2024 CAVALIER INVITE
- February 9-11, 2024
- UVA Aquatic Center – Charlottesville, VA
- 25 Yards (SCY)
- Live Results: “2024 Cavalier Invitational” on MeetMobil
- Teams: UVA, College of William & Mary, Duke, George Washington, Johns Hopkins, South Carolina, St. Bonaventure, U.S. Military Academy, U.S. Naval Academy, UNC-Wilmington, UNC-Chapel Hill, University of Richmond, William & Mary
- Day 2 Finals Results
The Cavalier Invite typically functions as a season-ending championship-style meet for swimmers who aren’t slated to swim at their conference championships, as well as a sort of “first chance” meet, allowing top swimmers to get in some fast swims before conference championships. With no classes today, most of the UVA men and women competed in at least one event today whereas yesterday the swims were weighted towards competitors who appear not to have made the ACC squad.
The two biggest swims of the day came from UVA’s Alex Walsh. In prelims, she cranked a 57.89 in the 100 breast, coming within 0.25s of her best time in the event and moving to #5 in the nation this season. Additionally, that time broke an AFC pool record, which Jasmine Nocentini set last year at 58.19. Nocentini, however, matched Walsh’s pool record time with a 57.89 of her own in finals, jumping her over Lydia Jacoby and into a tie with Walsh in the season ranking.
Walsh opted not to swim in finals, instating opting to time trial the 200 back. When you’re as strong as an IMer as she is, there isn’t really a “worst” stroke, but it’s definitely the one she’s focused on the least at the college level. Regardless, she went 1:50.18, breaking an AFC pool record time of 1:51.42, previous held by her sister, Gretchen Walsh. That swim also shaved nearly a full second off of her previous best time, and moves Alex up to #2 in the nation, behind only Cal’s Isabelle Stadden (1:49.21).
Gretchen didn’t swim on day two after a big lifetime best in the 200 IM on Friday, but there were plenty of other notable names who did get in some swims on Saturday.
Ella Nelson hit a season-best time of 1:53.60 in a 200 IM time trial. She remains 4th in the nation this season, behind the Walsh sisters and Texas’ Kelly Pash.
The Cavalier women swept the individual events, with Sam Baron (100 fly), Cavan Gormsen (200 free), Sienna Karp (400 IM), and Carly Novelline (100 back).
Sienna Kara… or Sienna Karp…
Backstroke is most definitely not her worst stroke… if anything it’s her second best no?
Everything is relative. It’s the only one she hasn’t won an ACC or NCAA title in – but IDK if a “worst stroke” really exists for her.
Yeah, what Braden said is more of what I was going for. I’ve tweaked it.
I’d put her free ever so slightly behind the other 3, with those a toss up for which is best. Swimcloud pentagon diagram seems to agree.
That swimcloud pentagon is unlike any I’ve ever seen. Wow
Hear me out: UVA doesn’t really have a primary backstroker (that isn’t Alex) besides Reilly Tiltmann, what if Alex swam the 2 back at ACC’s, see what she can go, and if she throws down a time that’s capable of winning NCAAs, then swim it there? That would leave the 2 fly open, but it wouldn’t throw her schedule off that much because it’s on the same day as the 2 back, and they now have Tess Howley that is capable of getting up there high in the rankings. Something to ponder. Could she get past Stadden, Bacon, Noble, and Sims (if she swims it) at NCAAs? After all, it used to be her best (or one of her best)… Read more »
She’s already an All American in 200 free, breast, fly, and IM. Her best shot at another individual title is probably breast this year, but I’d love to see her do back, and become the answer to a trivia question.
More trivia—Meghan Small would’ve been the first if not for Covid year.
It seems to me her best event on the last day has always been the 2 BR but she always gave way to KD for the team. I think it’s her year to shine in the 2 BR. But when you are as strong as she is in all 4 strokes, you are right that she has plenty of options.
I don’t see her swimming the 2 fly (which would be crazy for any swimmer who isn’t a Walsh — bc she won it once and was 2nd last year).
I could see her swimming the 2 back and letting Ella Nelson have the 2 breast. She might not win but she will def be top 3.