Gretchen Walsh Becomes 5th-Fastest Freshman in 100 Free History

2022 ACC SWIMMING AND DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• When: Tuesday, February 15th to Saturday, February 19th Prelims 10:00am | Finals 6:00 pm (Tuesday 11:00am/4:30pm)
• Where: McAuley Aquatic Center, Atlanta Georgia (Eastern Time Zone)
• Defending Champions
  • Women: University of Virginia (17x) (results)
  • Men: University of Louisville (1x) (results)
• Streaming: ACC Network
  • Saturday (prelims/1650s/finals)
• Championship Central: Here
• Detailed Timeline: Here
• Psych Sheets: Here
• Live Results
• Saturday Prelims Heat Sheets
• Saturday 1650s Heat Sheets
• Day 5 Prelims Live Recap

University of Virginia swimmer Gretchen Walsh is now the 4th-fastest NCAA freshman in history in the 100 free, behind 2016 Olympic Champion Simone Manuel, Taylor Ruck, and Louise Hansson.

Walsh swam a 47.07 in the 100 free prelims on Saturday morning in Atlanta. While that isn’t a personal best time (she swam 46.98 at the 2020 Tennessee High School State Championships), it is a collegiate best for her.

Manuel swam 46.09 in the 100 free at the 2015 NCAA Championships. She was still 18 at the time, and that swim is also the 17-18 National Age Group Record in the event.

Walsh still has at least one more chance in the final to break that tie, plus a potential 400 free relay leadoff leg. She has already swum best times in the 100 back (50.13) and 50 free (21.04) this week, both of which were runner-up finishes. That trend would see her back under 47 seconds and into sole possession of the #2 position on this list.

She is the second seed for finals in this 100 free as well, behind teammate Kate Douglass. NC State’s Katharine Berkoff crushed her best time to qualify 3rd in 47.19, as did NC State freshman Annabel Crush to sneak into the A Final in 48.68.

All-Time Fastest Freshman, 100 Yard Freestyle:

1. Simone Manuel, Stanford, 2015 – 46.09
2. Taylor Ruck, Stanford, 2019 – 46.76
3. Louise Hansson, USC, 2017 – 47.03 (20 years old)
4. Maggie MacNeil, Michigan, 2019 – 47.04
5. Gretchen Walsh, Virginia, 2022 – 47.07
6. Missy Franklin, Cal, 2014/Lia Neal, Stanford, 2014 – 47.17
7.  (TIE)
8. Abbey Weitzeil, Cal, 2016 – 47.22
9. Kasia Wilk, USC, 2016 – 47.35 (24 years old)
10. Karlee Bispo, Texas, 2009 – 47.48

six of the other seven swimmers on the list have Olympic medals, and all other eight swimmers at the top of the list have placed at least in the top 5 at an Olympic Games. The 10th swimmer on the list, Karlee Bispo, is a World Champion, but never made an Olympic Team.

Walsh was 5th in the 50 free at last summer’s US Olympic Trials, which was the closest she came to qualifying for the team. Her best time in the long course 100 free would have put her on the US relay for Tokyo.

She is also the fastest freshman ever in the 50 freestyle, as is her 49.71 medley relay leadoff in the 100 back from Friday evening at the ACC Championships.