WATCH: UVA Win 200 Medley Relay, Stanford Win 800 Free Relay at NCAAs

2022 NCAA DIVISION I WOMEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• March 16–19, 2022
• McAuley Aquatic Center, Georgia Tech, Atlanta, Georgia (Eastern Daylight Time)
• Prelims 10AM /Finals 6PM
• Short Course Yards (25 yards)
• Championship Central
• Official Psych Sheets
• Live Results
• Live Video (ESPN+)
• Wednesday night heat sheets

WOMEN 200 YARD MEDLEY RELAY – TIMED FINALS

• NCAA Record: 1:31.81 – Virginia/ G Walsh, A Wenger, A Cuomo, K Douglass (2022)
• Meet Record: 1:33.11 – Stanford/ A. Howe, K. Williams, J. Hu, S. Manuel (2018)
• American Record: 1:31.81 – Virginia/ G Walsh, A Wenger, A Cuomo, K Douglass (2022)
• US Open Record: 1:31.81 – Virginia/ G Walsh, A Wenger, A Cuomo, K Douglass (2022)
• Pool Record: 1:31.81 – Virginia/ G Walsh, A Wenger, A Cuomo, K Douglass (2022)

Podium:

1. Virginia 1:32.16 –  Meet Record
2. NC State 1:32.96
3. Ohio St 1:33.16
4. Alabama 1:33.29
5. Texas 1:34.46
6. Michigan 1:34.53
7. Cal 1:34.60
8. Louisville 1:34.62

The Virginia women started their meet off with a bang, winning the 200 medley relay in meet record fashion. They topped their ACC rival NC State by 8 tenths, despite actually being three tenths slower than a few weeks ago at the ACC Championships. Gretchen Walsh led off with a 22.81, and was followed by Alexis Wenger (26.08), Lexi Cuomo (22.72) and Kate Douglass (20.55).

Notably, Stanford (swimming in lane 1 in the race video) missed the top 8 following a missed turn by backstroker Regan Smith. The freshman entered the turn just behind Walsh and Berkoff, but seemingly jammed the wall badly and came off her underwater well behind the field and was over a second slower than her split at Pac 12’s. Had Smith matched her 23.18 split from Pac 12s, Stanford would have placed 5th after strong legs from Allie Raab, Emma Wheal and Anya Goeders.

NC State finished second and led off by Katharine Berkoff‘s 22.76 back split, the fastest of all time. The Wolfpack held the lead at the halfway point after Sophie Hansson‘s breastroke leg, but UVA pulled away on the fly and free legs.

WOMEN 800 YARD FREESTYLE RELAY – TIMED FINALS

• NCAA Record: 6:45.91 – Stanford/ S Manuel, L Neal, E Eastin, K Ledecky (2017)
• Meet Record: 6:45.91 – Stanford/ S Manuel, L Neal, E Eastin, K Ledecky (2017)
• American Record: 6:45.91 – Stanford/ S Manuel, L Neal, E Eastin, K Ledecky (2017)
• US Open Record: 6:45.91 – Stanford/ S Manuel, L Neal, E Eastin, K Ledecky (2017)
• Pool Record: 6:51.80 – Georgia/ H Flickinger, K Stewart, M Raab, B MacLean (2016)

Podium:

1. Stanford, 6:48.30 – Pool Record
2. Virginia, 6:53.47
3. Cal, 6:53.52
4. Texas, 6:56.21
5. Georgia, 6:56.58
6. Florida 6:56.96
7. Louisville, 6:57.24
8. Tennessee, 6:57.79

Following the disappointing finish in the 200 medley relay, Stanford roared back in the 800 free relay, breaking the Georgia Tech pool record and winning by over five seconds. Freshman Olympian Torri Huske led off in 1:41.93 and then passed to Canadian Olympian Taylor Ruck, who split a 1:40.49. Freshman Regan Smith the  took the third leg in 1:43.35, and passed to senior Brooke Forde who anchored in 1:42.53.

The defending champions, the Virginia Cavaliers, finished second, well behind the Cardinal and just .05 ahead of Cal. UVA was led sophomore Alex Walsh, who split a 1:41.92 on the second leg. The Golden Bears dropped four seconds from their Pac 12 time, thanks in large part to a massive 1:41.35 leadoff split from Izzy Ivey.