Virginia Wants to Add Another Record to the Books at 400 MR

2023 NCAA WOMEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING CHAMPIONSHIP

As with most relays at this 12 months’s NCAA Championships, Virginia’s 400 medley relay is only one step forward of the remainder of the competitors.

The Cavaliers smashed their very own US open document on the occasion through the ACC Championship final month, after returning three of the 4 members of their group that received NCAA championships in 2022. second class Gretchen Walsh (49.44 backstroke), junior Alex Walsh (57.45 breaststroke), senior Kate Douglass (48.25 butterflies) and freshman Aimee Canny (46.85 freestyle) mixed for 3:21.80 to reclaim the earlier set of three:22.34 by Virginia eventually 12 months’s ACC Championships. The Cavaliers continued swimming on the identical time within the NCAAs subsequent month.

Splits Comparability, Virginia’s NCAA Data

Notably, the three Virginia swimmers coming back from final 12 months’s successful relay group misplaced time eventually 12 months’s NCAAs, with then veteran Alexis Wenger including about half a second to the breaststroke leg. Their versatility is on full show this season. Alex Walsh seamlessly transitioning to the chest, Douglass makes the quickest break up in historical past on new flight missions, and freshman Aimee Canny fills her freestyle anchor foot. As a result of Canny is South African, final month’s NCAA document was not thought of a brand new American document.

Remainder of the Podium

Texas is second on this race with a season-high 3:25.29 after their doubles in opposition to NC State in January. Swimming set a brand new Large 12 document for the Longhorns to complete second of the season within the occasion after posting a mid-season rating of three:25.96 on the Minnesota Invite final November.

Compartment Comparability:

A query mark for Texas, with Anna Elendt or not Lydia Jacoby breaststroke leg. Elendt returned in November at 57.08, Jacoby at 57.13 in January, and Elendt at 57.16 within the Large 12s. Probably the most notable drop from November to January was Emma Sticklen’s 49.35 fly unfold, which was the fifth quickest ever. If we spherical up the Longhorns’ finest episodes of the season (Bray 50.92 in November, Elendt 57.08 in November, Sticklen 49.35 in January and Pash 47.08 in February), the final time is 3:24.43, so they need to be favorites for the silver medal. if they will all click on on the proper time.

NC State faces a troublesome battle to defend final 12 months’s silver medal with out one of the best breaststroke Sophie Hansson, shone with 56.67 within the NCAAs final 12 months. Heather MacCausland stuffed within the ACCs with a 58.27 cleavage final month, and Wolfpack completed the season’s finest with 3:26.28, which is second solely to Virginia within the convention. NC State reduce 1.39 seconds within the NCAAs final 12 months, so one other time drop is probably going on the horizon, however the quartet additionally entered the NCAAs by a second and a half sooner final 12 months than this 12 months.

Wolfpack must beat third seeded Stanford to return to the rostrum this 12 months. Claire Curzan (49.76), Allie Raab (59.44), tori huske (49.74) and Taylor Ruck (46.85) mixed with 3:25.79 to win the Pac-12 title final month. An enormous opening backstroke hole from Katharine Berkoff (49.73 within the ACCs and 49.25 within the NCAAs final 12 months) might be sufficient to shut that hole except Curzan additionally data a giant drop.

Ohio State’s quartet of Nyah Funderburke (51.90), Hannah Bach (57.53), Equipment Kat Zenick (50.72) and Amy Fulmer (46.53) are about two seconds forward of the remainder of the courtroom. Alabama (3:28.56), Tennessee (3:28.78) and Indiana (3:29.82) rounded out the highest eight on the psychological listing.

Be careful for Louisville who fell quick on this occasion because of a disqualification within the ACCs. The Cardinals’ better of the season is 3:32.22 from November’s Purdue Invitational, however they’ve a 3:28 level firepower on the prime. Gabi Albiero swam freestyle mid-season, however Louisville may as a substitute be finest suited with Christiana Regenauer on the anchor and Albiero on the tip.

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