Gretchen Walsh Goes Sub-21, Again; Camille Spink Climbs the All-Time Ranks in 50 Free Prelims (RACE VIDEO)

2024 Tennessee Invite

• November 19-22, 2024
• Where: Allan Jones Intercollegiate Aquatic Center — Knoxville, Tennessee
• Start Times: 10 am ET prelims/5 pm ET finals
• Psych Sheets
• Results on Meet Mobile: “2024 Tennessee Invitational”
• Live Stream
• 50 free results (PDF)

Virginia senior Gretchen Walsh went under 21 seconds in the 50 free for the 13th time in her career and Tennessee sophomore Camille Spink climbed the all-time rankings on Wednesday morning to kick off the Tennessee Invite double dual.

Walsh Continues to Rack Up 20-Points

Walsh swam 20.88 to qualify first for finals. She has been faster than that 8 times, including her record-holding 20.37 from NCAAs last year.

Walsh’s 13 sub-21 second swims is more than four-times that of her fellow Virginia Cavalier Kate Douglass, who has done so three times. The only other two swimmers to achieve that feat are Candaian Maggie McNeil (twice) and former Cal Golden Bear Abbey Weitzeil (once). Weitzeil was the first woman to do it, but never repeated the achievement after breaking through the barrier.

Most Times Sub-21 (With Personal Best)

1. Gretchen Walsh – 13 (20.37)
2. Kate Douglass – 3 (20.84)
3. Maggie MacNeil – 2 (20.79)
4. Abbey Weitzeil – 1 (20.90)

Walsh’s Sub-21 Second Swims

Spink Climbs the All-Time Rankings

Tennessee’s Spink won the SEC Championship last year in the 50 and 100 free and so far this season appears perched to make a big run forward in her second collegiate season.

Her 21.33 in prelims moves her to 2nd place all-time in the Tennessee rankings behind only Olympian Erika Brown (21.03) and moves her to 16th in the all-time rankings.

All-Time Women’s 50 Yard Free Rankings:

1. Gretchen Walsh, Virginia – 20.37 (2024)
2. Maggie MacNeil, LSU – 20.79 (2023)
3. Kate Douglass, Virginia – 20.84 (2022)
4. Abbey Weitzeil, Cal – 20.90 (2019)
5. Erika Brown, Tennessee – 21.03 (2020)
6. Katharine Berkoff, NC State – 21.09 (2024)
7. Jasmine Nocentini, Virginia – 21.10 (2024)
8. Simone Manuel, Stanford – 21.17 (2017)
9. Anna Hopkin, Arkansas – 21.19 (2019)
10. Olivia Smoliga, Georgia – 1.21 (2016)
11. Lara Jackson, Arizona – 21.27 (2009)
12. Liz Li, Ohio State – 21.28 (2018)
13. Gabi Albiero, Louisville – 21.30 (2023)/Kasia Wasick, Unattached/Post Grad – 21.30 (2023)
15. Farida Osman, Cal – 21.32
16. Camille Spink, Tennessee – 21.33 (2024)
17. Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace, Auburn – 21.34 (2011)

They are the top two ranked 50 freestylers in the NCAA so far this season. Spink’s previous season best was a 21.87 done in a dual meet against Louisville. Her previous lifetime best was a 21.74 from SECs in the spring.

Race Video:

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