 Free Relay
Alex Walsh – 200 IM, 200 Medley Relay, 800 Free Relay
Claire Curzan – 50 Free, 200 Medley Relay, 200 Free Relay
Katie Grimes – 500 Free, 800 Free Relay
Anna Moesch – 800 Free Relay, 200 Free Relay
Cavan Gormsen – 500 Free
Aimee Canny – 800 Free Relay

All-America – Honorable Mention
Leah Hayes – 200 IM
Lizzy Kaye – 1M Diving