Swimming

Alex Walsh Clocks #2 Time Nationally in 200 Back (1:50.18) at Cavalier Invite Day 2

February 11, 2024

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 2 Finals Results

The Cavalier Invite typically functions as a season-ending championship-style meet for swimmers who aren’t slated to swim at their conference championships, as well as a sort of “first chance” meet, allowing top swimmers to get in some fast swims before conference championships. With no classes today, most of the UVA men and women competed in at least one event today whereas yesterday the swims were weighted towards competitors who appear not to have made the ACC squad.

The two biggest swims of the day came from UVA’s Alex Walsh. In prelims, she cranked a 57.89 in the 100 breast, coming within 0.25s of her best time in the event and moving to #5 in the nation this season. Additionally, that time broke an AFC pool record, which Jasmine Nocentini set last year at 58.19. Nocentini, however, matched Walsh’s pool record time with a 57.89 of her own in finals, jumping her over Lydia Jacoby and into a tie with Walsh in the season ranking.

Walsh opted not to swim in finals, instating opting to time trial the 200 back. Backstroke may be Walsh’s worst discipline, but when you’re as strong as an IMer as she is, “worst” is a very relative term. So, she went 1:50.18, breaking an AFC pool record time of 1:51.42, previous held by her sister, Gretchen Walsh. That swim also shaved nearly a full second off of her previous best time, and moves Alex up to #2 in the nation, behind only Cal’s Isabelle Stadden (1:49.21).

Gretchen didn’t swim on day two after a big lifetime best in the 200 IM on Friday, but there were plenty of other notable names who did get in some swims on Saturday.

Ella Nelson hit a season-best time of 1:53.60 in a 200 IM time trial. She remains 4th in the nation this season, behind the Walsh sisters and Texas’ Kelly Pash.

The Cavalier women swept the individual events, with Sam Baron (100 fly), Cavan Gormsen (200 free), Sienna Kara (400 IM), and Carly Novelline (100 back).

UVA senior Matt Brownstead paced a small field in the 100 back with a strong 45.52 for the win. That’s not far off of Brownstead’s lifetime best of 45.35 and puts him 14th nationally this season. With Jack Aikins redshirting and Anthony Grimm having dropped off the roster, it looks like Brownstead, who’s also the Cavaliers’ top 50/100 freestyler, will again be swimming back on UVA’s medley relays this championship season.

Noah Nichols hit his 2nd sub-52 100 breast of the season with. 51.83 win in that event. Freshman teammate Jay Gerloff hit a personal best of 53.74 in prelims, his first time under 54, before fading just a bit to a 54.20 in finals, still good for 2nd place.

Freshman Simon Lins hit a lifetime best in the 100 fly to win with a time of 47.74, just beating out teammate Patrick Gilhool (47.92). UNC’s David Quaresma knocked over a second off his lifetime best to win the 200 free in 1:35.72, and UVA’s Matt Heilman also hit a personal best en route to winning the 400 IM in 3:47.85.

Johns Hopkins swept the 200 medley relays with winning times of 1:43.25 in the womens and 1:32.69 in the mens.

SwimSwam: Alex Walsh Clocks #2 Time Nationally in 200 Back (1:50.18) at Cavalier Invite Day 2