After swimming the fastest 100-yard butterfly in history during prelims, Virginia’s Gretchen Walsh put her stamp on her butterfly college career with an NCAA championship.
The title really wasn’t in question. Everyone was at the edge of their seats waiting to see how fast Walsh could go.
Even more so since the scoreboard was out.
Walsh finished in 46.97, the first swimmer to break 47 seconds in history.
“I love this event. I feel like I have worked really hard on it day in and day out. After the Olympics, I realized it was my thing, and I made some lofty goals. I am really happy with that time,” Walsh said on her on-deck interview. “All of my wildest dreams have come true in this sport because of this team.”
Walsh came into the race with the top seven swims in history in the event, four of them 47s, including the 47.21 in prelims. Now she has the top eight after splitting a 21.61 (9.80-11.81-12.51.-12.85).
“I was definitely over the moon. I wanted to swim it the same way I did this morning and hope my body would let me go faster, and it did,” Walsh said. “I was definitely more excited than nervous tonight. I wanted to be present for my race and feed off of my team’s energy. That really helped me not get nervous. I definitely was yesterday. I put a lot of pressure on myself. It was nice to get my hand on the wall first, and going that time was insane. I have been thinking about 46 all season long and to finally say I was capable of doing it is pretty darn cool. I am very proud.”
Walsh said it has been the kind of goal-setting Virginia has encouraged that has pushed her past points she previously thought were untouchable.
“I feel like a lot of things I feel like nerves is pressure that I put on myself, which I am trying to get better at as I become a professional swimmer. I am trying to separate myself from a specific time defining me,” Walsh said. “The process of setting goals and getting creative is fun. I try to see myself and our team as limitless. These goals don’t need to have any kind of ceiling. If I can keep shooting to be my best and aim for best times, something cool is going to come out of that and that is where the goals all stem. But when you have lofty goals, you have to be careful about not being too disappointed. It is definitely a privilege to be able to even speak these goals into existence, whether I achieve them or not.”
Stanford’s Torri Huske, fresh off of her NCAA title in the 200 IM on Thursday, took second (48.90). The Olympic gold medalist in the 100 butterfly came into the race with the 10th-fastest swim (48.52) and was the fourth-fastest performer behind Walsh, Kate Douglass and Maggie Mac Neil.
Texas’s Emma Sticklen was third (49.27) and is the seventh all-time performer, followed by Indiana’s Miranda Grana (50.01) and Louisville’s Gabi Albiero (50.69), Texas’ Abby Arens (50.81), Louisville’s Ella Welch (50.93) and Florida’s Olivia Peoples (51.02).
NC State’s Leah Shackley won the consolation final in 50.59.
100 Butterfly
1. Gretchen Walsh, 46.97 (2025 NCAA Championships – finals)
2. Gretchen Walsh, 47.21 (2025 NCAA Championships – prelims)
3. Gretchen Walsh, 47.35 (2024 Tennessee Invitational)
4. Gretchen Walsh, 47.42 (2024 NCAA Championships)
5. Gretchen Walsh, 47.48 (2025 Texas Showdown)
6. Gretchen Walsh, 48.25 (2024 ACC Championships)
7. Gretchen Walsh, 48.26 (2024 NCAA Championships)
8. Gretchen Walsh, 48.43 (2024 Virginia vs. North Carolina)
9. Kate Douglass, 48.46 (2023 NCAA Championships)
10. Maggie Mac Neil, 48.51 (2023 NCAA Championships)
11. Torri Huske, 48.52 (2025 ACC Championships)
12. Kate Douglass, 48.84 (2023 ACC Championships)
13. Maggie Mac Neil, 48.89 (2021 NCAA Championships)
Event 8 Women 100 Yard Butterfly
=========================================================================
NCAA: N 46.97 3/21/2025 Gretchen Walsh, Virginia
Meet: M 46.97 3/21/2025 Gretchen Walsh, Virginia
American: A 46.97 3/21/2025 Gretchen Walsh, Virginia
US Open: O 46.97 3/21/2025 Gretchen Walsh, Virginia
Name Year School Prelims Finals Points
=========================================================================
=== Championship Final ===
1 Walsh, Gretchen SR Virginia 47.21 46.97N 20
r:+0.71 9.80 21.61 (11.81)
34.12 (12.51) 46.97 (12.85)
2 Huske, Torri JR Stanford 50.19 48.90 17
r:+0.57 10.16 22.59 (12.43)
35.31 (12.72) 48.90 (13.59)
3 Sticklen, Emma 5Y Texas 49.76 49.27 16
r:+0.64 10.56 22.83 (12.27)
35.80 (12.97) 49.27 (13.47)
4 Grana, Miranda SO Indiana 50.79 50.01 15
r:+0.64 10.81 23.81 (13.00)
36.85 (13.04) 50.01 (13.16)
5 Albiero, Gabi 5Y Louisville 50.96 50.69 14
r:+0.66 10.87 23.81 (12.94)
37.00 (13.19) 50.69 (13.69)
6 Arens, Abby 5Y Texas 50.81 50.90 13
r:+0.65 10.79 23.56 (12.77)
37.09 (13.53) 50.90 (13.81)
7 Welch, Ella JR Louisville 50.72 50.93 12
r:+0.61 10.90 23.86 (12.96)
37.35 (13.49) 50.93 (13.58)
8 Peoples, Olivia SR Florida 51.02 51.09 11
r:+0.62 10.87 23.82 (12.95)
37.44 (13.62) 51.09 (13.65)
