Gretchen Walsh Will Swim the 200 Back, Alex Walsh Absent from Tennessee Invite Psych Sheets

Braden Keith
by Braden Keith 68

November 18th, 2024 ACC, College, News, SEC

2024 Tennessee Invitational

  • November 19-22, 2024
  • Alan Jones Aquatic Center, Knoxville, Tennessee
  • Short Course Yards (25 yards), Prelims/Finals, scored as a double dual
  • Psych Sheets

The University of Tennessee has sent SwimSwam psych sheets for the 2024 Tennessee Invitational. The meet, which was pared back in number of participants during COVID, will be scored as a double dual between the three participating swim teams from Virginia, Kentucky, and the hosts Tennessee.

UNC Asheville will also participate in diving events, but won’t be scored.

The most notable data points from the psych sheets come from the defending NCAA Champion Virginia women.

Gretchen Walsh, the reigning NCAA Swimmer of the Year, coming off arguably the best season in NCAA history, will swim the 50 free, 100 fly, and 200 backstroke.

The 50 free and 100 fly are both races that she won at last year’s NCAA Championship meet, but her day 4 race was the 100 free, where she broke all of the yards records with a 44.83 in the 100 free.

But in true Virginia fashion, that doesn’t lock her in to those events, either mid-season or in championship season.

She has only swum the 200 backstroke five times in her career (club or collegiate):

  • Nov 9, 2014 – 2:22.68 (Club invite) – age 11
  • November 15, 2015 (Club invite) – age 12
  • Oct 6, 2019 – 1:59.10 (Club invite) – age 16
  • Jan 15, 2022 – 1:54.67 (Virginia Tech dual meet) – freshman
  • Jan 14, 2023 – 1:51.42 (Virginia Tech dual meet) – sophomore

Her best time, done in a dual meet coming out of holiday training, would have placed her 6th at last year’s NCAA Championships.

The Virginia school record in that event is 1:49.35 belonging to Courtney Bartholomew and the ACC Record is a 1:54.03 done in 2017 by NC State’s Alexia Zecnik.

Gretchen will be the only Walsh sister racing at this invite. While Gretchen’s older sister Alex, also an Olympian and multi-time NCAA Champion, announced she would return for a 5th year, she hasn’t raced since Paris.

She underwent a procedure on her meniscus earlier this year, though Virginia coaches at the time downplayed the impact that would have on her season.

Also absent from the meet is All-American senior Tim Connery. He did race at the team’s blockbuster dual meet against Florida, though his finishes (8th in the 100 fly, 8th in the 100 breast) were not up to his usual standard. He missed the Olympic Trials and that dual with Florida was his first meet since NCAAs in March.

She is scheduled to race at Short Course Worlds in December, along with Gretchen, and fellow Virginia varsity team members Emma Weber and Jack Aikins. Both Aikins and Weber are also entered in this meet.

In keeping with tradition, Virginia won’t race either the men’s or women’s 800 free relay at the meet. During the DeSorbo era, they’ve preferred to focus on putting forward their best four for four relays mid-season and then worrying about qualifying the 800 free relays for NCAAs at the ACC Championships in February.

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Sherry Smit
14 days ago

Does anyone remember that pressed commentor on SwimSwam that said GW would not have any impact in the NCAA? Oh how the tables have turned. 20.3FR, 1:46.9BK, 47.1FL incomming

Sparkle
14 days ago

I think she has a 1:47 in her…everyone doubting seems to forget she’s #3 all time in the 200y free

Swim Dad
14 days ago

Is this meet streaming? and will the Texas Invite stream anywhere??

GBO
Reply to  Swim Dad
14 days ago

ESPN+ for the Tennessee Invite.

ALEXANDER POP-OFF
14 days ago

200 Free! 200 Free! I want to see her go for Missy’s legendary record.

VFL
14 days ago

Jillian Crooks swimming 1BR over 1BK is interesting

Shaddy419
14 days ago

Virginia leaning all in to the sprint revolution by not fielding any 800 free relays

swimgeek
Reply to  Shaddy419
14 days ago

They never do for Invite. Totally standard

Ervin
Reply to  swimgeek
14 days ago

Totally standard but never really made sense to me….also not fielding C & D relays never really made sense to me either. A lot of those girls don’t get a lot of opportunities to swim

Weinstein-Madden-Ledecky-Gemmell
14 days ago

I expect more from the juniors (A. Canny, S. Knapp, C. Novelline, Z. Skirboll, E. Weber) and seniors (E. Bathurst, A. Keating, M. Parker, R. Tiltmann) not named A. Walsh, G. Walsh especially with the departures of A. Harter, E. Nelson, J. Nocentini.

bobthebuilderrocks
Reply to  Weinstein-Madden-Ledecky-Gemmell
14 days ago

They’ll be ready to meet your expectations Relay Name Guy!

Expatswimmer
Reply to  bobthebuilderrocks
14 days ago

And even if they’re not ready for some reason there’s always C. Curzan, L. Hayes, C. Gormsen, A. Moesch, T. Howley, B. Hartman and several others who could be a top-5 team at NCAA’s all on their own.

Redradiant
14 days ago

24.0 26.5 27.5 29.0
1.47.00

About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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