FEDERAL WAY, Wash. — In a stunning showcase of skill and speed, the Virginia women’s swimming and diving team began their campaign for a fifth consecutive NCAA title on Wednesday night with a winning performance in the inaugural relay event. The team, comprising Claire Curzan, Alex Walsh, Gretchen Walsh, and Maxine Parker, clinched victory in the 200-yard medley relay, setting a new NCAA, American, and US Open record. They completed the event in a lightning-fast time of 1 minute, 31.10 seconds, shattering the previous record of 1:31.51 established during the 2023 championships. Gretchen Walsh delivered an exceptional 20.88 split in the fly leg, marking the second-fastest time ever in that category.
In the subsequent 800-yard freestyle relay, Stanford’s quartet of Caroline Bricker, Aurora Roghair, Lillie Nordmann, and Kayla Wilson bested their competitors with a finishing time of 6:46.98, securing the national championship by nearly a five-second margin. Virginia took the second spot, concluding the race in 6:51.29. This achievement brought Stanford neck and neck with Virginia, each amassing 74 points, while Florida trails in third place with 60 points.
Virginia is on a quest to join an elite group of schools that have achieved five consecutive NCAA team titles in women’s swimming and diving. Historically, only Stanford, from 1992 to 1996, and Texas, from 1984 to 1988, have reached such a milestone. The competition continues with four swimming finals and one diving final scheduled for Thursday at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatics Center.