Ultra Swim Swimmer of the Month is a recurring SwimSwam feature shedding light on a U.S.-based swimmer who has proven themselves over the past month. As with any item of recognition, Swimmer of the Month is a subjective exercise meant to highlight one athlete whose work holds noteworthy context – perhaps a swimmer who was visibly outperforming other swimmers over the month, or one whose accomplishments slipped through the cracks among other high-profile swims. If your favorite athlete wasn’t selected, feel free to respectfully recognize them in our comment section.
Gretchen Walsh has seemingly been the top performer each and every weekend so far in the NCAA campaign, delivering stunning dual meet times throughout October that were some of the fastest we’ve ever seen in-season.
Walsh ratcheted things up in November, dropping some scintillating swims at the midseason Tennessee Invitational including the fastest ever in both the women’s 50 free and 100 fly.
The University of Virginia junior clocked 20.79 in the 50 free, matching Maggie MacNeil‘s NCAA and U.S. Open Record while breaking her own American Record of 20.83, both established last season.
The following day, Walsh took on an event she hasn’t frequently raced collegiately, the 200 free, where she put up a time of 1:41.32 to drop nearly two seconds off her previous best and rank #11 all-time.
Walsh had previously been 1:43.24 at the Cavalier Invitational this past February.
To close out the meet individually, Walsh shook things up, racing the 100 free but swimming butterfly. She went 57.08 in the long course prelims, within eight-tenths of her lifetime best from U.S. Nationals (56.34), and then blasted her way to a time of 48.30 in the final, unofficially breaking the all-time record.
Although it likely won’t officially hold up, Walsh’s swim was under Kate Douglass‘ NCAA, U.S. Open and American Record of 48.46 in the 100 fly, established at the 2023 NCAA Championships in March.
On top of these individual performances, Walsh also produced the fastest 100 free relay split in history in 45.18, went 20.36 (#3 split all-time) in the 200 free relay, and added 22.98 and 50.05 50 and 100 back swims leading off UVA’s medley relays.
As of the end of November, Walsh is ranked first in the NCAA in five individual events, adding the 200 free to the list at the Tennessee Invite to punctuate what has been another phenomenal start to the season.
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