Cavalier Invite
- February 5-7, 2021
- Charlottesville, VA
- Championships Format
- SCY
- Live Results
A little less than two weeks out from the ACC Women’s Championships, we weren’t really expecting to see anything too crazily fast at UVA’s Cavalier Invite, but this morning, Kate Douglass once again demonstrated that she can seemingly go fast at any point in time. The versatile sophomore threw down 2:03.93 in a 200 breast time trial, the 9th-fastest time ever according the SWIMS database. Douglass is now only the fifth woman to have ever gone under 2:04 in the event.
Courtesy of UVA Swimming
All-Time Performers, 200 Breast (SCY)
- Lilly King – 2:02.60
- Bethany Galat – 2:03.26
- Kierra Smith – 2:03.55
- Sydney Pickrem – 2:03.65
- Kate Douglass – 2:03.93
Officially, Douglass’ previous best time was a 2:05.89 from the 2020 ACCs. Unofficially, Douglas went 2:04.64 in an unsanctioned intrasquad meet this past December. With this time at a sanctioned meet, Douglass now officially becomes the fastest woman in the NCAA by over two seconds this season, surpassing Texas’ Anna Elendt, who went 2:06.04 in December. Douglass also now officially owns the school record, previously a 2:05.68 set by Ella Nelson at last year’s ACC champs. She also breaks the overall ACC record, which Notre Dame’s Emma Reaney set in 2014 with a 2:04.06, at that time the fastest swim ever.
The Cavaliers have an incredibly deep breaststroke group, as Douglass, Alex Walsh (2:06.72), Nelson (2:07.19), and Anna Keating (2:07.26) now own four of the top ten times in the nation this season.
What sets Douglass apart, though, is her incredible versatility. As of the moment, she’s the fastest woman in the NCAA in five different individual events this season:
- 50 free – 21.42
- 100 free – 46.86
- 200 breast – 2:03.93
- 100 fly – 49.73
- 200 IM – 1:50.92
We’ll do a full recap of the first days of action tonight, but the Cavaliers had a strong morning overall. Ella Nelson hit 1:46.00 in the 200 free, knocking nearly a full second off of her lifetime best, and Alex Walsh went 1:45.79, less than a second away from her lifetime best. Alexis Wenger went 58.62 in the 100 breast, setting a new season-best time for her, and keeping her at #5 in the nation in the event. In a 200 back time trial, senior Paige Madden clocked a 1:51.85 in the 200 back, her 4th-fastest time ever, and a time that moves her #5 this season.
On the men’s side, freshman sprinter Matt Brownstead shaved 0.07s off of his lifetime best with a 47.55 in the 100 fly, Keefer Barnum nearly matched his season-best time with a 52.71, and George Washington freshman Karol Mylnarczyk put up a 46.97 in the 100 back, the fastest time of the morning by over two seconds.
The Cavalier Invite continues tonight with finals of all of this morning’s individual events, plus timed finals of the 200 medley and 800 free relays.
Wow.
Even more impressive was this was a time trial, no other competitors. Further, her 2 IM is VERY close to Ella Eastin’s AR 1:50:67, in season, so much so that sub 1:50 looks like almost a guarantee.
Next meet she does it she’ll be 1:48+
Can’t wait to see her at ISL
Gotta think DeSorbo may shift gears and focus Kate toward Trials (assuming they happen) fairly soon. She’s a lock for good results at NC’s even with less rest.
@0:06 that looks like three dolphin kicks. @0:17 that’s a one hand touch. These stroke and turn judges got to do better.
Invites gonna invite.
I don’t see it. Might have been a little undulation before the main kick, but it was still under the whitewater so hard to tell. Definitely not three kicks.
But thanks for making me watch that multiple times. Now I really know that she switched from being right to left handed!
I don’t see what you see.
No and no
You must be real fun at parties….
She has to be the most versatile swimmer in NCAA history right? Obviously besides Dressel but just wow
Douglass’ NCAA career is far from over, but as of now, Tracy Caulkins and Natalie Coughlin still are ahead of her in that department. Caulkins set either world or American records in all four strokes, and Coughlin at one point held the US Open and NCAA in the 50, 100, and 200 free, the 100 and 200 back, and the 100 and 200 fly.
Way ahead of her. Caulkins had 5 NCAA wins in one meet and 12 titles overall She won in 6 different events (the 100 and 200 fly, 100-200-400 IM, and 200 breast along with insane really splits on the free relays). She also won the 100 breast and 500 free and took second in the 800 free at Nationals. That’s 8 events as the best in the country. Braden reviewed it best here https://swimswam.com/legends-of-the-pool-tracy-caulkins-the-most-underrated-swimmer-ever/.
In recent years, Seliskar was pretty versatile as well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FmMM9la8mY She makes it look so easy. Great swim, and she’s probably gonna be even more insane in the weeks to come.
Lilly King accused her of being a robot