CAVALIER TIME TRIAL RESULTS – DAY 2
- April 21-22, 2023
- University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia
- Long Course Meters (50 meters), timed finals/time trial
- Note: swims were hand-timed.
- Day 1 Recap
- Full Results (Day 1 event numbers start with “1”, Day 2 event numbers start with “2”)
Gretchen Walsh put in a good double and Matthew Brownstead swam a personal best in the 50 free to lead a good day of sprinting for the Virginia Cavaliers on day 2 of their internal post-practice, suited time trials on Saturday.
Walsh, the defending NCAA Champion in the 100 free and 100 back, led the Cavaliers in the opening event of the day, the 100 fly. She swam 1:00.08 in that race, which is the 14th-best swim among Americans so far this calendar year.
Women’s 100 fly race video:
While Walsh was the fastest in that race, the most significant result was probably Abby Harter’s 1:00.43. That’s her best time since last year’s International Team Trials (1:00.19) and faster than she swam at the 2021 US Olympic Trials.
Given the timing, she goes into the summer with a chance to chase the 59 second races that she was doing with some regularity in high school, but hasn’t done since November 2020.
After swimming a best time in the 100 yard fly at the NCAA Championships (51.71), Harter is due for a big year in long course.
Walsh also won the 50 free on Saturday in 24.77. That’s within .24 seconds of what she swam at last year’s International Team Trials. It only took 24.52 to make the team for the Budapest World Championships last year, though the return-to-form of Abbey Weitzeil, among others, should raise that bar this summer.
Last year at this time trial, Walsh went a 24.70 in the 50 free.
On the men’s side, Virginia junior Matthew Brownstead swam a new personal best in the 50 free (though these times won’t go in the official record as they were hand timed). He marked a 22.28, bettering his official best time of 22.54 from last July’s Speedo Sectionals meet in Austin.
Author’s note: My hand-timing was a bit-slower.
With Matt King off training in Dallas and Connor Boyle nursing an injury, Brownstead’s role at the top of the Virginia sprint group has grown substantially.
That time would have won the B finals at last year’s International Team Trials.
In addition, Kate Douglass swam 54.74 in the 100 free on Saturday after a 2:25.0 in the 200 breast on Friday. On similar timing last year (albeit much closer to a much earlier Trials meet), she was 54.58, so this swim is right in that range. She also swam 1:08.06 in the 100 breaststroke on Saturday. Offically, her fastest time in the event is a 1:08.51 from the summer of 2019, so her swim from Saturday marked a best time by half a second.
Alex Walsh also swam a 400 IM, clocking a 4:53.97. Everyone else in her heat was swimming the 400 free. Her best time in the event is a 4:42.14 from January 2020. Despite being the two-time defending NCAA champion in the 400 IM, she does not race the event in meters very often and wasn’t entered in it at international team trials last year.
Other Results:
- Jack Aikins swam 2:00.75 in the 200 back (though it’s under the 200 fly in results).
- Noah Nichols swam 1:02.61 in the 100 breast.
Alex looked tired in that 400IM. Lots have been advocating for her to add it to her repertoire, but I’m not sure it’s going to be as easy a transition as some think!
I think some people think that the 200 and 400IM are similar because there have been so many swimmers that do both, but they really are very different beasts.
g walsh 23.9 to make the worlds team calling it now
24.2 +/-.1 and then I think I agree
Aikins – just one spot away from a spot last year in the 200 back. Two double oh practice swim to start the early season is encouraging for his chances this time around.
Whoever the girl in the practice suit was, she came up way past the 15 meter mark on her dive
On the free? Yes. The fly was close, but ok (focus on the head and correct for poor camera angle). Regardless, she needs to come up earlier to maintain surface momentum and aviod O2 depletion, esp. on the hundred. Watch Dressel’s videos for pointers on the start.
meet?
How did Walsh only go 56.2 in the 100 free when she’s down at 24.7 in the 50?!
yards v metres
Fatigue
If these aren’t official, will they get in an LC meet before trials or do their swims from last year have them pre-qualified?
There were timers standing above the lanes for the men’s 50 free, but not for the women’s 100 fly. And the women’s 100 fly times appeared on the scoreboard immediately after — how would that happen with hand-timing? Was it just the 50’s which were hand-timed? Either way, given how far off her best time Gretchen Walsh was in the 100 fly (approx. 2.6 seconds), her 50 free time seems especially promising.
Looks like Gretchen Walsh is in a practice suit with that time
UVA’s pool only has touchpads at the starting end. Hand timing only necessary for the 50 LCM