Gretchen Walsh’s Nation-Leading 200 IM, Men’s Pool Records Highlight Cavalier Invite Day 1

2024 CAVALIER INVITE

• February 9-11, 2024
• UVA Aquatic Center – Charlottesville, VA
• 25 Yards (SCY)
• Live Results: “2024 Cavalier Invitational” on MeetMobil
• Teams: UVA, College of William & Mary, Duke, George Washington, Johns Hopkins, South Carolina, St. Bonaventure, U.S. Military Academy, U.S. Naval Academy, UNC-Wilmington, UNC-Chapel Hill, University of Richmond, William & Mary
• Day 1 Finals Results

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.

And no, that’s not a typo in the headline. Cavalier Gretchen Walsh swam yet another nation-leading time, popping a 1:52.34 in the 200 IM finals tonight to move past her sister Alex Walsh in the season rankings. Alex owns an Olympic silver and a World Championships gold medal in the long course version of this event, and at one point was the fastest woman ever in yards. Heading into today, Alex had the fastest time the nation this season with a 1:52.59 from the Tennessee Invite.

Gretchen, who focuses on sprint free, fly, and back, hadn’t swum this event at all in over two years, and her previous lifetime best of 1:58.12 was almost four years old. She shattered that mark this morning with a 1:54.71 in prelims, and it was clear that she had more in the tank after she visibly shut it down over the last few strokes. Tonight, she had a multi-length lead by the 75, and she stormed home to touch in that 1:52.34.

Courtesy of UVA Swimming

Gretchen now leads the country in the 200 IM, 50 free (20.79), 100 free (46.40), 200 free (1:41.32), 100 back (48.77), and 100 fly (49.11). It seems pretty safe to assume that she’ll swim the 50 and the 100 free at NCAAs, but it’s going to be interesting to see which event she chooses on day 3.

Before we move on to other events, we’ll note that Gretchen just missed the AFC pool record of 1:51.95, a mark which is held by her sister Alex. And, given, how fast Gretchen has been swimming in non-tech suits all season, we’ll also mention that she was, in fact, wearing a tech suit for the 200 IM today.

Pool records did fall on the men’s side, where the Cavaliers ran a full-strength 200 free relay at the beginning of the evening session. That team of Matt Brownstead (19.05), Connor Boyle (19.17), Tim Connery (19.28), and August Lamb (18.87) combined for a time of 1:16.37. That time moves UVA to #8 in the nation this season, and it broke the previous AFC pool record of 1:16.71.

Brownstead, Boyle, Lamb, and Matt King swam that previous mark at this meet two years ago, just a few weeks before that same quartet broke the American Record at ACCs. Tonight, Brownstead’s leadoff broke the pool record time of 19.24, a time which he set last year.

Notably, freshman Simon Lins split 19.13 on UVA’s ‘B’ relay, a time a hair faster than both Boyle’s and Connery’s times on the ‘A’ relay.

UVA’s Aimee Canny looked like she had the 500 free pool record in sight after going 4:42.88 in prelims. In finals, she was on pace to break that pool record of 4:37.42, set by Leah Smith in 2017, but ultimately came up a little short at 4:38.48. Canny currently ranks 5th in the nation this season with a 4:36.26 from the Tennessee Invite.

Other Day 1 Event Winners:

• Women’s 200 Free Relay: Johns Hopkins, 1:34.84
• Men’s 500 Free: Peter Thompson (UVA), 4:22.16
• Men’s 200 IM: Jack Moore (UVA), 1:46.65
• Women’s 50 Free:
• Aimee Crosby (UVA), 22.60
• Men’s 50 Free: Tiesyn Harris (UNC), 20.25
• Women’s 400 Medley Relay: Johns Hopkins, 3:48.64
• Men’s 400 Medley Relay: UNC, 3:17.81