2024 W. NCAA Previews: Gretchen Walsh In A League Of Her Own In The 50 Freestyle

2024 WOMEN’S NCAA SWIMMING AND DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• March 20-23, 2024
• Gabrielsen Natatorium, Athens, Georgia
• Short Course Yards (25 yards)
• Meet Central
• Psych Sheets
• SwimSwam Preview Index
• SwimSwam Pick ‘Ems Contest
• Live Results
• Live Stream

Women’s 50 Freestyle

• U.S. Open Record: 20.57 — Gretchen Walsh, Virginia (2024)
• American Record: 20.57 — Gretchen Walsh, Virginia (2024)
• NCAA Record: 20.57 — Gretchen Walsh, Virginia (2024)
• 2023 NCAA Champion: 20.79 — Maggie MacNeil, LSU

The women’s 50 freestyle at the 2024 NCAA Championships may represent the fastest field in history, with all-time record holder Gretchen Walsh leading a field that seems capable of producing multiple sub-21 swims.

There’s no question that Virginia junior Gretchen Walsh is the clear frontrunner. Having already broken the NCAA record twice just within the last month, Walsh enters the meet with a six tenth lead over the rest of the field. At the ACC Championships, she went a record-setting 20.77 in her preliminary heat before clocking 20.57 en route to gold in the final.

Gretchen Walsh at the 2024 ACC Championships:

• 50 Freestyle — 20.57 (1st), Fastest All-Time
• 100 Freestyle — 45.16 (1st), Fastest All-Time
• 100 Butterfly — 48.25 (1st), Fastest All-Time
• 100 Backstroke (relay lead-off) — 48.10, Fastest All-Time
• 50 Freestyle (relay split) — 19.95, Fastest All-Time
• 100 Freestyle (relay split) — 45.40
• 200 Freestyle (relay lead-off) — 1:40.23, #3 Performer of All-Time

Behind Walsh, a great battle is brewing for 2nd place. Virginia teammate Jasmine Nocentini (21.13) is ranked 2nd on the psych sheets with NC State’s Katharine Berkoff (21.14) just 0.01 behind. Nocentini’s time comes from the ACC final of the individual 50 free, where she scored silver behind teammate G. Walsh. Berkoff’s 21.14 was set leading off the Wolfpack’s 3rd place 200 free relay. Berkoff went on to post a similar effort in the individual final, stopping the clock in 21.23 for bronze. Of note, Nocentini led off the Cavaliers NCAA record-setting relay in a much slower 21.55, which occurred about 40 minutes prior to the individual final.

Berkoff has dropped a best time in the 50 free at each of the last three NCAA meets, subtracting about a tenth from her ACC performance each time. If that pattern continues, she’s on track for somewhere in the 21-lower range, or maybe even a high 20-second swim.

While Berkoff and Nocentini are a level above the field for 2nd and 3rd, there are several swimmers bunched up in the 21.6-21.7 range. The Louisville trio of Christiana Regenauer (21.46), Gabi Albiero (21.61), and Julia Dennis (21.68) will certainly be a threat, as the Cardinals have a rich history of matching or even outperforming their entry times at the NCAA Championship meet.

Regenauer and Dennis have already clocked new best times this season, while Albiero has been a bit off her best, although she’s focused on quite a number of long course meets over the past few months. Albiero checked-in for gold at the recent Pan American Games in September, touching in 24.84 for the LCM 50 freestyle.

Louisville 50 Freestylers At The 2023 NCAA Championships: 

Gabi Albiero 

• Entry Time: 21.36, Prelim Time: 21.46 (+0.10), Finals Time: 21.30 (-0.06, PB)
  • 3rd in prelims before finishing 3rd in the ‘A’ final

Christiana Regenauer 

• Entry Time: 21.58, Prelim Time: 21.68 (+0.10), Finals Time: 21.68 (+0.10)
  • 6th in prelims before finishing 7th in the ‘A’ final

Julia Dennis 

• Entry Time: 21.83, Prelim Time: 21.73 (-0.10, PB), Finals Time: 21.87 (+0.00)
  • 9th in prelims before finishing 12th in the ‘B’ final

Besides the Louisville trio, Ohio State’s Teresa Ivan is a returning ‘A’ finalist to keep an eye on. She won the B1G Ten title this year in 21.74, a bit off her best of 21.46, but she recorded her best time during the 2023 NCAA Championship final. She entered the 2023 meet with an entry time of 21.78, before dropping to 21.71 in prelims and then the previously mentioned 21.46 in finals.

Ivan’s teammates, Amy Fulmer (13th seed) and Kit Kat Zenick (14th seed) will also be on the hunt for an ‘A’ final appearance. Fulmer was 9th at the meet last year, while Zenick has a tendency to scratch the event to focus on relays. Fulmer was just off her best time at the B1G Ten Championships, touching 2nd, just 0.08 outside her 21.71 marker from 2022.

Indiana sophomore Kristina Paegle is another name to watch for in Athens. Paegle was pivotal to the Hoosiers at the B1G Ten Championships, where she anchored IU to a 2nd place 400 free relay finish, with secured the overall meet win over Ohio State. Paegle has been much better on relays thus far in her career, but if she can drop a best time in prelims at NCAAs, she could find herself in the ‘A’ final:

• 50 Freestyle: 21.87 (individual) vs. 21.03 (relay split)
• 100 Freestyle: 47.65 (individual) vs. 46.65 (relay split)
• 200 Freestyle 1:45.59 (individual) vs. 1:43.52 (relay split)

Texas’ Grace Cooper (6th seed), Tennessee’s Camille Spink (9th seed), and Virginia’s Maxine Parker (10th seed) are other individuals that can contend for the championship final too. Cooper has been as quick as 21.66 this year, but didn’t crack 22 seconds during the individual event (prelims or finals) at the Big 12 Championships. She did however lead of Texas’ winning 200 free relay in 21.76. Cooper will need to be at her absolute best to make the ‘A’ final, and can’t be in the 22-second range.

Spink had an electric meet at the SEC Championships, bagging wins in both the 50 (21.77 in finals. 21.74 PB in prelims) and 100 (46.69 PB) freestyles. She’s just a freshman, so it’s unclear how she’ll respond to her first double taper under a new coach, but she has the potential to make some noise and make the ‘A’ final.

UVA’s Maxine Parker recorded a new best time of 21.75 at February’s Cavalier Invitational, but was a bit off that mark at the ACC Championships (21.81). If she can challenge the 21.7-barrier, then an ‘A’ final appearance is well within her cards.

Fifth year Sofia Maksimova, who represents Cal Baptist, is another name that needs mentioning. She’s entered as the 12th seed in 21.79, her best time from the Western Athletic Conference Championships in late February. If she’s able to find another tenth, an ‘A’ final showing is in the realm of possibility. Maskismova put up multiple 21-mid clockings at that conference meet, and broke 22-seconds flat-start on two occasions.

SwimSwam Picks

Dark Horse: Micayla Cronk (Florida) — Florida junior Micayla Cronk had a great showing at the 2024 SEC Championships, producing personal records in the 50 (21.85) and 100 (47.66) freestyles. She’s ranked 17th with her best time, and with the momentum Florida may have after the first few events of the meet, she could find herself moving up into scoring range.