Cavaliers Now

Virginia Maintains Lead Heading Into Final Day at NCAA Women's Swimming Championships

The Cavaliers captured three more NCAA titles on Friday night

Matt Newton

The Cavaliers took one step closer to defending their NCAA title on Friday night at the McAuley Aquatic Center in Atlanta, Georgia. Virginia captured three more NCAA titles and extended its lead to more than 100 points heading into the final day of competition on Saturday. 

UVA began the night with an impressive team showing in the 400-yard individual medley. Alex Walsh won her second NCAA title of the meet with a first place finish of 3:57.25, which also set a UVA and pool record. Walsh beat out defending champion Brooke Forde from Stanford, who finished in second place. Just behind Forde were two more Cavaliers, as junior Ella Nelson took third in 4:02.45 and freshman Emma Weyant finished fourth with a time of 4:03.17. 

For the second time in as many days, Kate Douglass broke an American record, as she came from behind to win the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 49.04. 

In the final event of the night, the 400-yard medley relay, the Cavaliers tied their own NCAA and American record that they set at the ACC Championships, claiming first with a time of 3:22.24. Gretchen Walsh (backstroke - 49.44), Alexis Wenger (breaststroke - 57.27), Alex Walsh (butterfly - 49.45), and Kate Douglass (anchor/freestyle - 46.18) overtook and then held off NC State, who finished just .05 seconds after UVA in second place. 

Virginia picked up a few more notable finishes in other events that earned the Cavaliers points in the standings. 

Senior Alexis Wenger finished second in the 100-yard breaststroke and her mark of 56.97 was just .04 behind the winner, USC's Kaitlyn Dobler, who finished in 56.93.

Freshman Gretchen Walsh finished second in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 49.00 and fellow freshman Reilly Tiltmann took fifth with a time of 50.67. Both Walsh and NC State's Katharine Berkoff, who won the event with a time of 48.74, finished in a time faster than the previous American record. 

Reilly Tiltmann also finished first in the B final of the 200-yard freestyle to take 9th place. 

Virginia won 176.5 points on Friday to bring the Hoos to a total of 386.5 points at the NCAA Championships. UVA currently leads second-place Stanford by 110.5 points heading into the final day of competition. 

Current NCAA Women's Swimming & Diving Championships Standings

1. Virginia - 386.5 points

2. Stanford - 276 points

3. Texas - 257 points

4. NC State - 193 points

5. Alabama - 177 points

6. California - 136 points

7. Ohio State - 131 points

8. Louisville - 130 points

9. Michigan - 126 points

10. Tennessee - 107 points

The final day of the 2022 NCAA Women's Swimming and Diving Championships will include the 1650-yard freestyle, 200-yard backstroke, 100-yard freestyle, 200-yard breaststroke, 200-yard butterfly, platform diving, and 400-yard freestyle relay. 

See full recaps of Virginia's performances on the first and second days of the NCAA Championships here: 

Virginia in First Place After Day One at NCAA Women's Swim Championships

Virginia Strengthens Leads on Second Night of NCAA Women's Swim Championships

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Matt Newton
MATT NEWTON

Matt launched Virginia Cavaliers On SI in August of 2021 and has since served as the site's publisher and managing editor, covering all 23 NCAA Division I sports teams at the University of Virginia. He is from Downingtown, Pennsylvania and graduated from UVA in May of 2021.

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