Virginia Looking For Relay Sweep On Night 1 Of NCAA Championships

2025 Women’s NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships

• March 19-22, 2025
• Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatics Center — Federal Way, Washington
• Short Course Yards (25 yards)
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Night 1 Heat Sheets

Event Schedule

• 200 medley relay
  • 45 minute break
• 800 freestyle relay

Night one will kick off at the 2025 NCAA Women’s Championships at 6 pm PDT with the 200 medley relay. The Cavaliers enter as the top seed in both the 200 medley relay and the 800 free relay.

Gretchen Walsh swam on both of those relays during their entry times but did not swim in both events last year. Gretchen Walsh swam the backstroke leg of the winning 200 medley relay but the team’s 800 free relay fell to 4th a year ago in a 6:51.41. The Florida Gators were victorious in the 800 free relay in a 6:48.59, preventing Virginia from sweeping all five relays.

Virginia’s entry time of a 1:31.53 came in a dual meet against Virginia Tech in January. The relay of Claire Curzan, Alex Walsh, Gretchen Walsh, and Anna Moesch were only 0.02 off of the NCAA and American records set by Virginia at the 2023 NCAA Championships. Gretchen Walsh swam the fastest fly split of all time with a 20.87 in that race. How much faster can they be here at NCAAs?

Behind Virginia sits Texas, Stanford, Cal, and NC State who lead the way of 10 teams separated by less than a second as the #2-#11 seeds. Ohio State was 2nd a year ago by over a second but lost two of the four legs and enter as the #18 seed.

After 4th in the 800 free last year, Virginia enters as the top seed once again after breaking Stanford’s NCAA record in a 6:44.13. The team’s entry time includes Gretchen Walsh who led off in a 1:39.34 at ACCs. At the time, Walsh said “I knew that this was my one 200 freestyle of the year,” indicating that it looks like the Cavaliers will not use Gretchen Walsh on the relay for the second straight year. Last year, after using Gretchen Walsh at ACCs, the team swapped in Reilly Tiltmann at NCAAs. Tiltmann medically retired from the sport earlier this year.

The only other team to be sub-6:50 this season is Tennessee who swam a 6:49.83 at SECs. The team was 2nd at NCAAs a year ago and will look to continue to stay at the top of the podium. Florida sits as the #6 seed had a huge split of a 1:39.55 by Bella Sims at SECs.