2021 ACC Women’s Championships: Day 4 Relay Split Analysis

2021 ACC WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIPS

• When: Wednesday, February 17th – Saturday, February 20th | Prelims: 11:00 am | Finals: 7:00 pm (EST) (Except Wednesday’s timed finals, which begin at 5:15 EST)
• Where: Greensboro Aquatic Center, Greensboro, NC
• Defending Champion: University of Virginia (x1) (results)
• Format: 25 Yards/Short Course Yards (SCY)
• Championship Central: Here
• Championship Manual
• Psych Sheets (uncut)
• Live Results
• Complete Results

At the 2021 ACC Women’s Championships, the UVA women earned their 5th relay title with their win the 400 free relay, now with the top NCAA time this season at 3:10.14 over Alabama. NC State and Louisville finished in second and third place.

UVA’s Kate Douglass swam her 4th 100 free this weekend, leading off in a time of 46.88. Earlier in the session, Douglass won the event with a personal best of 46.83 after leading prelims with a smooth 47.33. On Friday, Douglass also hit 46.66 during the 400 medley relay. The remaining top 4 lead-off times were all sub-49, led by Virginia Tech’s Sarah Shackelford (48.64).

Coming in as a stellar relay anchor was UVA freshman Alex Walsh. After going out guns-a-blazing in a 22.13, Walsh posted the second-fastest split at 47.22. Walsh’s personal best (or flat start best) sits at 48.90, set all the way in 2016. In fact, UVA’s entire relay had the fastest 100 free splits overall. Senior distance ace Paige Madden came in a hot 47.90 while sprint stud Lexi Cuomo touched in at 48.14.

The next two fastest splits came from NC State’s Abby Arens (48.37) and Heather MacCausland (48.59). More notably, sprinters Kylee Alons and Katharine Berkoff were not entered in this relay. Earlier in the season, Berkoff and Alons joined MacCausland and Julia Poole to an NCAA No. 7 time of 3:14.34, three-tenths faster than this evening. Poole led their relay off in an 48.84 while Sirena Rowe split a near-identical 48.83.

Women’s 400 Free Relay Finals

• ACC Record: 3:09.45, UVA, 2018
• ACC Meet Record: 3:09.45, UVA, 2018
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 3:14.61
• 2020 Champion: UVA, 3:14.61

1. UVA- 3:10.14
2. NC State- 3:14.63
3. Louisville- 3:15.26
4. Virginia Tech- 3:15.81
5. Florida State- 3:17.43
6. UNC- 3:19.15
7. Notre Dame- 3:19.21
8. Georgia Tech- 3:19.43
9. Duke- 3:19.98
10. Miami- 3:20.32
11. Pittsburgh- 3:21.16
12. Boston College- 3:25.29

Final Team Scores

1. UVA, 1486
2. NC State, 1317
3. Louisville, 1,006.50
4. Virginia Tech, 832
5. Notre Dame, 716
6. Duke, 647
7. Florida State, 551
8. UNC, 516.50
9. Georgia Tech, 498
10. Miami, 375
11. Pittsburgh, 360
12. Boston College, 177