2025 NCAA Women’s Champs Day 2 Relay Analysis: G Walsh Ties 50 Free Record; Huske Also Sub-21

2025 NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships

• March 19-22, 2025
• Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatics Center – Federal Way, Washington
• Short Course Yards (25 yards)
• Start Times: Prelims: 10 AM ׀ Finals: 6 PM (Pacific Daylight Time)
• Meet Central
• Official Psych Sheets
• SwimSwam Preview Index
• Live Results
• Live Stream
• Live Recaps :Day 1 ׀ Day 2

Women’s 200 Yard Freestyle Relay – Timed Finals

• NCAA Record: 1:23.63 — Virginia (Nocentini, G. Walsh, A. Walsh, Parker) (2024)
• Championship Record: 1:24.05 — Virginia (Nocentini, G. Walsh, A. Walsh, Parker) (2024)
• American Record: 1:23.87 — Virginia (Douglass, G. Walsh, Cuomo, A. Walsh) (2023)
• S. Open Record: 1:23.63 — Virginia (Nocentini, G. Walsh, A. Walsh, Parker) (2024)
• 2024 Champion: Virginia (Nocentini, G. Walsh, A. Walsh, Parker) — 1:24.05

Top 8:

1. Virginia – 1:24.45
2. Louisville – 1:25.04
3. Stanford – 1:25.69
4. Michigan – 1:26.04
5. Indiana – 1:26.68
6. NC State – 1:26.82
7. California – 1:26.96
8. Texas – 1:27.00

An hour after winning the 50 free individual title with the fourth-fastest time in history (20.49), Gretchen Walsh took another crack at the record by leading off the Virginia relay. This time, she went 20.37 to tie NCAA, Championship meet, American, U.S. Open, and school records that she had set at this meet in 2024. Virginia went on to win the relay with subsequent legs from Claire Curzan (21.18), Maxine Parker (21.56), and Anna Moesch (21.34) for a combined 1:24.45.

Leadoff Leg

Walsh was not alone in the sub-21 club, however. Swimming two lanes over in the same heat, Stanford’s Torri Huske led off in 20.92, marking the first time she had broken the barrier. Her best 50 free time had been the 21.04 she went at the 2025 ACC Championships in February.

Ten more swimmers leg off with sub-22s, including Tennessee’s Camille Spink (21.41), Michigan’s Brady Kendall (21.61), Mary-Ambre Moluh of Cal (21.73), Caroline Bentz from Arizona State (21.74), Alabama’s Cadence Vincent (21.78), Caroline Larsen of Louisville (21.80), Sophie Yendell of Pitt (21.85), Indiana’s Anna Peplowski (21.97), Teresa Ivan from Ohio State (21.97), and Lily Christianson from NC State (21.99).

Rolling Splits

Julia Dennis swam the second leg for Louisville and split 20.73 to make up half a second on Virginia and Stanford, who had been 1.5 and 1.1 seconds ahead of the Cardinals when she hit the water. Indiana’s Kristina Paegle swam a 21.05 anchor to secure the win in heat 3. Virginia’s Curzan, who swam the second leg, was the only other sub 21.2 of the evening. Both Ella Welch of Louisville (21.23) and Lindsay Flynn (21.29) of Michigan broke 21.3.

There were six more who went faster than 21.5: Gigi Johnson of Stanford (21.31), Virginia’s Moesch (21.34), Gabi Albiero of Louisville (21.38), Emma Sticklen of Texas (21.41), NC State’s Olivia Nel (21.43), and Katie Belle Sikes from Georgia (21.44). Albiero’s 21.38 was just enough to hold off Stanford’s Johnson, while her teammate Welch put Stanford to bed with the 21.23 anchor.