2024 NCAA Women’s Championships: Day 3 Relay Analysis – UVA Boasts 3 of 4 Fastest Legs

2024 Women’s NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships

• March 20-23, 2024
• Gabrielsen Natatorium, Athens, Georgia
• Short Course Yards (25 yards)
• Meet Central
• Psych Sheets
• SwimSwam Preview Index
• Live Results
• Live Stream
• SwimSwam Pick ’em Contest
• Day 1 Finals Live Recap
• Day 2 Finals Live Recap
• Day 3 Finals Live Recap

FRIDAY FINALS HEAT SHEETS

Women’s 400 Yard Medley Relay – Finals

• NCAA Record: 3:21.80, Virginia (G. Walsh, A. Walsh, K. Douglass, A. Canny) – 2023
• Meet Record: 3:22.34, Virginia (G. Walsh, A. Wenger, A. Walsh, K. Douglass) – 2022
• American Record: 3:22.34, Virginia (G. Walsh, A. Wenger, A. Walsh, K. Douglass) – 2022
• S. Open Record: 3:21.80, Virginia (G. Walsh, A. Walsh, K. Douglass, A. Canny) – 2023
• Pool Record: 3:27.84, Virginia (C. Bartholomew, L. Simon, E. Williamson, E. Thomas) – 2014
• 2023 Champion: 3:22.39, Virginia (G. Walsh, A. Walsh, K. Douglass, A. Canny)

Podium:

1. Virginia – 3:21.01 *NCAA, Meet, U.S. Open, Pool Records*
2. Texas – 3:24.92
3. Tennessee – 3:25.39
4. Florida – 3:25.64
5. USC – 3:25.76
6. NC State – 3:27.12
7. Duke – 3:28.71
8. California – 3:28.91

Virginia’s Gretchen Walsh (48.26), Jasmine Nocentini (56.34), Alex Walsh (49.15), and Maxine Parker (47.26) lowered their own NCAA, Meet, U.S. Open, and Pool Records with 3:21.01.

Gretchen Walsh, who had won the 100 fly (with a new American, U.S. Open, NCAA, and meet record) earlier in the evening, led off with a time that would have won tonight’s 100 back individual event by .29. In fact, she tied the meet record, which she had set last year when she won with 48.26.

Katharine Berkoff of NC State, who claimed this year’s 100 back title with 48.55, had the 2nd-fastest leadoff from out in lane 8 with 49.01.

Florida’s Bella Sims lowered her PB by .05 to touch 3rd in the heat with 50.02.

Backstroke Leg

**The Alabama relay was disqualified for an early takeoff on the 4th leg.

Gretchen Walsh was followed by Nocentini, who was fresh off her individual title in the 100 breast (56.09). She split the fastest second leg with 56.36. Tennessee’s Mona McSharry, the runner-up to Nocentini, went 56.80 and moved the Vols into 2nd place. Anna Elendt (4th in the 100 breast) split 56.98 for 3rd-place Texas. USC’s Kaitlyn Dobler (3rd in the 100 breast), maintained USC in 4th place with 57.08.

Breaststroke Leg

**The Alabama relay was disqualified for an early takeoff on the 4th leg.

Alex Walsh was by over half a second the fastest butterflyer. She went 49.15, putting Virginia ahead of Texas by 4.4 seconds. Texas moved past Tennessee on the butterfly leg with Emma Sticklen’s 49.67. Florida’s Olivia Peoples split 50.48 and advanced from 6th to 5th place.

Gabi Albiero, Meghan Lee, Anicka Delgado, Gigi Johnson, and Ellie Vannote were all sub-51.

Butterfly Leg

**The Alabama relay was disqualified for an early takeoff on the 4th leg.

Florida’s Isabel Ivey had the quickest anchor with 46.39. She just out-touched USC’s Minna Abraham (46.92) for 4th place. Kelly Pash went 46.76 to assure Texas’s 2nd place finish. Maxine Parker was 47.26 on the end of Virginia’s relay, helping the Cavaliers knock .79 off the NCAA record.

Alabama’s anchor, Diana Petkova, was called for an early start, hence the asterisk next to her 47.12.

Freestyle Leg

**The Alabama relay was disqualified for an early takeoff on the 4th leg.