2023 ACC Championships: Gretchen Walsh Takes Down NCAA 50 Free Record In 20.83

by Sidney Zacharias 18

February 15th, 2023 ACC, College, News

2023 ACC CHAMPIONSHIPS

Women’s 50 Freestyle Results:

  1. Gretchen Walsh (UVA) – 20.83
  2. Gabi Albiero (LOU) – 21.36
  3. Christina Regenauer (LOU) – 21.58
  4. Katharine Berkoff (NCS) – 21.73
  5. Grace Countie (UNC) – 21.84
  6. Sophie Yendell (PITT)/Ella Welch (LOU) – 21.89
  7. Kylee Alons (NCS) – 22.09

Virginia’s Gretchen Walsh recorded a 20.83 in the 50 freestyle to win tonight’s final by over half a second.

Her swim marked a new NCAA and ACC meet record by just 0.01. The previous record stood at 20.84, and belonged to Walsh’s teammate Kate Douglass at NCAAs last spring. Douglass was not entered in the event at this meet, and instead opted for the 200 IM.

Walsh’s own previous best time stood at 20.94, which she set this past November at the Tennessee Invitational. Her swim moves her from the 4th fastest performer of all-time, to the first.

Fastest All-Time Performers, Women’s 50 Free:

  1. Gretchen Walsh – 20.83 (2023)
  2. Kate Douglass  – 20.84 (2022)
  3. Abbey Weitzeil – 20.90 (2019)
  4. Erika Brown (2020)/Maggie MacNeil (2022) – 21.03

WATCH

 

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Alice Laughlin
1 year ago

Crazy long GLIIIIIDE off the wall-doing nothing fast conserving for the explosive propulsion past the rest! Mermaid swimming !

Awsi Dooger
1 year ago

I was hoping this thread would contain comments about the race. Nope. Bogged down by references to the commentators, just like the unreadable live thread

EverybodyWangChungTonight
Reply to  Awsi Dooger
1 year ago

Incredible race by Gretchen, I’m shocked she broke the record at conference, but that commentary was unbearable. I’ve heard better at age group meets.

EverybodyWangChungTonight
1 year ago

When you hire your commentators off Wish.com

Yikes
1 year ago

The commentators are reading this article and learning this for the first time

CavaDore
Reply to  Yikes
1 year ago

I can’t help but wonder if she even knows what SwimSwam is

Joel
1 year ago

Yards is so weird. 13 strokes to get a record.

anon
1 year ago

crazy how the officials can’t judge the 15m mark. especially Lexi Cuomo. Why even have officials if they can’t do their job?

PancakeLover
Reply to  anon
1 year ago

Yeah man, your view of it on the livestream is definitely better than the officials view in person

anon
Reply to  PancakeLover
1 year ago

or maybe… just maybe…. I was there in person. Crazy concept I know.

PancakeLover
Reply to  anon
1 year ago

Maybe… just maybe you should learn to take an L. Officials have made the correct call. L.

Admin
Reply to  anon
1 year ago

Here’s the B final of the 50 free. Cuomo in lane 3. Looks clean to me. Second 25 is definitely clean, and the first 25, while close, looks good on slow speed (though it’s worth repeating that those red markers are not the official markers).

For those who don’t know this, using the period and comma keys on your keyboard can move a YouTube video frame by frame. Very useful in situations like this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oadgvAQUcpc

anon
Reply to  Braden Keith
1 year ago

Just as the video of Gretchen, it is hard to tell from this terrible live stream. In person, it is easy to tell. Get better officials and learn how to swim legally

Dan
Reply to  anon
1 year ago

Maybe someone can get the rulebook but if I remember correctly it is that your head has the break the horizontal plane for the surface, so you can have water go over your cap and your head can have broken that plane/ be up prior to or at the 15m mark. When I look at the Youtube video (frame by frame slow motion) she looks to be up on time.

PancakeLover
Reply to  anon
1 year ago

Another L comment.

Grant Drukker
1 year ago

She may have gotten the NCAA/US Open/American record, but did she get the coveted meet record???

Last edited 1 year ago by Grant Drukker
Swammer2009
1 year ago

I don’t want to downplay a job that I really couldnt do well but.. the commentating on that is hard to listen to.