Cavaliers Celebrate Continuation of Dynasty

By Jeff White (jwhite@virginia.edu)
VirginiaSports.com

For Alex Walsh, the team title in NCAA women’s swimming & diving was her fifth. For her sister, Gretchen, it was her fourth.

For their teammate Claire Curzan, it was the first, and that made the milestone more special. Late Saturday night in Federal Way, Wash., near Seattle, the University of Virginia became only the third school to win five consecutive NCAA team titles in the sport, joining Stanford (1992-96) and Texas (1984-88).

“It’s everything I could have hoped for and more, honestly,” said Curzan, who began her college career at Stanford. “You go through the whole year with the girls and you work towards this goal. And obviously there’s been a precedent set—four precedents set—so you are just working day in and day out for this moment and to be able to share it with them and to jump in the pool. It’s always fun to sing the Good Old Song. I finally feel like I’m a part of the team … I’m just really happy and I’m really proud of everyone.”

Virginia finished the four-day meet with 544 points, well ahead of runner-up Stanford (417).

For the Walsh sisters, who grew up Nashville, Tenn., the meet added an exclamation point to their record-setting careers. Each will leave UVA with nine NCAA titles in individual events, tied for fourth most all-time. Only seven swimmers have won nine or more individual NCAA titles.

Alex made history this weekend. She’s the only swimmer to have helped lead five teams to NCAA titles, and she’s also the only one to have won at least one individual title in five NCAA meets. In Federal Way, she won the 100 breaststroke and helped the Wahoos take gold in three relays: the 400 freestyle, 200 medley and 400 medley.

Gretchen, who set multiple NCAA and American records in Federal Way, won three individual events—the 50 free, 100 free and 100 butterfly. She also swam on four championship relay teams (200 free, 400 free, 200 medley, 400 medley).

“The Walshes have just meant so much to our program,” UVA head coach Todd DeSorbo said.

DeSorbo, whom Virginia hired in August 2017, said he brought Alex to tears when told her that she’s “obviously a super talented athlete, but she’s an even better person. And both Gretchen and Alex are the same way.”

Not only are they elite swimmers, DeSorbo said, but the Walsh sisters “elevate people around them.” He noted how Gretchen has mentored freshman Anna Moesch, who swam on three championship relay teams at this NCAA meet.

“Gretchen just took her under her wing and kind of showed her the ways and pushed her and supported her,” DeSorbo said, “and it’s helped [Moesch] out throughout the year. A lot of our first-years have gotten that support from [the Walshes]. They’re just great leaders. Hopefully they’ll be around for a few more years and continue to help lead the younger girls in the program.”

To be part of “the legacy of the five-peat” is special, said Alex Walsh, who was a freshman in 2020-21 during the COVID-19 pandemic and so received another year of eligibility.

“It’s just so crazy to think about how it’s so hard to sustain a national championship-winning team for that many years in a row and the fact that we’ve continuously brought in a new class and had them [get] accustomed to the culture and the expectation that we all hold ourselves. We make that pretty clear at the beginning of the year, and I’m just really proud to be a part of that.”

When she arrived at UVA, Alex Walsh said, her goal “was to be able to win a national title individually. From a team standpoint, I didn’t really know if that was going to be in the cards, but it’s been way more than that. So it’s really hard. I think I need to take this week to let it fully soak in.”

To motivate herself late in her final college season, Alex Walsh said, she would repeat a phrase. “I’m like, ‘Just do it for the team, do it for the team.’ It gives me a way to not have any excuses. And I think that just translated to the pool. Honestly, every single time I’d be on the last 25, I would just be like, ‘Just do it for the girls.’ It’s just become a force of habit now. So just because I’m not going to be competing collegiately anymore doesn’t mean that I still won’t have that mentality.”

It was early Sunday morning on the East Coast when the Cavaliers, as has become their custom, dived into the pool to celebrate an NCAA title. Virginia capped the meet by winning the 400 free relay with a team consisting of Curzan, Moesch and the Walsh sisters.

Afterward, Gretchen Walsh told reporters that she hadn’t “had enough time to process everything … I think later this week it will definitely hit me, but it’s been such an amazing meet and amazing experience. I feel like I’ve made so many memories with these girls and obviously accomplished so much. So I’m all smiles right now.”

She arrived on Grounds a year after her sister enrolled at UVA. Even then, Gretchen Walsh said, “I knew that there was something special in store at Virginia for me, and everything just kind of clicked when I got there.

“Clearly, the stars have aligned. I’ve accomplished my wildest dreams here.”

Alex Walsh helped the Cavaliers win 14 NCAA relay titles, and her sister swam on 16 championship relay teams. They’re out of eligibility, but among the swimmers due back for Virginia in 2025-26 are nine All-Americans: Curzan, Moesch, Leah Hayes, Tess Howley, Aimee Canny, Cavan Gormsen, Katie Grimes, Charlotte Wilson and Emma Weber.

Curzan won two individual events (100 and 200 backstroke) and swam on four championship relay teams (200 free, 400 free, 200 medley and 400 medley).

“I’m at a loss for words, honestly, but it was a great night,” she said after her first NCAA meet as a Cavalier.

As a Stanford freshman in 2022-23, Curzan won the NCAA title in the 200 backstroke. She transferred to UVA after that school year but opted to redshirt in 2023-24.

When Curzan won the 100 backstroke Friday, she became the first female swimmer to capture an NCAA title with two schools. Curzan won the 200 backstroke Saturday, breaking her own American and NCAA record in the event.

The NCAA team title was the 35^th won by a UVA athletic program. Curzan and Co. hope to add to that total in 2025-26.

“I’m excited to see the incoming freshmen and who is going to step up to the plate,” Curzan said, “because it’s a big loss losing both Gretchen and Alex and all of our seniors. Hopefully people will rise to the occasion. The freshmen did a great job this year of rising to the occasion, so I’m excited to see that develop.”

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