2025 NCAA Women’s Championships: Day 4 Relay Analysis – Sub-46 Splits from Walsh and Huske

2025 NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships

• March 19-22, 2025
• Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatics Center – Federal Way, Washington
• Short Course Yards (25 yards)
• Start Times: Prelims: 10 AM ׀ Finals: 6 PM (Pacific Daylight Time)
• Meet Central
• Official Psych Sheets
• SwimSwam Preview Index
• Live Results
• Live Stream
• Live Recaps :Day 1 ׀ Day 2 ׀ Day 3 ׀ Day 4

Women’s 400 Yard Freestyle Relay – Timed Finals

• NCAA Record: 3:05.84 – Virginia (Douglass, Walsh, Parker, Walsh), 2023
• Championship Record: 3:05.84 – Virginia (Douglass, Walsh, Parker, Walsh), 2023
• American Record: 3:05.84 – Virginia (Douglass, Walsh, Parker, Walsh), 2023
• U.S. Open Record: 3:05.84 – Virginia (Douglass, Walsh, Parker, Walsh), 2023
• 2024 Champion: Virginia – 3:05.89

Podium:

1. Virginia (Curzan, Moesch, Walsh, Walsh) – 3:06.01
2. Tennessee (Spink, Fuller, Jansen, Douthwright) – 3:08.63
3. Louisville (Albiero, Dennis, Larsen, Mehraban) – 3:08.71
4. Michigan (Balduccini, Kendall, Newman, Flynn) – 3:09.07
5. Stanford (Johnson, Nordmann, Huske, Wilson) – 3:09.38
6. USC (Buinaia, Famous, Tuggle, Abraham) – 3:10.36
7. (TIE) Texas (Gemmell, Sticklen, Nesty, Arens) / Indiana (Peplowski, Dewitt, Grana, Paegle) – 3:10.47
8. –

Virginia’s Walsh era ended on a strong note, with Claire Curzan (47.07), Anna Moesch (46.86), Alex Walsh (47.07), and Gretchen Walsh (45.04) closing out the 2025 NCAA Women’s Championships with a rout in the final event to secure the Cavaliers’ fifth consecutive national title. Their combined 3:06.01 was the fastest by over 2.6 seconds. Tennessee edged Louisville by .08 for second place with 3:08.63.

Leadoff Leg

Bella Sims produced the fastest leadoff of the night, giving Florida an early advantage in heat 3 of 4. She clocked a 46.53, a personal best by .47. Just to put that swim in context, it would have earned her the bronze medal behind Gretchen Walsh and Torri Huske. Sims and Tennessee’s Camille Spink (46.90 in heat 4) were the only sub-47 leaoffs. Virginia’s Curzan (47.07), Michigan’s Stephanie Balduccini (47.31), Anna Peplowski of Indiana (47.32), Carmen Weiler Sastre of Virginia Tech (47.49), and Louisville’s Gabi Albiero (47.51), Cadence Vincent from Alabama (47.78), Helena Jones of Georgia (47.87), and Cal’s Mary-Ambre Moluh (47.90) all led off in sub-48s.

Rolling Splits

Virginia’s Gretchen Walsh anchored the winning relay with 45.04, the second-fastest split in NCAA history. She now owns the four fastest 100 free relay splits and five of the top 10. Her 45.04 bumped Abbey Weitzeil 2020 Pac-12s performance off the top-10 list, which is a shame because Torri Huske’s 45.77 tonight would have tied it.

1. 93, Gretchen Walsh (2025 ACCs)
2. 04, Gretchen Walsh (2025 NCAAs)
3. 17, Gretchen Walsh (2024 NCAAs)
4. 18, Gretchen Walsh (2023 Tenn. Invite)
5. 26, Maggie MacNeil (2023 SECs)
6. 40, Gretchen Walsh (2024 ACCs)
7. 45, Simone Manuel (2015 NCAAs)
8. 47, Simone Manuel (2018 NCAAs)
9. 65, Taylor Ruck (2019 NCAAs)
10. 74, Mallory Comerford (2018 NCAAs)
11. (TIE) 45.77, Abbey Weitzeil (2020 PAC-12s) / 45.77, Torri Huske (2025 NCAAs)

Walsh and Huske were the only swimmers under 46 seconds, but USC’s Minna Abraham came very close to breaking the barrier with 46.07. Her anchor took USC past Florida and Cal in heat 3 and secured the Trojans a spot on the podium.

We had five more sub-47 splits: Josephine Fuller of Tennessee (46.48), Julia Dennis of Louisville (46.52), UVA’s Moesch (48.86), Michigan’s Lindsay Flynn (46.91), and Erika Palaez of NC State (47.04).