2024 WOMEN’S NCAA SWIMMING AND DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS
- March 20-23, 2024
- Gabrielsen Natatorium, Athens, Georgia
- Short Course Yards (25 yards)
- Pre-Scratch Psych Sheets
Virginia senior Alex Walsh will not look to take back the 200 butterfly NCAA title after she won the event in 2022 and finished 2nd behind Emma Sticklen of Texas a year ago. Walsh has instead opted for the 200 breaststroke on the final day of competition.
Walsh will swim the 200 IM on day 2, the 400 IM on day 3, and the 200 breast on the final day in Athens, Georgia. Walsh has changed her lineup from ACCs to NCAAs as ACCs has a five-day meet format compared to the four-day meet format for NCAAs. The 200 butterfly and 200 breaststroke are on separate days at ACCs but fall on the same day at NCAAs and notably are back-to-back events. Walsh did not swim the 400 IM at ACCs.
Although Walsh swam the 200 fly at ACCs, she had not competed in the event since 2023 NCAAs. At ACCs, she set a new NCAA record touching in a 1:49.16.
If she had desired, Walsh could have also opted for the 200 back on the final day of NCAAs as she would have been the #5 seed. She swam a 1:50.18 in the 200 back at the Cavalier Invite, just over a week before ACCs.
In 2022, Walsh went 3-for-3 winning her individual events with the 200 IM, 400 IM, and 200 butterfly. In 2023, Walsh finished 3rd in the 200 IM before winning the 400 IM. She then finished 2nd in the 200 butterfly on the final day, finishing behind Emma Sticklen of Texas who touched 0.28 seconds ahead of Walsh.
Walsh is the top seed in the 200 breast as her best time of a 2:02.24 is the top time in the NCAA by 1.6 seconds as Mona McSharry of Tennessee is the #2 seed with a 2:03.84. If Walsh had chosen to swim the 200 butterfly, she would have been the top seed in the event by 1.15 seconds as Walsh’s time of a 1:49.16 from ACCs is the fastest time this season. Sticklen holds the #2 time in the NCAA this season with a 1:50.31 from midseason. Sticklen swam the 200 fly at Big 12s this past weekend as she won the event in a 1:51.68.
Notably, Virginia is projected to have three ‘A’ finalists in the 200 breaststroke but zero in the 200 butterfly. Ella Nelson is the #3 seed in the 200 breast while Anna Keating is the #7 seed.
The team’s top 200 butterfly seeds are #16 Abby Harter (1:54.71) and #17 Tess Howley (1;54.75). Harter finished 7th in last year’s A final of the 200 fly while freshman Howley holds a best time of a 1:52.76 from high school, a time that would have been 6th at 2023 NCAAs.
I think the best bet, points wise, would have been Alex swimming the 2 Fly to lower the max points for Texas in that event if she won it (like the strategy with Gretchen swimming the 1 Fly) and by not swimming the 2 Breast she could’ve given her teammate Anna Keating a better chance to maintain A final status in the 2 Breast since she is the #6 seed. Also would’ve been nice to see Ella Nelson have a chance to finally win an event that she so greatly deserves, which would be the 2 Breast where she is the #3 seed.
she’s going for Kate’s record
I do not think Alex will go 1:48.3 in the 200 IM, and I can see her at 2:01-mid in the 200 Breast, but even the possibility that the Walsh sisters could erase KD’s name from the individual record books after the meet she had last year is completely mind-boggling.
(Also, no doubt/hate for Alex. I’d love to see her break both of those records, and if she has the meet of her life, especially with the way she has been swimming this season, she can.)