Gretchen Walsh Drops A 20.94 50 Free Personal Best, #4 Performance Of All-Time

2022 TENNESSEE INVITATIONAL

• November 17-19, 2022
• Allan Jones Intercollegiate Aquatic Center, Knoxville, Tenn.
• SCY (25 yards)
• Start Times: Prelims – 10 am / Finals – 6 pm (ET)
• Psych Sheets
• Live Stream (ESPN)
• Dual Meet Scoring (9-4-3-2-1)
• Day 1 Prelims Recap
• Day 1 Finals Live Recap

Gretchen Walsh was far from done when she swam a 21.02 50 free leading off the 200 free relay on Thurdsay at the 2022 Tennessee Invite. Because just a little over an hour later, she dropped a 20.94 swimming the 50 free relay, setting a new personal best time.

Walsh’s time is the fourth-fastest performance of all-time, just behind Kate Douglass‘s 20.84 and 20.87 from 2022 NCAAs, as well as Abbey Weitzeil‘s 20.90 from the 2019 Minnesota Invite. She takes off 0.01 off her previous personal best of 20.95, which was previously the #4 swim of all-time.

Fastest All-Time Performances, Women’s 50 Free

1. Kate Douglass (2022) – 20.84
2. Kate Douglass (2022) — 20.87
3. Abbey Weitzeil (2019) – 20.90
4. Gretchen Walsh (2022) — 20.94
5. Gretchen Walsh (2022) – 20.95
6. Kate Douglass (2022) — 21.00
7. Gretchen Walsh (2022)/Abbey Weitzeil (2019) — 21.02
8. Erika Brown (2020)/Abbey Weitzeil (2019)/Maggie Macneil (2022) – 21.03

Splits have not been made available yet for Walsh’s race, although she led her race from start to finish. She had the slowest reaction time of the field, a +0.76.

Walsh has been dominant in the 50 free so far this NCAA season. She hit the NCAA ‘A’ cut in her first swim of the year, a 21.40 against Florida (in a practice suit). Then, she went 21.16 against Texas, which was also done in a practice. Her first two swims in a tech suit this season were her fastest and third-fastest performances ever, which only raises the expectations for how fast she is going to go at NCAAs this year.

With Walsh’s win tonight, she continues her undefeated streak in individual races this season.