Eddie Reese Texas Showdown, Session 3: Gretchen Walsh Improves Nation-Leading 100 Free to 45.68
Gretchen Walsh is, in so many ways, chasing only herself this NCAA seasons. The records and standards that the Virginia speedster are after already belong to her, and the mission is to improve on where she has been in the sensational seasons’ past.
In that quest Saturday, on the second day of the Eddie Reese Texas Showdown, Walsh set a season-best time of 45.68 in the 100 freestyle. That improves what had been her NCAA-leading time of 46.12.
All the action from Austin
Women’s 200 Backstroke
Claire Curzan, who leads the nation in the 200 back with her NCAA record, took care of business with a win in 1:49.97. She was just over three seconds behind that record, set in November, at 1:46.87.
Second was NC State’s Leah Shackley in 1:50.88. Virginia’s Katie Grimes was third in 1:51.55, three tenths up on Kennedy Noble.
The second fastest time was from the nominal consolation final, with Erika Pelaez going 1:50.81.
Event 29 Women 200 Yard Backstroke
=========================================================================
NCAA: 1:46.87 11/24/2024Claire Curzan, Virginia
American: 1:46.87 11/24/2024Claire Curzan, Virginia
US Open: 1:46.87 11/24/2024Claire Curzan, Virginia
Name Age School Seed Finals Points
=========================================================================
=== Championship Final ===
1 Claire Curzan 20 Virginia 1:46.87 1:49.97 20
26.32 54.32 (28.00)
1:22.25 (27.93) 1:49.97 (27.72)
2 Leah Shackley 18 NC State NT 1:50.88 17
26.29 54.76 (28.47)
1:23.04 (28.28) 1:50.88 (27.84)
3 Katie Grimes 19 Virginia 1:51.56 1:51.55 16
26.65 54.63 (27.98)
1:23.02 (28.39) 1:51.55 (28.53)
4 Kennedy Noble 20 NC State NT 1:51.86 15
26.17 54.86 (28.69)
1:23.28 (28.42) 1:51.86 (28.58)
5 Lillian Nesty 18 Texas 1:52.99 1:54.10 14
26.80 55.31 (28.51)
1:24.46 (29.15) 1:54.10 (29.64)
6 Campbell Stoll 19 Texas 1:53.52 1:54.37 13
26.57 55.42 (28.85)
1:24.66 (29.24) 1:54.37 (29.71)
7 Jordan Greber 18 ASU 1:56.91 1:57.46 12
27.42 56.73 (29.31)
1:26.66 (29.93) 1:57.46 (30.80)
8 Charli Brown 22 ASU 1:55.23 1:57.53 11
27.39 56.96 (29.57)
1:27.21 (30.25) 1:57.53 (30.32)
Men’s 200 Backstroke
Hubert Kos got the better of teammate Will Modglin in what could well prove to be a preview of the NCAA final. Kos, the Hungarian Olympic champion, won in 1:38.91, within eight tenths of his season-best time. Modglin, who leads the NCAA this season with a 1:37.84 from the fall, was fourth in 1:41.80.
In between was NC State’s Oleksandr Zheltiakov, who went 1:40.66. David King of Virginia finished third in 1:41.28.
Kos and Modglin got company in the sub-1:40 club this year thanks to Texas’s Kyle Peck, who went 1:39.83 in the B final.
Event 30 Men 200 Yard Backstroke
=========================================================================
NCAA: 1:35.37 3/30/2024 Destin Lasco, California
American: 1:35.37 3/30/2024 Destin Lasco, California
U. S. Open: 1:35.37 3/30/2024 Destin Lasco, California
Name Age School Seed Finals Points
=========================================================================
=== Championship Final ===
1 Hubert Kos 21 Texas 1:38.14 1:38.91 20
22.68 48.10 (25.42)
1:13.31 (25.21) 1:38.91 (25.60)
2 Oleksandr Zheltiakov 19 NC State NT 1:40.66 17
23.99 50.09 (26.10)
1:15.82 (25.73) 1:40.66 (24.84)
3 David King 19 Virginia 1:39.82 1:41.28 16
23.73 49.55 (25.82)
1:15.75 (26.20) 1:41.28 (25.53)
4 Will Modglin 20 Texas 1:37.84 1:41.80 15
23.25 49.16 (25.91)
1:15.46 (26.30) 1:41.80 (26.34)
5 Jack Wadsworth 22 ASU 1:41.28 1:43.58 14
24.57 50.83 (26.26)
1:17.53 (26.70) 1:43.58 (26.05)
6 Jack Aikins 22 Virginia 1:39.84 1:43.63 13
24.51 50.80 (26.29)
1:17.12 (26.32) 1:43.63 (26.51)
7 Kyle Ponsler 20 NC State NT 1:44.64 12
24.49 50.70 (26.21)
1:17.80 (27.10) 1:44.64 (26.84)
8 Lucien Vergnes 20 ASU 1:42.32 1:44.77 11
23.83 50.65 (26.82)
1:17.54 (26.89) 1:44.77 (27.23)
Women’s 100 Freestyle
Gretchen Walsh, who holds the NCAA record in the 100 free at 44.83, may be building toward that again. She came in seeded with a time of 46.12 this season. She dashed that in going 45.68 to win. She was nearly two seconds up on teammate Anna Moesch, who finished second in 47.63.
Third place was Caroline Bentz of Arizona State in 48.27, though Erin Gemmell was quicker form the B final in 48.22. Maxine Parker of Virginia also went 48.27.
Event 31 Women 100 Yard Freestyle
=========================================================================
NCAA: 44.83 3/23/2024 Gretchen Walsh, Virginia
American: 44.83 3/23/2024 Gretchen Walsh, Virginia
US Open: 44.83 3/23/2024 Gretchen Walsh, Virginia
Name Age School Seed Finals Points
=========================================================================
=== Championship Final ===
1 Gretchen Walsh 21 Virginia 46.12 45.68 20
r:+0.73 10.23 21.76 (11.53)
33.76 (12.00) 45.68 (11.92)
2 Anna Moesch 19 Virginia 46.76 47.63 17
r:+0.70 10.92 23.04 (12.12)
35.65 (12.61) 47.63 (11.98)
3 Caroline Bentz 22 ASU 48.30 48.27 16
r:+0.61 10.95 23.04 (12.09)
35.61 (12.57) 48.27 (12.66)
4 Olivia Nel 22 NC State NT 48.45 15
r:+0.69 10.99 23.19 (12.20)
35.86 (12.67) 48.45 (12.59)
5 Grace Cooper 22 Texas 47.78 48.47 14
r:+0.62 10.84 22.99 (12.15)
35.66 (12.67) 48.47 (12.81)
6 Lily Christianson 19 NC State NT 48.63 13
r:+0.67 11.03 23.36 (12.33)
36.02 (12.66) 48.63 (12.61)
7 Ava Longi 22 Texas 47.46 49.07 12
r:+0.66 11.00 23.39 (12.39)
36.17 (12.78) 49.07 (12.90)
8 Erin Milligan 23 ASU 49.91 49.33 11
r:+0.71 11.17 23.62 (12.45)
36.39 (12.77) 49.33 (12.94)
Men’s 100 Freestyle
Jonny Kulow clipped three tenths off his season-best in the 100 free, winning in 41.11. His Arizona State teammate Patrick Sammon was fourth in 42.10, and mate Tommy Palmer won the B final in 42.20.
Chris Guiliano of Texas was second in 41.72. NC State’s Kaii Winkler went 42.09 for third.
Event 32 Men 100 Yard Freestyle
=========================================================================
NCAA: 39.90 3/24/2018 Caeleb Dressel, Florida
American: 39.90 3/24/2018 Caeleb Dressel, Florida
U. S. Open: 39.90 3/24/2018 Caeleb Dressel, Florida
Name Age School Seed Finals Points
=========================================================================
=== Championship Final ===
1 Jonny Kulow 20 ASU 41.44 41.11 20
r:+0.65 9.26 19.61 (10.35)
30.35 (10.74) 41.11 (10.76)
2 Chris Guiliano 21 Texas 41.89 41.72 17
r:+0.61 9.18 19.73 (10.55)
30.71 (10.98) 41.72 (11.01)
3 Kaii Winkler 18 NC State NT 42.09 16
r:+0.65 9.52 20.08 (10.56)
31.08 (11.00) 42.09 (11.01)
4 Patrick Sammon 21 ASU 41.80 42.10 15
r:+0.62 9.36 20.09 (10.73)
31.12 (11.03) 42.10 (10.98)
5 Jerry Fox 19 NC State NT 42.57 14
r:+0.67 9.64 20.50 (10.86)
31.50 (11.00) 42.57 (11.07)
6 Luke Hobson 21 Texas 42.53 42.72 13
r:+0.71 9.70 20.36 (10.66)
31.58 (11.22) 42.72 (11.14)
7 Sebastien Sergile 21 Virginia 43.23 43.50 12
r:+0.64 9.94 20.81 (10.87)
32.12 (11.31) 43.50 (11.38)
8 Connor Boyle 22 Virginia 42.49 43.68 11
r:+0.62 10.00 20.78 (10.78)
32.23 (11.45) 43.68 (11.45)
Women’s 200 Breaststroke
Virginia’s Emma Weber is back after a slow fall by the American Olympian’s standards, blasting a 2:06.97 on Saturday to win. That’s more than 2.5 seconds quicker than her previous season best. It gives the Cavaliers two swimmers in the 2:06s, with Aimee Canny having gong 2:06.70. Canny was fourth Saturday in 2:08.77.
Second at the Showdown was Texas’s Piper Enge in 2:07.90. Lisa Nystrand of NC State followed in 2:08.42. NC State’s Abby Arens was fifth in 2:08.88.
Event 33 Women 200 Yard Breaststroke
=========================================================================
NCAA: 2:01.29 3/18/2023 Kate Douglass, Virginia
American: 2:01.29 3/18/2023 Kate Douglass, Virginia
US Open: 2:01.29 3/18/2023 Kate Douglass, Virginia
Name Age School Seed Finals Points
=========================================================================
=== Championship Final ===
1 Emma Weber 21 Virginia 2:09.63 2:06.97 20
r:+0.70 29.27 1:01.87 (32.60)
1:34.29 (32.42) 2:06.97 (32.68)
2 Piper Enge 18 Texas 2:09.27 2:07.90 17
r:+0.60 29.11 1:01.89 (32.78)
1:35.21 (33.32) 2:07.90 (32.69)
3 Lisa Nystrand 18 NC State NT 2:08.42 16
r:+0.73 29.18 1:01.32 (32.14)
1:34.27 (32.95) 2:08.42 (34.15)
4 Aimee Canny 21 Virginia 2:06.70 2:08.77 15
r:+0.74 29.00 1:01.53 (32.53)
1:35.03 (33.50) 2:08.77 (33.74)
5 Abby Arens 22 Texas 2:09.47 2:08.88 14
r:+0.65 29.11 1:01.87 (32.76)
1:35.38 (33.51) 2:08.88 (33.50)
6 Emma Gehlert 21 ASU 2:10.66 2:10.96 13
r:+0.72 29.70 1:02.66 (32.96)
1:36.28 (33.62) 2:10.96 (34.68)
7 Zoe Summar 20 ASU 2:09.41 2:11.71 12
r:+0.74 30.00 1:03.24 (33.24)
1:36.80 (33.56) 2:11.71 (34.91)
8 Aubree Brouwer 21 NC State NT 2:12.15 11
r:+0.68 29.44 1:02.63 (33.19)
1:37.05 (34.42) 2:12.15 (35.10)
Men’s 200 Breaststroke
Andy Dobrzanski rallied on the final 50 to pull out a battle with Will Scholtz in the 200 breast. The Arizona State veteran went 1:53.11 to top Texas’s Scholtz by .31 seconds. Nate Germonprez of the Longhorns was third in 1:54.49.
Arizona State’s nominal C swimmer, Oscar Bilbao, won the B final in 1:54.62. Texas’s Brayden Taivassalo produced the race’s fifth-fastest time in the B final at 1:55.31, ahead of ASU’s Cale Martter.
Event 34 Men 200 Yard Breaststroke
=========================================================================
NCAA: 1:46.35 3/30/2024 Leon Marchand, ASU
American: 1:47.91 3/25/2017 Will Licon, Texas
U. S. Open: 1:46.35 3/30/2024 Leon Marchand, ASU
Name Age School Seed Finals Points
=========================================================================
=== Championship Final ===
1 Andy Dobrzanski 20 ASU 1:54.03 1:53.11 20
r:+0.71 25.96 54.75 (28.79)
1:23.99 (29.24) 1:53.11 (29.12)
2 Will Scholtz 20 Texas 1:51.66 1:53.42 17
r:+0.71 25.46 54.41 (28.95)
1:23.82 (29.41) 1:53.42 (29.60)
3 Nate Germonprez 20 Texas 1:52.25 1:54.49 16
r:+0.68 25.27 54.19 (28.92)
1:23.84 (29.65) 1:54.49 (30.65)
4 Cale Martter 21 ASU 1:54.05 1:56.65 15
r:+0.68 26.75 55.95 (29.20)
1:26.00 (30.05) 1:56.65 (30.65)
5 Arsen Kozhakhmetov 18 NC State NT 1:56.80 14
r:+0.64 26.03 55.40 (29.37)
1:25.41 (30.01) 1:56.80 (31.39)
6 Will Heck 20 NC State NT 1:59.16 13
r:+0.72 26.04 55.64 (29.60)
1:26.75 (31.11) 1:59.16 (32.41)
7 Matthew Heilman 20 Virginia 1:55.98 1:59.73 12
r:+0.67 27.24 57.73 (30.49)
1:28.45 (30.72) 1:59.73 (31.28)
8 Matt Styczen 22 Virginia 1:56.68 2:01.94 11
r:+0.71 27.63 58.45 (30.82)
1:30.14 (31.69) 2:01.94 (31.80)
Women’s 200 Butterfly
Emma Sticklen keeps on flirting with the 1:49s in the 200 fly. That’s where the NCAA record in the event resides, in the hands of Alex Walsh. Sticklen set a nation-leading time in the fall at 1:49.54, and she wasn’t far from it Saturday in winning in 1:49.87. She did it while outdueling Walsh head-to-head, the Virginia star finishing second in 1:52.11.
Texas’ Olivia Bray was third in 1:53.70. Katie Grimes followed in 1:54.39. Virginia had a B finalist quicker than that, with Tess Howley going 1:54.22.
Event 35 Women 200 Yard Butterfly
=========================================================================
NCAA: 1:49.16 2/23/2024 Alex Walsh, Virginia
American: 1:48.33 10/20/2023Regan Smith, Sun Devils
US Open: 1:48.33 10/20/2023Regan Smith, Sun Devils
Name Age School Seed Finals Points
=========================================================================
=== Championship Final ===
1 Emma Sticklen 22 Texas 1:49.54 1:49.87 20
r:+0.69 24.23 51.96 (27.73)
1:20.60 (28.64) 1:49.87 (29.27)
2 Alex Walsh 23 Virginia 1:53.86 1:52.11 17
r:+0.76 25.27 53.31 (28.04)
1:22.19 (28.88) 1:52.11 (29.92)
3 Olivia Bray 23 Texas 1:53.85 1:53.70 16
r:+0.71 25.30 54.38 (29.08)
1:24.04 (29.66) 1:53.70 (29.66)
4 Katie Grimes 19 Virginia 1:53.23 1:54.39 15
r:+0.66 26.14 55.12 (28.98)
1:24.83 (29.71) 1:54.39 (29.56)
5 Leah Shackley 18 NC State NT 1:56.38 14
r:+0.69 25.95 56.01 (30.06)
1:25.81 (29.80) 1:56.38 (30.57)
6 Caroline Sheble 22 NC State NT 1:57.14 13
r:+0.72 26.45 56.20 (29.75)
1:26.51 (30.31) 1:57.14 (30.63)
7 Sonia Vaishnani 19 ASU 1:57.40 1:57.82 12
r:+0.74 26.09 55.63 (29.54)
1:26.35 (30.72) 1:57.82 (31.47)
8 Julia Ullmann 19 ASU NT 1:58.86 11
r:+0.67 26.57 56.58 (30.01)
1:27.37 (30.79) 1:58.86 (31.49)
Men’s 200 Butterfly
Ilya Kharun led the way in the 200 fly, nearly hitting his speeds from the fall. He went 1:39.18, which is within a half second of his NCAA-leading time of 1:38.74. The Canadian Olympic medalist was clear of the field by more than three seconds.
Texas was second and third (and fourth overall). Ryan Branon led that effort for the Longhorns in 1:42.51. Logan Walker was third in the A final in 1:43.43, but that time was .01 behind the result used by Cooper Lucas to take the B final. Arizona State’s Jake Mason had the next quickest time overall in 1:43.81.
Event 36 Men 200 Yard Butterfly
=========================================================================
NCAA: 1:37.35 3/25/2017 Jack Conger, Texas
American: 1:37.35 3/25/2017 Jack Conger, Texas
U. S. Open: 1:37.35 3/25/2017 Jack Conger, Texas
Name Age School Seed Finals Points
=========================================================================
=== Championship Final ===
1 Ilya Kharun 19 ASU 1:38.74 1:39.18 20
r:+0.68 22.18 47.21 (25.03)
1:13.32 (26.11) 1:39.18 (25.86)
2 Ryan Branon 21 Texas 1:41.52 1:42.51 17
r:+0.66 22.57 48.58 (26.01)
1:15.06 (26.48) 1:42.51 (27.45)
3 Logan Walker 20 Texas 1:41.01 1:43.43 16
r:+0.64 22.59 48.13 (25.54)
1:14.57 (26.44) 1:43.43 (28.86)
4 Filip Senc-Samardzic 19 ASU 1:42.91 1:44.28 15
r:+0.67 22.79 49.40 (26.61)
1:16.26 (26.86) 1:44.28 (28.02)
5 Charlie Bufton 19 NC State NT 1:45.14 14
r:+0.69 24.03 49.88 (25.85)
1:17.23 (27.35) 1:45.14 (27.91)
6 Matthew Marsteiner 18 NC State NT 1:45.88 13
r:+0.72 23.58 50.52 (26.94)
1:18.05 (27.53) 1:45.88 (27.83)
7 Spencer Nicholas 19 Virginia NT 1:45.89 12
r:+0.59 23.87 51.00 (27.13)
1:18.38 (27.38) 1:45.89 (27.51)
8 Colin Bitz 22 Virginia 1:45.30 1:47.80 11
r:+0.69 23.89 51.19 (27.30)
1:19.34 (28.15) 1:47.80 (28.46)
Women’s 1650 Freestyle
Men’s 1650 Freestyle
Women’s 400 Freestyle Relay
Men’s 400 Freestyle Relay
