2023 TENNESSEE INVITATIONAL
- November 15-17, 2023
- Knoxville, Tennessee
- Allan Jones Intercollegiate Aquatic Center
- LCM (50-meter) prelims / SCY (25-yard) finals
- Prelims: 9:30am (EST)/ Finals: 6pm (EST)
- 2024 NCAA Championships Standards
- Psych Sheets
- Live Stream
- Live Results: “2023 Tennessee Invitational” on MeetMobile
- Day 1 Prelims Recap | Day 1 Finals Recap
- Day 2 Prelims Recap | Day 2 Finals Recap
- Day 3 Prelims Recap | Day 3 Finals Recap
After breaking the American Record in the 50-yard freestyle yesterday, Gretchen Walsh continued her impressive season with a 1:41.32 200-yard freestyle school record during the second night of finals at the Tennessee Invite. That swim erased her previous best time of 1:43.24, which was set at the Cavalier Invitational this past February. Her time of 1:41.32 ranks her as the 11th fastest performer of all-time.
Top All-Time Performers
- Missy Franklin 1:39.10
- Mallory Comerford 1:39.80
- Katie Ledecky 1:40.36
- Simone Manuel & Taylor Ruck 1:40.37
- N/A
- Allison Schmitt 1:40.62
- Summer McIntosh 1:40.63
- Siobhan Haughey 1:40.69
- Bella Sims 1:40.78
- Megan Romano 1:41.23
- Gretchen Walsh 1:41.32
Most of her improvement stemmed from the front end of the race, as she took out the first 150 nearly two seconds faster than she did at the Cavalier Invite.
| 2023 Tennessee Invite | 2023 Cavalier Invite | |
| 1st 50 | 22.94 | 23.58 |
| 2nd 50 | 25.56 | 26.47 |
| 3rd 50 | 26.17 | 26.61 |
| 4th 50 | 26.65 | 26.58 |
| Total Time | 1:41.32 | 1:43.24 |
The UVA women have had a surge of great performances in the 200 freestyle over the past two years, and have developed quite the depth. Here’s a look at their depth chart:
Top 5 Active UVA Swimmers:
- Gretchen Walsh – 1:41.23
- Alex Walsh – 1:41.63
- Aimee Canny – 1:42.34
- Reilly Tiltmann – 1:43.17
- Maxine Parker – 1:43.28
The swim from Gretchen Walsh tonight creates an interesting decision for the UVA coaching staff regarding the 800 Freestyle Relay line-up. Adding up their top four swimmers and factoring in relay starts, UVA is well within reach of the long-standing NCAA record that Stanford put on the books back in 2017:
| Stanford 2017 Record: | Hypothetical UVA Line-Up: |
| Simone Manuel – 1:41.41 | Gretchen Walsh – 1:41.32 |
| Lia Neal – 1:42.15 | Alex Walsh – 1:41.13 (-0.5 for relay start) |
| Ella Eastin – 1:41.89 |
Aimee Canny – 1:41.84 (-0.5 for relay start)
|
| Katie Ledecky – 1:40.46 |
Reilly Tiltman – 1:42.67 (-0.5 for relay start)
|
| 6:45.91 | 6:46.96 |
While on paper it looks like the UVA women have a shot to challenge the record, it will ultimately come down to what the line-up looks like at the end of the season. In the previous two years, Gretchen Walsh has skipped this relay to focus on the four shorter ones: 200 Freestyle Relay, 400 Freestyle Relay, 200 Medley Relay, and 400 Medley Relay.
Alex Walsh, who was a member of the NCAA title winning 800 Freestyle Relay last year for the Cavaliers, has contested it at NCAAs each year. After swimming on the NCAA title winning relay her freshman year, Stanford took the 2022 NCAA title in the event. UVA returned to the top in 2023, touching out Stanford by just under a second to win in 6:49.82. Though A. Walsh has swam on the 800 Freestyle Relay at NCAAs throughout her career, she has been a staple on each of the other four at some point throughout her career at UVA as well. In fact, she currently holds the NCAA record in each of the other four relays, so it is not guaranteed that even A. Walsh swims on the 800 Freestyle Relay this year.
Given how close the UVA women appear to be to this legendary NCAA record, you would have to think they would want a shot at it at some point this season. The 800 Freestyle Relay actually took place at the Tennessee Invite during tonight’s finals session, but UVA opted not to compete in the relay. This is nothing new for Virginia, as they have scratched this relay at their midseason meet in both 2021 and 2022. Given UVA did not swim it here in Tennessee, they will have two more opportunities to give it a go this season: 2023 ACCs and the NCAA Championships in March.
Gretchen Walsh Personal Bests:
- 50 Freestyle: 20.79 *NCAA & American Record*
- 100 Freestyle – 45.61
- 200 Freestyle – 1:41.32
- 100 Butterfly – 49.11 (unsuited)
- 50 Backstroke – 22.54 *American Record*
- 100 Backstroke – 48.26 *NCAA & American Record*
- 100 IM – 52.09 (#2 All-Time, unsuited)
They should try for the record at ACCs but at NCAAs use G. Walsh on the other four relays knowing that A. Walsh, Canny, Nelson, and either Parker, Tiltmann, Gormsen, or Howley will win the 800 title anyway.
Next year if A. Walsh uses the 5th year they’ll have a better chance at the record with Curzan, A. Walsh, G. Walsh, and Canny. Even without A. Walsh they might have a great shot with the additions Hayes and Moesch.
Agreed on doing it at ACCs. Last year I was hoping they would put KD on that relay at ACCs, but they bypassed that chance. BTW, I’d be surprised if Alex uses her 5th year – most of the biggest UVA stars have not used that (e.g., Madden, KD, Wenger, Cuomo) — and she’ll likely be coming off a Paris Olympics and it would perfect timing to take a break and/or launch a pro career.
No way Walsh uses her 5th year. She is kind of in the KD boat, really not more for her to accomplish at the NCAA level.
Doesn’t really seem to be part of UVa’s culture to have 5th years either.
They’ve spent the recruiting $ for the incoming women.
with Kate Douglass they could have made a record 4×200
G. Walsh- 1.41,32
A.walsh – 1.41,13
A. Canny- 1.41,84
K. Douglass- 1.40,80 (aprox)
At what point do we start saying she might be the best female short course swimmer of all time?
Natalie Coughlin.
She’s amazing but Kate Douglass and Natalie Coughlin are still ahead of her for that.
Or Tracy Caulkins. Held an AR in every stroke.
The dominance relative to her competition is definitely giving Natalie Coughlin, but Coughlin had greater range/more records.
She’s a beast💪🏼
I hadn’t realized that Mallory Comerford had broken 100 seconds in the 200 free. It would be nice to see Gretchen and/or another female swimmer go under that barrier this season. I’m guessing we’re unlikely to see Summer McIntosh swim any short course yards meets this winter or spring.
2017-2019 really were the heyday years for the women’s 200 free, between the 3-4 women breaking 1:41 every year, Comerford going under 1:40 flat start, and Ruck/Ledecky both dipping under 1:40 on a relay start
Why did they not contest the 800 free relay at the Tennessee Invite? Seems a little strange
For whatever reason – UVA under DeSorbo almost never swims the 4×2 all season until they get to ACCs. I’m not sure if he’s ever given a rationale.