Walsh Sisters Lead Virginia Women To Fourth Straight NCAA Championship Title

swin @) swan Four-Peat: The University of Virginia women rolled to their fourth consecutive NCAA Championship title on Saturday, winning 11 events including four relays and a pair of individual sweeps from the Walsh sisters. Also: All of the standout performances at NCAAs, Rylee Erisman breaks a Missy Franklin NAG at NCSAs, and the University of Texas begins looking for a new Director of Swimming. VIRGINIA MAKES IT FOUR STRAIGHT AS GRETCHEN WALSH REWRITES RECORD BOOKS The Cavaliers gradually extended their lead throughout the meet en route to winning a fourth consecutive Women's NCAA Championship title on Saturday, topping the runner-up Texas Longhorns by 86.5 points. That marked Virginia's smallest margin of victory, and the first under 100 points, in their current title reign. UVA was led by junior Gretchen Walsh, who delivered arguably the best NCAA Championship performance in history with three individual event victories, all in record-setting fashion, to go along with four relay titles. Walsh broke her NCAA, U.S. Open and American Records in the 50 free (20.37), 100 free (44.83) and 100 fly (47.42), becoming the first swimming in history to break the 45-second barrier in the 100 free and the first to go sub-48 in the 100 fly. She also led off Virginia's 200 medley relay with the fastest 50 back split of all-time in 22.10, and neared her U.S. Open Record in the 100 back (48.10) leading off the 400 medley relay in 48.26, the lone relay in which the team set a new NCAA Record. Walsh also contributed to the winning 200 free (20.23) and 400 free (45.17) relays with the fastest splits in the field. Senior Alex Walsh matched Gretchen by scoring the maximum 60 points, sweeping the 200 breast (2:02.07), 200 IM (1:49.20) and 400 IM (3:55.97), becoming the second woman under 1:50 in the 200 IM and moving to #2 all-time in the 400 IM. The other individual title for UVA came from redshirt senior Jasmine Nocentini, a new team member this season who topped a loaded field in the 100 breast in a time of 56.06, ranking her #2 all-time. In the 400 medley relay, it was G. Walsh (48.26), Nocentini (56.34), A. Walsh (49.15) and Maxine Parker (47.26) combining for a time of 3:21.01, lowering their own NCAA and U.S. Open Record of 3:21.80 set in 2023. Other Winning Relay Lineups: * 200 medley relay: G. Walsh, Nocentini, Carly Novelline, Parker – 1:31.58 * 200 free relay: Nocentini, G. Walsh, A. Walsh, Parker – 1:24.05 * 400 free relay: Nocentini, A. Walsh, G. Walsh, Parker – 3:05.89 Read more on Virginia's fourth straight title here. FINAL TEAM STANDINGS – TOP 10 1. Virginia, 527.5 2. Texas, 441 3. Florida, 364 4. Tennessee, 277 5. Stanford, 250 6. Louisville, 212 7. Indiana, 206 8. USC, 200 9. Ohio State / NC State, 162 10. - Other NCAA Highlights * The University of Texas earned its third straight runner-up finish with 441 points, as Emma Sticklen was their lone event winner with a repeat title in the 200 fly (1:50.99). * Florida moved up from 9th in 2023 to 3rd behind a big showing from newcomers Bella Sims and Isabel Ivey. The freshman Sims won the 200 free (1:40.90) and 500 free (4:32.47) to mark the lone non-UVA swimmer to have two wins. Sims and Ivey also played a crucial role in leading the Gators to victory in the 800 free relay, combining with Emma Weyant and Micayla Cronk to clock 6:48.59 and top runner-up Tennessee by more than two seconds. * NC State fifth-year Katharine Berkoff won her third career title in the 100 back, setting a new best time of 48.55 which marked the third-fastest swim ever—a few events later it got moved down to #4 after Walsh went 48.26 in the medley relay. * Georgia's Abby McCulloh became the first Bulldog woman to win an NCAA title since 2016 when she topped the 1650 free in a time of 15:37.74, topping Stanford's Aurora Roghair (15:41.11). * Wisconsin senior Phoebe Bacon reclaimed the NCAA title in the 200 back after winning it as a freshman in 2021, clocking 1:48.23 to edge out NC State's Kennedy Noble (1:48.43) and Sims (1:48.47). * UNC senior Aranza Vazquez Montano swept the springboard diving events, winning the 1-meter and 3-meter while Minnesota sophomore Viviana Del Angel came out on top on platform. * NC State's 200 medley relay was DQed on the opening night for an early takeoff—the relay would've been 3rd. * Florida's Olivia Peoples swam fly on Florida's 200 free relay, splitting 22.25 with a flip turn. RYLEE ERISMAN BREAKS MISSY FRANKLIN'S 13-14 NAG IN 50 FREE Laker Swimming's Rylee Erisman had a phenomenal showing at the NCSA Spring Championships in Orlando, highlighted by her record-breaking performance in the 50 freestyle. Erisman, 14, fired off a time of 24.98 in the 50 free final (LCM) to shatter Missy Franklin's girls' 13-14 National Age Group Record of 25.23 set in 2009. The swim made Erisman, who came into the meet with a best time of 25.25, the youngest female swimmer ever under 25 seconds. There have also only been six swimmers in the U.S. 15-16 age group that have gone sub-25. On the opening day of the meet, Erisman dropped more than four-tenths from her best time in the 100 free, clocking 55.09 to move into #3 all-time in the girls' 13-14 age group. Erisman became the fastest swimmer in the age group in 15 years, as she trails only Franklin (54.03) and Lia Neal (55.00), who both produced their times in 2009. Erisman also won the 200 free (2:00.19) and 400 free (4:14.74) in personal best fashion, and in the 100 back, she was the runner-up to Maggie Wanezek (59.90) in 1:00.58, launching her up to #3 all-time in the 13-14 age group behind Regan Smith (1:00.26) and Franklin (1:00.50). Wanezek's swim marked a new best time, lowering her 59.96 mark set at the 2022 Junior Pan Pacs to rank 14th all-time in the 17-18 age group. You can find full NCSA coverage here. TEXAS REPORTEDLY CONSIDERING DIRECTOR OF SWIMMING IN SEARCH FOR NEW MEN'S COACH The University of Texas is considering appointing a 'Director of Swimming' as the school continues its search for a new head coach of the men's team following the retirement of Eddie Reese at the end of this season, multiple sources told SwimSwam on Monday. If the right candidate is found, the Director of Swimming would directly lead the men’s team and oversee the entire swimming & diving program, including the women’s team that has finished 2nd at each of the last three NCAA Championship meets. There is also a scenario where head women's coach Carol Capitani could become the Director of Swimming and oversee both programs while a less-experienced coach is appointed to run the men's program, the sources added. While it is not always overtly stated, many collegiate swim programs are structured this way around the country where the nominal head coach focuses on one gender while staying involved with the other alongside a coach hired specifically to lead the other gender. Read more here. QUICK HITS * A 17-year-old male swimmer from Grosse Pointe, Michigan is facing murder charges after he was the driver in an accident that resulted in the death of another swimmer, Flynn Mackrell, in November. * Levenia Sim was among seven athletes to have their national sporting citizenship approved by the IOC in time for the Paris Olympics, with Sims switching from the United States to Singapore. * Penn State head coach Tim Murphy is currently on an unspecified leave of absence away from the Nittany Lions’ swimming and diving program. * NC State's Miriam Sheehan has entered the NCAA transfer portal after wrapping up her freshman season with the Wolfpack with an All-American distinction in the 200 free relay. * The Emory men made it three straight NCAA Division III Championship titles on the weekend, while the Kenyon women won their 25th D3 title in program history. * Australian superstar Kyle Chalmers has made a training change with the clock ticking until the Paris Olympics, aligning with Ashley Callus in Queensland after his coach Peter Bishop had his coaching accreditation revoked by the South Australia Institute of Sport. * The Korean Olympic Trials saw history made on Tuesday, as the nation qualified two swimmers for the Olympics in the men's 200 free for the first time. Hwang Sunwoo led the way in a time of 1:44.90. The competition will conclude on Wednesday—see full coverage here. * With the British Olympic Trials set to kick off on April 2, British Swimming and BBC announced a "landmark" broadcasting deal on Tuesday. FOUR-PEAT! UVA WOMEN WIN THEIR 4TH CONSECUTIVE NCAA DIVISION I CHAMPIONSHIP By Anne Lepesant on SwimSwam The Virginia Cavaliers wrapped a 4th consecutive NCAA title in women's swimming & diving on Saturday, just the third program in history to do so. Read the full story on SwimSwam: Four-peat! UVA Women Win their 4th Consecutive NCAA Division I Championship Read More → - DID GRETCHEN WALSH JUST SWIM THE BEST NCAA PERFORMANCE IN HISTORY? By Coleman Hodges on SwimSwam I pulled some of the other historically great performances from NCAAs (from the 2000s) to compare them to Gretchen's meet. Read the full story on SwimSwam: Did Gretchen Walsh Just Swim The Best NCAA Performance in History? Read More → - 14-YEAR-OLD RYLEE ERISMAN CRUSHES MISSY FRANKLIN’S NAG RECORD IN 50 FREE (24.98) AT NCSAS By Riley Overend on SwimSwam Rylee Erisman, 14, blasted a winning time of 24.98, erasing the age group standard of 25.23 set by four-time Olympic champion Missy Franklin back in 2009. Read the full story on SwimSwam: 14-Year-Old Rylee Erisman Crushes Missy Franklin’s NAG Record in 50 Free (24.98) at NCSAs Read More → - RUMOR MILL: TEXAS IS CONSIDERING “DIRECTOR OF SWIMMING” ROLE IN SEARCH FOR NEW MEN’S COACH By Braden Keith on SwimSwam Who will take over for one of the most-accomplished coaches in the history of the NCAA? It might be a 'Director of Swimming.' Read the full story on SwimSwam: Rumor Mill: Texas Is Considering “Director of Swimming” Role in Search for New Men’s Coach Read More → - LEVENIA SIM AMONG IOC-APPROVED CHANGES OF NATIONALITY By Retta Race on SwimSwam The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has approved seven applications for change of nationality, including Levenia Sim. Read the full story on SwimSwam: Levenia Sim Among IOC-Approved Changes Of Nationality Read More → - KYLE CHALMERS FINDS NEW TRAINING HOME IN QUEENSLAND WITH 127 DAYS UNTIL THE OLYMPICS By Braden Keith on SwimSwam Olympic gold medalist Kyle Chalmers was forced to seek a new coach after his longtime leader Peter Bishop had his coaching accreditation revoked. Read the full story on SwimSwam: Kyle Chalmers Finds New Training Home in Queensland With 127 Days Until the Olympics Read More → - PENN STATE HEAD COACH TIM MURPHY ON UNSPECIFIED LEAVE OF ABSENCE By Riley Overend on SwimSwam Penn State declined to comment further on the reason for head coach Tim Murphy's leave, when his absence began, or when he might return. Read the full story on SwimSwam: Penn State Head Coach Tim Murphy On Unspecified Leave of Absence Read More → - Twitter Facebook Instagram Website