2023 W. NCAA Previews: Virginia Looks to Add Another Record to the Books in 400 MR

2023 NCAA WOMEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• March 15-18, 2023
• Allan Jones Aquatic Center–Knoxville, Tennessee
• SCY (25 yards)
• Meet Central
• Psych Sheets
• Live Results
• Live Stream
• SwimSwam Preview Index
• Pick ’em Contest

As is the case with most of the relays at this year’s NCAA Championships, Virginia’s 400 medley relay quartet is simply a step above the rest of the competition.

After returning three of four members from their NCAA title-winning team in 2022, the Cavaliers shattered their own U.S. open record in the event during the ACC Championships last month. Sophomore Gretchen Walsh (49.44 backstroke), junior Alex Walsh (57.45 breaststroke), senior Kate Douglass (48.25 butterfly), and freshman Aimee Canny (46.85 freestyle) combined for a 3:21.80, taking down the previous mark of 3:22.34 first set by Virginia at last year’s ACC Championships. The Cavaliers went on to swim that exact same time at NCAAs the next month.

Splits Comparison, Virginia’s NCAA Records

Notably, the three returning Virginia swimmers from last year’s winning relay squad all dropped time at last year’s NCAAs, with then-senior Alexis Wenger adding about half a second on the breaststroke leg. Their versatility has been on full display this season with Alex Walsh seamlessly switching to breast, Douglass throwing down the fastest split in history on her new fly duties, and freshman Aimee Canny filling in on the freestyle anchor leg. Since Canny is South African, last month’s NCAA record did not count as a new American record.

The Rest of the Podium

Texas comes in as the No. 2 seed in this race with a season-best time of 3:25.29 from January’s dual meet against NC State. The swim marked a new Big 12 record, the Longhorns’ second of the season in the event after posting a 3:25.96 mid-season at the Minnesota Invite last November.

Splits Comparison:

One question mark for Texas will be whether they go with Anna Elendt or Lydia Jacoby on the breaststroke leg. Elendt went 57.08 in November, Jacoby clocked a 57.13 in January, and Elendt subbed back in at Big 12s with a 57.16. The most eye-popping drop from November to January was Emma Sticklen’s 49.35 fly split, which ranked as the fifth-fastest ever. Adding up the Longhorns’ season-best splits — Bray’s 50.92 from November, Elendt’s 57.08 from November, Sticklen’s 49.35 from January, and Pash’s 47.08 from February — totals a final time of 3:24.43, so they should be the favorite for the silver medal if they can all click at the right time.

NC State faces an uphill battle to defend its silver medal from last year without top breaststroker Sophie Hansson, who blazed a 56.67 at NCAAs last year. Heather MacCausland filled in at ACCs last month with a 58.27 breast split as the Wolfpack finished with a season-best time of 3:26.28, good for second place in the conference behind Virginia. NC State shaved off 1.39 seconds at NCAAs last year, so another time drop is likely on the horizon, but its quartet was also a second and a half faster last year heading into NCAAs than this year.

The Wolfpack will have to leapfrog No. 3 seed Stanford in order to return to the podium this year. Claire Curzan (49.76), Allie Raab (59.44), Torri Huske (49.74), and Taylor Ruck (46.85) combined for a 3:25.79 to win the Pac-12 title last month. A big opening backstroke split from Katharine Berkoff (49.73 at ACCs, 49.25 at NCAAs last year) could be enough to close that gap unless Curzan also posts a big time drop.

Ohio State’s quartet of Nyah Funderburke (51.90), Hannah Bach (57.53), Kit Kat Zenick (50.72), and Amy Fulmer (46.53) is seeded nearly two seconds ahead of the rest of the field. Alabama (3:28.56), Tennessee (3:28.78), and Indiana (3:29.82) round out the top eight on the psych sheet.

Watch out for Louisville, which is underseeded in this event because of a disqualification at ACCs. The Cardinals’ season best is a 3:32.22 from November’s Purdue Invitational, but they have the firepower to go 3:28-point at their peak. Gabi Albiero swam the freestyle leg mid-season, but Louisville might be best suited with Christiana Regenauer on the anchor and Albiero on the fly leg instead.

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