2024 NCAA Women’s Championships: Day 2 Relay Analysis – Gretchen’s 20.23 and 55 21s

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

Women’s 200 Yard Freestyle Relay – Timed Final

• NCAA Record: 1:23.63 – Virginia (J. Nocentini, G. Walsh, A. Walsh, M. Parker), 2024
• Meet Record: 1:24.51 – Virginia (K. Douglass, G. Walsh, L. Cuomo, M. Parker), 2023
• American Record: 1:23.87 – Virginia (K. Douglass, G. Walsh, L. Cuomo, A. Walsh), 2023
• S. Open Record: 1:23.63 – Virginia (J. Nocentini, G. Walsh, A. Walsh, M. Parker), 2024
• Pool Record: 1:26.31 – California (A. Weitzeil, A. Bilquist, V. Hull, F. Osman), 2016
• 2023 Champion: 1:24.51 – Virginia (K. Douglass, G. Walsh, L. Cuomo, M. Parker), 2023

Top 8:

1. Virginia – 1:24.05 *Pool and Meet Record*
2. Louisville – 1:25.47
3. Texas – 1:26.17
4. USC – 1:26.47
5. Michigan – 1:26.55
6. Tennessee – 1:26.65
7. NC State – 1:26.75
8. Indiana – 1:26.84

Virginia’s Jasmine Nocentini (21.26), Gretchen Walsh (20.23 – yes, you read that correctly), Alex Walsh (21.23), and Maxine Parker (21.33) went 1:24.05 to take down the meet and pool records, winning by a body length ahead of Louisville.

Nocentini’s leadoff split of 21.26 was the fastest in the field, but by only .06 over NC State’s Katharine Berkoff, who was swimming next to her in lane 3 of the third heat. Berkoff had touched out Nocentini, 21.09 to 21.10, for second place behind Gretchen Walsh in the 50 free final earlier in the evening, but Nocentini gave her relay squad the advantage with the first leg of the relay.

USC’s Caroline Famous was the third-fastest, helping the Trojans get out to an early lead in heat 2. They ended up beating Ohio State, 1:26.47 to 1:26.85, in that heat and placing 4th overall.

Nine more swimmers notched sub-22s on their leadoff legs, including Gabi Albiero, Brady Kendall, Teresa Ivan, Grace Cooper, Anna Peplowski, Bella Sims, Hailey Tierney, Lexi Mulvihill, and Mona McSharry.

Leadoff Leg

Nocentini handed off to teammate Gretchen Walsh, who had just broken the American, U.S. Open, NCAA, meet, pool, school, and hemispheric records with 20.37 from a flat start. Walsh scorched a 20.23 to put UVA pretty much out of reach of the competition. Louisville’s Christiana Regenauer split 21.11, which would have been the most impressive split of the day had it not been for Walsh. Only one other swimmer was under 20.2, and that was her teammate Julia Dennis on the third leg.

Camille Spink, Lyndsay Flynn, and Ashley Turak went 21.2s on the second leg.

Second Leg

Dennis’s 21.17 was the fastest third leg, and it cut into Virginia’s lead by .06. But she was up against Alex Walsh in the number 3 spot and the older of the two sisters clocked a 21.23. Emma Sticklen of Texas went 21.35 to get past Michigan, Tennessee, NC State, and Indiana.

In heat 2, USC’s Anicka Delgado held off Ohio State’s Nyah Funderburke, 21.62 to 21.65 to maintain the lead there.

Florida’s Olivia Peoples, who swam butterfly, went 22.25.

Third Leg

Virginia’s Maxine Parker had the quickest anchor with 21.33. Indiana’s Kristina Paegle cracked a 21.37 to pass Florida and claim 8th place overall. Louisville’s Ella Welch went 21.42, securing second place for the Cardinals with the only other sub-1:26 in the final (1:25.47).

USC’s Vasilissa Buinaia was 21.55 on the end of their relay, outpacing Ohio State’s Amy Fulmer (21.58).

Fourth Leg