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
The Cavalier Invite typically functions as a sort of “first chance” meet, allowing top swimmers to get in some fast swims before conference championships, as well as a season-ending championship-style meet for swimmers who aren’t slated to swim at their conference championships. Over the last few years we’ve seen some pretty big swims here, especially (although not exclusively) from swimmers in that first category.
Today it was UVA junior Alex Walsh who generated the headlines. This morning she clocked a 1:53.66 in the 200 IM, which at that point was good for #3 in the nation so far this season. But Walsh, the fastest woman ever in the event, had more in the tank tonight, and knocked over a second and a half off of her prelims tonight, swimming to a 1:51.95. Walsh is now the fastest woman in the NCAA this season by 0.12s, with her UVA teammate Kate Douglass now sitting at #2.
Last year, Walsh didn’t swim the 200 IM at this meet; instead, she only swam prelims of the 100 breast. But tonight’s time was faster than her 1:52.38 from the 2022 ACC Championships, which came about a month before she smashed all the records with a 1:50.08 at NCAAs.
The 2nd-biggest swim today may have come from the UVA men’s team, who clocked a 1:17.23 in the 200 free relay. That’s a bit slower than last year’s time, when they went 1:16.71 just a few weeks before setting the American Record in the same event at ACCs.
Notably, though, tonight the Cavaliers were missing three of the four men who swam on both of those aforementioned relays last year. Matt Brownstead was the only common factor, and he led off the relay tonight in 19.35, just a hair faster than his 19.37 leadoff last year. Later in the evening, Brownstead time trialed the 50 free and went 19.24, just shy of his season-best time of 19.20 from the Tennessee Invite.
Tonight, Jack Aikins split 19.07 on the second leg, Tim Connery split 19.06 on the third, and Josh Fong anchored in 19.75. Last year, Matt King (18.93), Connor Boyle (19.25), and August Lamb (19.16) provided the last three legs.
King and Boyle have been out for the last few weeks, but tonight’s swims served as a good indication that UVA has some really good free relay depth, especially as Will Cole (19.65) and Max Edwards (19.39) had strong splits on UVA’s ‘B’ relay.
Speaking of sprint freestyle, UVA’s Aimee Canny, who just joined the team this semester from South Africa, hit another new lifetime best with a 22.31 win in the 50 free. The Cavalier women took the top five spots in that event. On the men’s side, Addie Laurencelle won for the second year in a row, winning in 20.22 after going 20.14 in prelims.
UVA’s Reilly Tiltmann had a big swim out of the post-session time trials. She popped a 50.90 in the 100 backstroke. That appears to be the #7 time in the NCAA this season, and it’s less than half second off of her lifetime best of 50.42 from the 2022 ACCs.
Other Results
- The UNC women beat Johns Hopkins for the win in the 200 free relay, 1:32.60 to 1:36.03.
- Johns Hopkins swept the top two spots in the 500 free, led by Meg Susil (4:58.55), the only woman to break the five minute mark.
- UVA’s Alex Hotta won the 500 free in 4:29.25, setting a new personal best
- Another Cavalier, Jack Moore knocked a second and a half off of his prelims time to win the 200 IM 1:47.30. That appears to be the second-fastest time of his career, just shy of the 1:47.10 he swam at this same meet in 2021.
The Cavalier Invite continues tomorrow with the classic college championship day two schedule: prelims and finals of the 400 IM, 100 fly, 200 free, 100 back, and 100 breast, along with timed finals of the 200 medley and (if contested) the 800 free relay.
I finally listened to that Social whatever podcast and wasn’t thrilled with Douglass’ attitude. She needs to be more ruthless. It sounds like she intends to defer to Walsh in the 200 long course medley. That is pathetic. Don’t be predicting gold for someone else when you can grab it yourself. Douglass’ mindset apparently is that it was fun as upstarts to make the team together and unbelievable to win a medal together, but now in more serious mid career we need to separate. I appreciate the Summer McIntosh approach of barging in everywhere.
And I hope Schoenmaker returns in full flight this year. That will be a necessary eye opener for Douglass toward 200 breaststroke realities, and therefore… Read more »
Gibberish!
She’s a super nice person and a little shy, on top of being a legit superstar. Those are pretty good qualities to have. You didn’t even listen to the question. Make sure to take a sip of water with your meds.
I’ll take a humble Kate Douglass over a cocky Lilly King any day of the week.
Alex Walsh is a queen 👸
In before someone claim Alex Walsh will win 200 IM gold and break WR by 2 seconds.
Does anyone still remember Swimswam predicted Kevin Cordes would sweep gold at worlds and Olympics and swim 2:04 in LCM 200 breast after he broke American record in 200 SCY? 🤭
Alex has proven herself on the international stage and in the long course pool. Kevin Cordes never quite did, so big difference there.
I mean it’s not like she won gold at LC worlds or anything
I’ll eat my hat if she wins in Fukuoka and Paris.
OK. Noted.
No we didn’t. SwimSwam readers did.
Douglass versus Walsh. Let the showdown commence.
I thought Douglass 200 IM was in a practice suit. What was Walsh wearing for her 1:51?
They were in tech suits, per UVA swim’s youtube
I think Kai Winkler just committed to UT.
Twin brother, my bad
Alex Walsh swims the W 200 IM in lieu of the W 500 FR on Day 1 of the 2023 NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships.
texas could’ve used connery 🙁
Wondering how good Connery will be in his main events if he’s going 19.0 relay split before conference.
Where is Matt King?
he swam against unc and nc state
Did he?
I looked at 2022 not 23
Oh my b I looked at the wrong year
We were told he was absent for a family issue. That was several weeks ago.