Virginia Women Shatter American, NCAA, U.S. Open Records in 400 Medley Relay
The University of Virginia women had already posted the top time ever in the 800 freestyle relay at the ACC Championships, having annihilated a mark set eight years ago by a Stanford team that included Katie Ledecky and Simone Manuel. Now, the Cavaliers have crushed the American, U.S. Open and NCAA records in the 400 medley relay, showing what was possible when Olympian Claire Curzan and stud freshman Anna Moesch team up with superstar sisters Alex Walsh and Gretchen Walsh.
Curzan led off in 49.35, the third-fastest time in the country this season in the 100 backstroke behind conference-title-winning times from Gretchen Walsh (ACC) and Bella Sims (SEC) posted Friday evening. Alex Walsh followed with a 57.05 breaststroke split before her younger sister unleashed a 47.00 butterfly split, the fastest in history. Finally, Moesch came home in 46.18 on the way to a final time of 3:19.58.
That helped Virginia finish in 3:19.58, almost one-and-a-half seconds under the existing NCAA and U.S. Open records of 3:21.01 set by the Cavaliers’ team of Gretchen Walsh, Jasmine Nocentini, Alex Walsh and Maxine Parker at last season’s NCAA Championships. The team wiped almost three seconds from the American mark set by the Walsh sisters alongside Alexis Wenger and Kate Douglass on two different occasions in 2022.
Stanford placed second in 3:26.98, more than seven seconds behind Virginia but still the fourth-best mark in the country behind Virginia, Florida and Tennessee. Torri Huske split 48.22 on butterfly, and she teamed with Natalie Mannion, Lucy Bell and Lillie Nordmann in the runnerup effort. Third went to NC State’s Kennedy Noble, Aubree Brouwer, Leah Shackley and Erika Pelaez in 3:27.08, with Pelaez closing in 46.52 to nearly catch Stanford for the second spot.
Regarding history’s quickest all-time 100 fly splits, Maggie Mac Neil was the standard-bearer at 48.76 until last month, when Gretchen Walsh clocked 47.15 at the Eddie Reese Texas Showdown. Walsh edged that time in Friday’s record-setting performance while Huske surpassed Mac Neil’s previous top mark by a half-second with her 48.22 split, quicker than anyone in history aside from Walsh.
Since breaking the 800 free relay record three days earlier, Virginia has owned the all-time records in all five relays contested in college swimming, with the Walsh sisters a part of each. This latest record-crushing performance was largely possible thanks to their versatility.
On different occasions during their college careers, Gretchen has handled the backstroke and butterfly legs of UVA’s record-setting relays, and she is also the fastest swimmer ever in the 100-yard free while Alex has switched between breaststroke and butterfly depending on the composition of the UVA roster. After focusing on breaststroke in 2023 while Gretchen swam back and Douglass fly, Alex moved to butterfly in 2024 to make up for Douglass’ departure while accounting for Nocentini’s arrival, only to switch again this year with Curzan now on the Cavaliers roster.
Now, with Alex swimming her fifth year and Gretchen a senior ineligible to continue racing for Virginia beyond this season, this one-year team-up with Curzan could allow Virginia to post records that stand for years to come.
Event 30 Women 400 Yard Medley Relay
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MEET: @ 3:21.80 2/17/2023 University of Virginia, UVA-V
G Walsh, A Walsh, K Douglass, A Canny
CONF: # 3:21.01 3/23/2024 University of Virginia, UVA-V
J. Nocentini, G. Walsh, A. Walsh, M. Parker
AMER: $ 3:21.80 2/17/2023 University of Virginia, UVA-V
G Walsh, A Walsh, K Douglass, A Canny
USOP: % 3:21.01 3/17/2024 University of Virginia, UVA-V
G Walsh, J. Nocentini., A Walsh, M. Parker
NCAA: ^ 3:21.01 3/17/2024 University of Virginia, UVA-V
G Walsh, J. Nocentini., A Walsh, M. Parker
Pool: & 3:21.80 2/17/2023 University of Virginia, UVA-V
G Walsh, A Walsh, K Douglass, A Canny
3:30.89 A
3:32.88 B
School Seed Finals Points
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1 UVA 'A' 3:21.48 3:19.58#A 64
1) Curzan, Claire JR 2) r:0.20 Walsh, Alexandra 5Y
3) r:0.11 Walsh, Gretchen SR 4) r:0.15 Moesch, Annaliesa FR
r:+0.71 23.79 49.35 (49.35)
1:15.57 (26.22) 1:46.40 (57.05)
2:07.82 (21.42) 2:33.40 (47.00)
2:55.35 (21.95) 3:19.58 (46.18)
2 Stanford 'A' 3:29.39 3:26.98 A 56
1) Mannion, Natalie JR 2) r:0.19 Bell, Lucerne JR
3) r:0.20 Huske, Victoria JR 4) r:0.15 Nordmann, Lillian SR
r:+0.75 25.47 53.02 (53.02)
1:20.35 (27.33) 1:51.16 (58.14)
2:13.24 (22.08) 2:39.38 (48.22)
3:02.06 (22.68) 3:26.98 (47.60)
3 NCSU 'A' 3:29.08 3:27.08 A 54
1) Noble, Helen JR 2) r:0.23 Brouwer, Aubree JR
3) r:0.00 Shackley, Leah FR 4) r:0.11 Pelaez, Erika FR
r:+0.63 24.81 51.18 (51.18)
1:18.67 (27.49) 1:50.73 (59.55)
2:13.47 (22.74) 2:40.56 (49.83)
3:02.75 (22.19) 3:27.08 (46.52)
4 California 'A' 3:29.60 3:29.18 A 52
1) Stadden, Isabelle 5Y 2) r:0.10 Polonsky, Lea SR
3) r:0.19 Ressencourt, Lilou SR 4) r:0.08 Moluh, Mary-Ambre FR
r:+0.90 24.80 50.94 (50.94)
1:17.87 (26.93) 1:50.21 (59.27)
2:13.58 (23.37) 2:41.76 (51.55)
2:59.29 (17.53) 3:29.18 (47.42)
5 Louisville 'A' 3:30.59 3:30.73 A 50
1) Karl, Abigail SR 2) r:0.31 Cheatwood, Mia JR
3) r:0.25 Welch, Ella JR 4) r:0.25 Dennis, Julia JR
r:+0.63 25.43 53.97 (53.97)
1:21.70 (27.73) 1:53.66 (59.69)
2:17.14 (23.48) 2:44.20 (50.54)
3:05.91 (21.71) 3:30.73 (46.53)
6 FSU 'A' 3:31.68 3:31.04 B 48
1) Velden, Alice FR 2) r:0.19 Huggins, Madeline SR
3) r:0.18 Jernstedt, Edith SR 4) r:0.21 Muzito, Gloria SR
r:+0.74 24.74 52.53 (52.53)
1:19.63 (27.10) 1:51.37 (58.84)
2:15.03 (23.66) 2:43.29 (51.92)
3:05.93 (22.64) 3:31.04 (47.75)
7 UNC 'A' 3:29.65 3:31.51 B 46
1) Pattison, Greer SR 2) r:0.11 Smith, Skyler SR
3) r:0.06 Sawyer, Lillian FR 4) r:0.13 Sowards, Elizabeth SR
r:+0.73 24.77 51.82 (51.82)
1:18.94 (27.12) 1:51.31 (59.49)
2:15.05 (23.74) 2:43.07 (51.76)
3:06.02 (22.95) 3:31.51 (48.44)
8 Pitt 'A' 3:33.07 3:31.67 B 44
1) Jansen, Claire JR 2) r:0.32 Strong, Jessica JR
3) r:0.38 Yendell, Sophie 5Y 4) r:0.31 Gring, Sydney SO
r:+0.70 25.32 52.16 (52.16)
1:20.14 (27.98) 1:52.65 (1:00.49)
2:15.81 (23.16) 2:43.33 (50.68)
3:06.35 (23.02) 3:31.67 (48.34)
