2023 CAVALIER INVITE
- February 3-5, 2023
- UVA Aquatic Center – Charlottesville, VA
- 25 Yards (SCY)
- Live Results: “2023 Cavalier Invitational” on MeetMobile
- Teams: UVA, George Washington, James Madison, Johns Hopkins, UNC-Wilmington, UNC-Chapel Hill, University of Richmond, William & Mary
- Saturday Finals Results
- originally published Feb 4th
Kate Douglass grabbed the biggest headline when she took down the US Open and American Records with a 2:01.43 time trial in the 200 breast, but there was plenty of other fast swimming in Charlottesville this evening for the second night of the 2023 Cavalier Invite.
UVA put on a show in prelims of the 200 free, and that continued in finals. Aimee Canny, only a few weeks into her yards career, rocked a 1:42.78 after going 1:43.90 this morning. Tonight’s time moves her to #2 in the nation this season, just 0.05s behind Texas’ Kelly Pash, and it also appears to have set the UVA pool record.
Gretchen Walsh also hit a personal best, finishing 2nd this evening with a time of 1:43.24. That’s her first best time in the event since early 2020, when she went 1:43.75 as a highschooler. 2022 NCAA B-final champion Reilly Tiltmann took 3rd tonight in 1:44.42, and Claire Tuggle was just a hair off of her lifetime best from this morning, but also got under 1:45, touching in 1:44.95. Pending other results from this weekend, the Cavaliers now appear to have four of the top 16 times in the NCAA this season. While they haven’t competed in the 800 free relay, it’s looking increasingly likely that they may be able to compete for a victory in that event.
The other big swim of the night came out of another time trial, as UVA’s Ella Nelson blasted a 1:53.69 in the 200 IM. Coupled with Alex Walsh’s nation-leading 1:51.95 yesterday, and Douglass’ 1:52.07 from earlier this season, the Cavaliers now have three of the top four times in the nation this season.
On the men’s side, UVA’s Noah Nichols swam a 51.44 to win the 100 breast and break a pool record of 52.12 that was set by the great Ed Moses back in 2002. Nichols’ swim moves him into sole possession of the #4 time in the nation this season, breaking a 51.51 tie he had with Cal’s Reece Whitley. (Roughly around the same time, Virginia Tech’s Carles Coll Marti also moved pass Whitley with a 51.50 at the Virginia Tech Invite).
In another time trial, Tim Connery pipped his lifetime best with a 42.54 in the 100 free. Connery’s previous best of 42.69 came at the Big 12 Championships last season when he was a freshman for the Texas Longhorns.
Matt Brownstead, who’s primarily a sprint free specialist, but has swum some backstroke, especially on the UVA relays, took the 100 back in 46.00, coming within 0.17s of his personal best in that event.
Other Results
- UVA’s Abby Harter knocked nearly 0.7s off of her prelims swim to win the 100 fly in 52.11, just a few tenths shy of her lifetime best. Teammate Max Edwards was the only man to get under 47 in the 100 fly, winning with a 49.97.
- While Kim Jogis put up the top seed this morning in the 400 IM, tonight she came out on the losing end of a tight race with teammate Taylor Stockard, who won 4:27.66 to 4:28.44.
- With top-seed Sean Conway opting out finals, UVA’s Matthew Heilman won the three-man 400 IM race tonight with a 3:49.35. Heading into today, Heilman’s best time was a 3:58.05 from 2021. He clocked a 3:52.95 in prelims before knocking another three seconds off of that time tonight.
- Jack Aikins won the 200 free in 1:35.09, about a second and a half off of his lifetime best from leading off Virginia’s 800 free relay at NCAAs last year.
- UVA grad student Jaycee Yegher improved on her prelims time by exactly 0.10s to win the 100 breast in 59.84.
- Cavalier Carly Novelline won the 100 back in 52.22, just about half a second off of her best time of 51.61.
What will the 800 FR lineup be? A Walsh, Tiltman, Canny, Nelson? Or will they save Walsh and use Tuggle?
Can’t wait for NCAA to find out
There are rumors uva wants to make a run at the only relay record they don’t have: the 4×2. If that’s true, then you’re probably looking at AWalsh, Douglass, Canny – and either Ella Nelson or Tiltmann. Maybe GWalsh, but not sure she’s any better than Nelson or Tiltmann and she’s so valuable on the sprint relays. I wouldn’t be surprised if UVA goes after this record at ACCs rather than NCAAs.
I just have a tiny idea that UVA is thinking how to score and win as a team. That might make for some surprise decisions. The girls basically said so if you’ll listen to them rather than to the voices in your head. That’s the fun of college competition – the individual and legacy stuff has their own lanes, so to speak.
Noah Nichols broke a pool record set by Ed Moses 2 decades ago.
Meant to mention that initially. Added it in now, thanks!
I think Joel Lin sleeps under the UVa bleachers. 🤪