Walsh’s Historic Split and Ramadan’s Triple Highlight Wins for Cavalier Women and Hokie Men

VIRGINIA TECH VS. VIRGINIA

• Saturday, January 13th, 2024
• Christiansburg Aquatic Center, Christiansburg, VA
• Dual Meet Format
• SCY
• Results on Meet Mobile: “Virginia Tech vs Virginia”
• Scores
  • Women: Virginia 209, Virginia Tech 91
  • Men: Virginia Tech 191, Virginia 108

Women’s Recap

A good chunk of the UVA roster competed in Knoxville at the Pro Swim Series over the last few days. Some (e.g., Alex Walsh, Ella Nelson) stayed in Knoxville and continued to compete today, others, (e.g., Gretchen Walsh, Reilly Tiltmann) made the drive up I-81 to help the Cavaliers defeat the Hokies 209-91.

The meet started off with a bang, as Gretchen Walsh popped a 21.92 fly split, the third-fastest ever, and the UVA women won the 200 medley relay in 1:37.57. Izzy Bradley led off in 25.93, then Zoe Skirboll (27.31), Walsh, and Aimee Canny (22.41) brought it home for the Cavaliers. UVA owns the fastest time in the country, a 1:33.69 from the Tennessee Invite. Walsh led off that relay, and Canny anchored, while Jasmine Nocentini and Alex Walsh swam breast and fly respectively.

From today’s relay squad, both Walsh and Canny later earned individual wins. Walsh raced the 100 breast for what appears to be the first time in four years, and knocked nearly two seconds off of her previous best to win in 59.75. That time led a 1-3 UVA sweep in that event. Canny, meanwhile, wrapped up the day with a 1:58.12 win in the 200 IM.

Three women nabbed two individual titles each. Jasmine Nocentini swept the sprint freestyle events with times of 21.87 in the 500 free and 48.40 in the 100. Nocentini ranks #2 in the country in both events so far this season, with times of 21.45/46.75, sitting behind only Gretchen Walsh in both events. Sophia Knapp swept the distance freestyle events with a 9:58.58 in the 1000 free and a 4:51.37 in the 500 free. Carly Novelline, meanwhile, took wins in two different disciplines with times of 53.97 in the 100 back and 54.09 in the 100 fly.

Cavan Gormsen completed UVA’s freestyle sweep with a 1:46.96 in the 200 free, Maggie Schalow won the 200 fly in 1:59.84, just ahead of teammate Lainey Mullins (2:00.06), and Emma Weber won the 200 breast in 2:14.99.

Caroline Bentz led Virginia Tech with 13 points, including the Hokies’ only win of the day, a 1:56.71 in the 200 back. Bentz and Emma Atkinson (1:57.29), finished 1-2 in the event, beating UVA’s Reilly Tiltmann (1:57.63) for the win.

Men’s Recap

The Virginia Tech men, meanwhile, defeated the UVA men for the third-straight year, with the 191-108 score representing the Hokies’ largest margin of victory during this streak.

Youssef Ramadan led the Hokies with three individual wins and a relay title. While we’re used to seeing Ramadan swim fly or free, he led off the Hokies’ 200 medley relay today with a 21.31 split. That’s actually faster than the 21.38 Forrest Webb swam at last year’s ACCs, although Webb did go 21.04 on the Hokies’ ultimately-disqualified at NCAAs. Today, Webb on Virginia Tech’s B relay, but his split wasn’t available on Meet Mobile due a disqualification.

VT has a strong butterfly crew, and Ramadan also led off at the midseason invite (going 21.17), so it’ll be interesting to see if Ramadan continues back into championship season. Today, Carles Coll Marti split 24.01 on breast, Mario Molla Yannes went 20.75 on fly, and freshman Brendan Whitfield anchored in 19.02, as the Hokies won the opening event in 1:25.09 to UVA’s 1:26.71.

Ramadan went on to win three different events in three different strokes: the 100 back (47.16), the 100 free (43.12), and the 100 fly (47.18). The Egyptian national and Hokie seniors own lifetime bests of 44.59, 41.15, and 43.15 across those three events.

Spanish Olympian Nico Garcia also doubled for the Hokies, winning the 1000 free in 9:15.50 and coming back to win the 200 back, his signature event, in 1:45.76

It was a balanced attack for Virginia Tech, as a total of eight men won individual events. Ramadan’s 200 medley relay teammates Coll Marti and Whitfield each picked up wins of their own. Coll Marti won the 200 IM (1:46.34) after taking 2nd in the 100 breast (53.34) and 3rd in the 200 breast (1:56.88). Whitfield took the 200 free in 1:37.18, and also placed 2nd in 50 free with a 19.78.

AJ Pouch took the 200 breast in 1:55.56 after placing 3rd in 100 breast (54.27), Lee Naber won the 500 free in 4:30.38 after taking 2nd in the 100 free (9:16.03). The Hokies also swept the boards, with Sean Binning winning the 1m with a score of 308.18 and Jacob Fisher winning the 3m with a score of 381.15.

Whitfield (43.36), Luis Dominguez (43.75), Will Hayon (43.86) and Molla Yannes (43.83) combined for a 2:54.80 win in the 400 free relay to close out the meet.

Three UVA swimmers won events over the course of the session. Noah Nichols, fresh off a 4th-place performance in the 100 breast at the Knoxville PSS Thursday, took the 100 breast here in 52.91, along with a 2nd-place finish in the 200 breast (1:56.44), and 3rd in the 200 IM (1:51.32). Matt Brownstead won the 50 free in 19.64 and finished 3rd in the 100 free (43.88). Sebastien Sergile won the 200 fly in 1:46.25 and finished 2nd in the 200 IM in 1:47.10.

Virginia Tech Release

Courtesy of Virginia Tech Athletics

CHRISTIANSBURG, Va. – Virginia Tech took on the University of Virginia at the Christiansburg Aquatic Center on January 13. For the third year in a row, the Tech men defeated the Cavaliers, this time by a 191-108 margin. UVA entered as the 18th-ranked team in the country, while the Hokies were No. 21.

On the women’s side, defending national champion and top-ranked Virginia defeated the Hokies, 209-91.

Tech Women
To start an exciting meet, Carmen Weiler Saste, Caroline Bentz, Emilly Claesson, and Emma Atkinson placed third in the 200 Medley Relay with a time of 1:42:33.

In the 200 Freestyle, Weiler Sastre swam a 1:49.09, placing third. In the 100 Freestyle, she took second place with a time of 49.67.

Atkinson placed second in the 100 Backstroke with an impressive time of 54.46. Following that, she placed second again in the 200 Backstroke, with a time of 1:57.29.

Chase Travis placed third in the 1000 Freestyle, with a time of 10:06.32.

In the 50 Freestyle, Claesson claimed third place with a time of 23.21. 

Bentz won the 200 Backstroke with a time of 1:56.71. She remained strong throughout the meet, placing second in the 200 IM with a time of 2:01.45

To end the meet, the women placed second and third in the 400 Free Relay.

On the boards, Grace Austin showed off her diving skills in the 3-meter and placed second with a score of 337.80. 

Tech Men
The Relay team with Youssef Ramadan, Carles Coll Marti, Marlo Molla Yanes, and Brendan Whitfield placed first in the 200 Medley Relay with an impressive time of 1:25.09.

Virginia Tech took first and second in the 1000 Yard Freestyle, Nico Garcia placing first with a time of 9:15.50 and Lee Naberplacing second with a time of 9:16.03.

Whitfield placed first in the 200 Freestyle with a time of 1:37.18, and Luis Dominguez Calogne swam a 1:38.38, placing third. Whitfield also claimed second in the 50 Freestyle with a time of 19.78

Ramadan won easily in the 100 Backstroke with a time of 47.16, as well as the 100 Freestyle with a Virginia Tech top 10 time of 43.12.

Throughout the meet Garcia continued to impress, winning the 200 Backstroke with a time of 1:45.76.

AJ Pouch took first in the 200 Breaststroke, swimming a 1:55.56. Coll Marti followed closely with a time of 1:56.88 to finish in third.

In the 500 Freestyle, Naber finished first with a time of 4:30.37. Right behind him in second was Dominguez Calonge, swimming a 4:31.41.

The men swept the podium in the 100 Butterfly, Ramadan in first with a time of 47.18, William Hayon in second with a time of 48.02, and Molla Yanes in third with a time of 48.16.

Coll Marti won the 200 IM with a time of 1:46.34.

To end an exceptional meet, the 400 Free Relay team of Whitfield, Dominguez Calonge, Hayon, and Molla Yanes won with a time of 2:54.80.

The divers dominated on the boards. In the 1 meter, Sean Binning placed first with a score of 308.18. Jacob Fisher finished in second with a score of 302.93. They followed this performance with the 3-meter competition. Fisher placed first with a score of 381.15. Binning placed second with a score of 334.58. 

Up Next
Virginia Tech is back at the Christiansburg Aquatic Center on Jan. 20 at noon to compete against Penn State and Princeton.

Virginia Release

Courtesy of UVA Athletics

CHRISTIANSBURG, Va. – The Virginia swimming & diving teams split action with Virginia Tech on Saturday (Jan. 13) at the Christiansburg Aquatic Center. UVA’s top-ranked women won 209-91, while the No. 18 men fell 191-108.

Virginia’s women posted 15 wins in 16 events.

WOMEN’S RESULTS

• Sophia Knapp and Maddie Donohoe finished 1-2 in the 1000-yard freestyle with a time of 9:58.58 and 10:01.49, respectively.
• Cavan Gormsen (1:46.96) and Howley (1:48.15) added another 1-2 finish in the 200-yard freestyle.
• Carly Novelline won the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 53.97 while Ella Bathurst came in third with a time of 54.87.
• Junior Gretchen Walsh (59.75) led Virginia’s sweep in the 100-yard breast, with Zoe Skirboll (1:00.27) finishing second and Emma Weber (1:00.57) finishing third.
• In the 200-yard butterfly, the Hoos swept the top-three, with Maggie Schalow (1:59.84) finishing first, Lainey Mullins (2.00.06) in second and Sam Baron (2:02.69) in third).
• Jasmine Nocentini finished first in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 21.87 while Aimee Canny came in second with a time of 23.15.
• Nocentini picked up her second win of the afternoon in the 100-meter freestyle with a time of 48.40. Senior Maxine Parker came in third with a time of 49.88.
• Junior Reilly Tiltmann came in third in the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 1:57.63.
• Virginia swept the 200-yard breaststroke, led by Weber (2:14.42) while Anna Keating (2.14.99) and Sienna Karp (2:20.22) finished 2-3 for the Hoos.
• In the 500-yard freestyle, Knapp (4:51.37) headlined the Hoos while Howley (4:53.48) and Donohoe (4:54.74) added a second- and third-place finish for Virginia.
• Novelline added another first-place finish in the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 54.09. Schalow (54.36) and Baron (55.18) finished 2-3 for Virginia in the event.
• Canny won the 200-yard individual medley with a time of 1:58.12 while Skirboll finished third with a time of 2:01.62.

MEN’S RESULTS

• Tanner Hering finished third in the 1000-yard freestyle (9:23.58) and the 500-yard freestyle (4:32.04).
• Hayden Bellotti was third in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:39.38.
• In the 100-yard backstroke, Will Cole (48.49) and Will Thompson (48.85) added a 2-3 finish for the Hoos.
• Senior Noah Nichols won the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 52.91.
• Sebastien Sergile finished first in the 200-yard butterfly (1:46.25).
• Matt Brownstead came in first-place in the 50-yard freestyle (19.64) while August Lamb finished third (20.21).
• In the 100-yard freestyle, Brownstead added a third-place finish with a time of 43.88.
• Cole (1:46.51) and Thompson (1:47.56) finished 2-3 in the 200-yard backstroke.
• Nichols finished second in the 200-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:56.44.
• In the 200-yard individual medley, Sergile finished second with a time of 1:47.10 and Nichols finished third with a time of 1:51.32.
• UVA’s relay team of Brownstead, Nichols, Kamal Muhammad and August Lamb, respectively, finished second in the 200-yard medley relay (1:26.71).
• In the 400-yard medley relay, Virginia’s relay team of Brownstead, Boyle, Lamb and Bellotti, respectively, finished second with a time of 2:58.34.

DIVING

• Junior Lizzy Kaye placed first on both the 1-meter (317.40) and 3-meter (317.40) to lead UVA’s women.
• Dean Treanor finished third for the Hoos in the 1-meter (276.98) while Noah Sanders finished third in the 3-meter (333.68).

UP NEXT