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Gretchen Walsh Ties NCAA And U.S. Open Record With 20.79 50 Free, Breaks American Record

2023 TENNESSEE INVITATIONAL

  • November 15-17, 2023
  • Knoxville, Tennessee
  • Allan Jones Intercollegiate Aquatic Center
  • LCM (50-meter) prelims / SCY (25-yard) finals
  • Prelims: 9:30am (EST)/ Finals: 6pm (EST)
  • 2024 NCAA Championships Standards
  • Psych Sheets
  • Live Stream
  • Live Results: “2023 Tennessee Invitational” on MeetMobile

WOMEN’S 50-YARD FREESTYLE — FINALS

  • NCAA Record: 20.79 — Maggie MacNeil, Louisiana State (2023)
  • 2024 NCAA ‘A’ Standard: 21.63
  • 2023 NCAA Invited Time: 22.15

Top 8:

  1. Gretchen Walsh (UVA) — 20.79 *NEW AMERICAN RECORD, TIES NCAA RECORD*
  2. Mona McSharry (TENN) — 22.01
  3. Cadence Vincent (BAMA) — 22.10
  4. Bella Cothern (ARK) — 22.22
  5. Kailyn Winter (BAMA) — 22.34
  6. Maxine Parker (UVA) — 22.36
  7. Jada Scott (BAMA) — 22.38
  8. Aimee Crosbie (UA) — 22.60

On the opening night of the 2023 Tennessee Invite, Virginia third-year Gretchen Walsh put up a winning time of 20.79 in the 50-yard free. That performance ties Maggie MacNeil‘s 50 free NCAA and U.S. Open record from the 2023 NCAA Championships and also beats her own American record time of 20.83 from the 2023 ACC Championships.

Walsh’s performance on Wednesday night marks her sixth time going under the 21-point barrier in the 50 free.

Top Performers All-Time, Women’s 50-yard freestyle:

  1. Gretchen Walsh, Virginia/Maggie MacNeil, LSU (2023) — 20.79
  2. Kate Douglass, Virginia — 20.84 (2022)
  3. Abbey Weitzeil, Cal — 20.90 (2019)
  4. Erika Brown, Tennessee — 21.03 (2020)

Earlier in the session, Walsh put up a 20.37 50 free relay split anchoring the 200 free relay, which has her tying MacNeil the third-fastest 50 free relay performer of all time behind Kate Douglass and Anna Hopkin.

All-Time Relay Performers, 50-Yard Free:

  1. Anna Hopkin (2020) – 20.27
  2. Kate Douglass (2023) — 20.34
  3. Gretchen Walsh, Virginia/Maggie MacNeil, LSU (2023) – 20.37
  4. Simone Manuel (2018)/Abbey Weitzeil – 20.45
  5. Erika Brown (2020) – 20.57

Walsh has seemingly been knocking on the door on the 50 free NCAA record all fall, posting a 21.28 50 free in September and a 20.95 unsuited at the Virginia-Texas dual meet in October.

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Chris
10 months ago
Skull
Long Strokes
10 months ago

She can swim fast at any time! She is the female version of Michael Andrew!

Hmm
Reply to  Long Strokes
10 months ago

Don’t curse her with that

Tyson Huynh
10 months ago

🔥😍

Swimmer
10 months ago

Kind of feels wrong to cross out maggie’s record like that. It was tied, not broken.

Happy Slappy
Reply to  Swimmer
10 months ago

I thought the exact same thing

That guy
Reply to  Swimmer
10 months ago

Might as well do it now cause it’ll get broken by Gretchen at ncaas

Zippo
10 months ago

Gretchen Walsh, with a speed so brash,
In Tennessee’s pool, made a splash.
At 20.79, oh what a flash,
Tying records with panache,
NCAA and U.S. Open, in a dash!

Pieter H
Reply to  Zippo
10 months ago

YOU’RE BACK!

DK99
Reply to  Zippo
10 months ago

They’re still not good

anon
Reply to  DK99
10 months ago

this dude LOVES awkward prepositional phrases

Last edited 10 months ago by anon
This Guy
Reply to  Zippo
10 months ago

Now do one without using ChatGPT

JimSwim22
10 months ago

An American record only had 3 comments so far? Wow have expectations inflated.

Age Of Winters
10 months ago

What was Anna Hopkins’ best flat start? With a 20.27 flying start would think you’d be close to 21.0 flat start.

Swammer22
10 months ago

Is anyone surprised?

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Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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