2025 Virginia Sprint Olympics
- March 11, 2025
- Charlottesville, Virginia
- Short Course Yards (25 yards)
- Full Results
A Virginia tradition, the Cavaliers’ annual “Spring Olympics,” held during spring break every year, is a 4×50 yard quadrathalon that stacks up the Cavaliers’ best, in tech suits, ahead of the NCAA Championship meets.
All eyes this week were on perhaps the best college sprinter ever Gretchen Walsh, who even while racing against a loaded field that included her sister Alex Walsh, was more than five seconds ahead of the field on the aggregate, averaging an astonishing 1.32 second margin, per 50, over the next best finisher.
All four swims were done in about 90 minutes.
Gretchen Walsh‘s Results
- 50 fly – 21.79
- 50 back – 22.96
- 50 breast – 27.04
- 50 free – 20.75
- Aggregate – 1:32.54
Alex Walsh‘s Results
- 50 fly – 23.78
- 50 back – 24.60
- 50 breast – 26.97
- 50 free – 22.50
- Aggregate – 1:37.85
The buzz was around whether Gretchen’s aggregate time could beat the NCAA Record of 1:31.51. While she didn’t quite hit that mark, a 1.03 second allotment for relay exchanges would probably get her there.
For reference, her best splits of all-time in each 50 (with rolling starts for fly and free, though her best breaststroke split is on a flat-start), add to a 1:29.73. Those splits are 22.10 backstroke, 26.81 breaststroke, 20.87 fly, and 19.95 free.
The standout split for Gretchen was the 20.75 freestyle, which is not her personal best (20.37 from NCAAs last year), but is faster than anyone else in history has ever been. But maybe the real show-stopper was actually her 21.79 50 fly (albeit a fresh 50 fly to start the session). That is faster than Maggie MacNeil’s best relay-start time of 21.85, which means that it is faster than any woman not named Gretchen Walsh has been in a 50 yard fly even without the benefit of a flying start.
For comparison, last year, Gretchen went an aggregate 1:34.57, so she’s over two seconds better than that swim, and the overall Meet Record was a 1:33.86 done by Kate Douglass in 2023.
That sets Gretchen up for a mind-bending NCAA Championship performance, with that meet starting a week from today in Federal Way, Washington.
On the men’s side, Spencer Nicholas swam 1:26.93, which puts him within four-tenths of Matt Brownstead‘s Meet Record of 1:26.56 from last year.
The men are a week further from their NCAA Championship than the women are.
Meet Records
Gretchen broke 4 out of 5 women’s records, with Jasmine Nocentini’s 50 breaststroke from last year being the only one to survive.
On the men’s side, freshman Spencer Nicholas broke the overall 50 fly record by almost half-a-seocnd, while both he and his fellow freshman David King got the 50 back freshman record, with King’s 21.37 standing atop that pile.
King’s 19.70 in the 50 free also tied the freshman record in that race.
Women:
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WOMEN’S RECORDS:
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| 50 BREAST |
2024 NOCENTINI 26.77
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| Freshman OVERALL |
2022 G. WALSH 1:35.38
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| Fr. 50 FLY |
2022 G. WALSH 22.86
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| Fr. 50 BACK |
2022 G. WALSH 23.04
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| Fr. 50 BREAST |
2023 WEBER 27.09
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| Fr. 50 FREE |
2022 G. WALSH 21.06
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Men’s Records:
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MEN’S RECORDS:
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| OVERALL |
2024 BROWNSTEAD 1:26.56
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| 50 BACK |
2024 BROWNSTEAD 21.19
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| 50 BREAST |
2024 NICHOLS 23.61
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| 50 FREE |
2024 BROWNSTEAD 19.32
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| Fr. 50 BREAST |
2021 NICHOLS 24.79
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| Fr. 50 Free |
2022 AIKINS 19.70
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We are getting near the end with Gretchen. Very sad, but look out when she is 100% on LCM.
Analyzing and scrutinizing times posted during a practice is diabolical.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see Novelline on the backstroke, and Curzan on the 800 free relay … a 23.7 is still very competitive in the NCAA, esp with the Walsh sisters + Moesch behind her. Wouldnt be surprised to see her go 23.6 or better even.
Curzan / Canny / Grimes / [Parker or Hayes or Gormsen] could probably still contend for a title too …
If they want to win all five relays, and not necessarily set records in three or four of them, then I’d consider:
800 FR: Canny, A Walsh, Moesch, Curzan (6:47ish)
200 MR: G Walsh, A Walsh, Novelline, Parker (1:31 high)
200 FR: Curzan, Moesch, G Walsh, Parker (enough to beat Louisville)
400 MR: Curzan, A Walsh, G Walsh, Moesch (record watch)
400 FR: Curzan, A Walsh, G Walsh, Moesch (record watch)
if I’m doing my math right isn’t 200 MR faster noveline, a.walsh, g.walsh, parker?
gretchen 1 sec faster than carly in back, but 2 seconds faster in fly?
Maybe? Novelline is was a 22.3 (22.4 at ACCs this year) fly leg at last year’s NCAAs and Walsh was at 22.1 on back.
Walsh has gone a 20.87 fly leg (that’s 1.5 seconds there), but would Desorbo feel comfortable needing a 23.6 back leg from Novelline? They went with Howley over Novelline for back at ACCs.
MacNeil’s 21.85 from 2022 midseason is the second fastest (behind Gretchen) 50 fly relay split ever, right? So Gretchen’s flat start 50 fly, not even at a major meet, just beat out every woman in history – including relay starts. absolutely insane behavior from her
Yes that’s right.
26.9 for alex flat start is promising, just off Nocentini who went on to go off in the 100 breast at ncaas last year, nocentini is definitely sprintier than alex, so could see her getting close to Nocentini’s 100 time
Nice to see a 21.9 50 free from Anna Moesch. She’s had good relay splits this year but has mostly been stuck at 22 low from a flat start, only went 21.8 once…hoping this means that she’s hitting a good taper for NCAAs.
Canny’s range is crazy, who else can swim a 27.2 50 breast and a 4:35 500 free?!
Carly Novelline looking sneaky good in sprint fly and back, hoping to see some more PBs from her in a week. Guessing she’s going to be a go-to for them on medley relays next year.
Not to hate on canny, she is a stud, but someone on her own team can do that lol, Alex Walsh. Still crazy impressive
Alex’s best time in the 500 is 4:38, not 4:35
I feel like Curzan’s 22.9 back should have gotten a mention, that is a new best time for her and I think the 3rd fastest in history.
I said that in the article about her and got 6 downvotes and 0 upvotes…
I was confused about that too, since the final sheet of aggregate times shows claire going 22.94… which was (just) faster than gretchen. how did claire not set the record?
FR, when was the last time someone beat G Walsh in a 50 back? 2022?
Curzan going :22 back puts that 200 MR on severe record watch. This aggregate is completely plausible:
22.7, 26.0, 20.7, 21.3 = 1:30.7
4th fastest (22.10 Gretchen, 22.52 Maggie, 22.76 Berkoff) but yeah that’s a huge swim. She should be in a great position to be sub 49 in the 100 at NCAAs
Jack Aikins with the fastest 50 breast? 👀👀👀 Probably a good thing they don’t have a qualified 4×50 mr.
Also hope Leah Hayes is well. Surprised to not see her in the results.
I’m not super concerned about Leah Hayes – many of their mid-distance girls didn’t swim it. Howley and Hartman sat out too (and so did Katie Grimes and Cavan Gormsen, but with their distance focus there’s no point in doing this right before NCAAs).