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
- Streaming: ACC Network
- Championship Central: Here
- Detailed Timeline: Here
- Psych Sheets: Here
- Live Results
- Wednesday Morning Heat Sheet
Reports of the demise of Virginia freshman Gretchen Walsh after missing Virginia’s mid-season invite have been greatly exaggerated.
The Cavalier first-year swam a 21.25 in prelims on Wednesday at the ACC Championships, tying her with teammate Kate Douglass as the top seed in the race.
Those times both break Douglass’ Meet Record from last season, and for Walsh, it’s the fastest time ever by an NCAA freshman. The previous best in that category was Stanford’s Simone Manuel, who is won an Olympic silver medal in the 50 free a year-and-a-half after going 21.32 at the 2015 NCAA Championships.
All-Time Fastest NCAA Freshmen Women: 50 Yard Free
- Gretchen Walsh, Virginia, 2022 – 21.25
- Simone Manuel, Stanford, 2015 – 21.32
- Abbey Weitzeil, Cal, 2017 – 21.40
- Maggie MacNeil, Michigan, 2019 – 21.49
- Kate Douglass, Virginia, (fall) 2019 – 21.53
Editor’s note: Arkansas’ Anna Hopkin swam 21.51 in her first year of NCAA swimming, though she was a junior eligibility-wise after two seasons of college swimming in the UK.
Walsh, who turned 19 three weeks ago, entered college with a best time of 21.40. She finished 5th in finals of the 50 free at the 2021 US Olympic Swimming Trials, though she was a tenth slower than her personal best time.
Gretchen Walsh is the younger of the two Walsh sisters. Her older sister Alex is a sophomore at Virginia and thrived last year as a freshman as well, winning an NCAA title in the 200 IM.
Now Gretchen, who missed the mid-season invite in the fall with a non-COVID related illness, is doing the same.
While we don’t know yet what Douglass will swim at NCAAs (she has all of the options in the world), those two currently rank as the #1 time in the NCAA this season.
A spectacular morning performance by the NC State women has made this ACC Championship meet competitive, but with Gretchen Walsh back at full force, the Cavaliers’ path to the NCAA title in March becomes even clearer.
Awesome swim. With Lexi Cuomo popping a 21.8 best time too, her, Gretchen, Alex, and Douglass could take a shot at the legendary Cal record tonight. I think Murphy was 21 high, Katie Mc 21 low, and Bilquist and Weitzeil were both 20s. Douglass split 20.99 against NCSU in a practice suit, Alex has been 21.0 on a relay, and you’d have to think Gretchen can match Bilquist’s 20.8 with a flying start.
How soon will we see a sub-1:24 women’s 200 free relay? Definitely think UVA has the potential to put it together
Called it
🙂 so fun to watch, they didn’t even realize it at first
Manuel won gold in Rio in the 100 Fr and silver in the 50 Fr… not gold.
Walsh sisters are amazing
100 Back prediction
23.55
25.46, 49.01
insane
College swimming in the UK isn’t really a thing. Anna hopkin would have done 3 years at university in the UK (her undergrad degree) before going to Arkansas for her masters.
It being a thing or not doesn’t change its impact on NCAA eligibility.
However it does mean she would have been three years older than a freshman straight out of high school during her first year of NCAA swimming.
Exactly. My point was she had swum for 3 years in the UK, not two as the article suggests. I get that that knocks her ncaa eligibility down to 2 years.
She is the now, she is the future
manifesting GWalsh on the 2022 worlds roster
50 BK for sure, 4×100 FR (prelims maybe), possibly 50 FR. UVA is working for her!
PLEASE I NEED THAT RN
Why the dislikes lol