Swimming

Gretchen Walsh Breaks Own NCAA, American, and US Open Record With 20.57 50 Free

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By Anya Pelshaw on SwimSwam

2024 ACC SWIMMING AND DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

DAY 2 FINALS RECAP

WOMEN’S 50 FREE – FINAL

  • NCAA Record: 20.77, Gretchen Walsh (Virginia) – 2024
  • ACC Record: 20.77, Gretchen Walsh (Virginia) – 2024
  • ACC Championship Record: 20.77, Gretchen Walsh (Virginia) – 2024
  • NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 21.63
  • 2023 NCAA Invite Time: 22.15

Top 8:

  1. Gretchen Walsh — 20.57
  2. Jasmine Nocentini — 21.13
  3. Katharine Berkoff — 21.23
  4. Christiana Regenauer — 21.46
  5. Julia Dennis — 21.74
  6. Gabi Albiero — 21.77
  7. Maxine Parker — 21.81
  8. Sophie Yendell — 21.83

After breaking the American, NCAA, and US Open record in prelims with a 20.77, Virginia’s Gretchen Walsh swam even faster tonight in a 20.57 to break her own records.

Walsh now holds four of the top five fastest 50 freestyle performances ever as Maggie MacNeil was the previous NCAA record holder as she swam a 20.79 at 2023 NCAAs.

Top 5 50 Free Performances All-Time

  1. Gretchen Walsh, Virginia – 20.57 (2024
  2. Gretchen Walsh, Virginia – 20.77 (2024)
  3. Gretchen Walsh, Virginia – 20.79 (2023)/Maggie MacNeil, LSU – 20.79 (2023)
  4. –
  5. Gretchen Walsh, Virginia – 20.83 (2023)

Notably, earlier tonight, Walsh swam the fastest 50 freestyle split ever as she swam a 19.95 flying start to become the first woman under the 20 second mark ever.

Like this morning, Walsh was the last one off of the blocks in the 50 freestyle during finals tonight as she had a reaction time of 0.76 (she had a reaction time of 0.75 this morning). Her underwater and breakout pulled her ahead as she flipped first at the 25 mark in a 10.05 and she closed in a 10.52. Walsh was only one of two swimmers under 11 seconds coming home as Katharine Berkoff came home in a 10.88.

SwimSwam: Gretchen Walsh Breaks Own NCAA, American, and US Open Record With 20.57 50 Free

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