Back-to-Back: Virginia Wins 2022 NCAA Women's Swim & Dive Championship
It didn't take long for the Cavaliers to give their first national championship some company in the trophy case back in Charlottesville.
After winning the program's first-ever national title in 2021, Virginia came back and was utterly dominant this week at the McAuley Aquatic Center in Atlanta to win the 2022 NCAA Women's Swimming & Diving National Championship. The title is also the 30th NCAA national championship won by University of Virginia sports teams.
Coming into the final day of competition on Saturday, the Cavaliers had already amassed 386.5 points to take an essentially insurmountable 110.5-point lead atop the standings.
The Hoos did not let up on Saturday night.
UVA won four more NCAA titles on the meet's final night to punctuate a historic week of performances.
Freshman Gretchen Walsh won the 100-yard freestyle NCAA title, finishing in 46.05, good for a new pool record and the fourth-fastest time ever recorded in that event. Walsh was also a participant on UVA's first-place 200-yard medley relay and 400-yard medley teams.
In the 200-yard breaststroke, Kate Douglass capped off what is arguably the greatest all-time individual performance at the NCAA Championships. Douglass finished first with a time of 2:02.19, breaking an American record for the third time this week, each in a different stroke. Kate Douglass set new American records in the 50-yard freestyle, 100-yard butterfly, and 200-yard breaststroke on three consecutive days, an unprecedented feat in collegiate swimming.
Two other Cavaliers raced alongside Douglass in the 200-yard breaststroke. Ella Nelson took fourth place and Anna Keating finished eighth.
Alex Walsh joined Kate Douglass in winning her third individual NCAA title in the 200-yard butterfly, coming from behind to finish first with a time of 1:50.79
In the final event of the meet, Virginia put the finishing touches on the week by breaking yet another American record in the 400-yard freestyle relay. Kate Douglass, Alex Walsh, Reilly Tiltmann, Gretchen Walsh swam the relay in 3:06.91 to break the American record and win UVA's 11th NCAA title of the meet.
Additionally, junior Madelyn Donohoe finished sixth in the 1650-yard freestyle and freshman Reilly Tiltmann finished fifth in the 200-yard backstroke.
Virginia finished the meet with a total of 551.5 points, finishing atop the standings by a margin of 145.5 points.
Final 2022 NCAA Women's Swimming & Diving Championships Standings
1. Virginia - 551.5 points
2. Texas - 406 points
3. Stanford - 399.5 points
4. Alabama - 288 points
5. NC State - 279 points
6. Louisville - 196.5 points
7. Michigan - 184.5 points
8. California - 180 points
9. Ohio State - 165 points
10. Tennessee - 127 points
Virginia won NCAA titles in the following 11 events:
200-yard medley relay: Gretchen Walsh, Alexis Wenger, Lexi Cuomo Kate Douglass
50-yard freestyle: Kate Douglass (American record)
200-yard individual medley: Alex Walsh (American record)
200-yard freestyle relay: Kate Douglass, Alex Walsh, Lexi Cuomo, Gretchen Walsh
400-yard individual medley: Alex Walsh
100-yard butterfly: Kate Douglass (American record)
400-yard medley relay: Gretchen Walsh, Alexis Wenger, Alex Walsh, Kate Douglass (tied American record set by UVA at 2022 ACC Championships)
100-yard freestyle: Gretchen Walsh
200-yard breaststroke: Kate Douglass (American record)
200-yard butterfly: Alex Walsh
400-yard freestyle relay: Kate Douglass, Alex Walsh, Reilly Tiltmann, Gretchen Walsh (American record)
See full recaps of Virginia's performances from the first three days of the NCAA Championships here:
Virginia in First Place After Day One at NCAA Women's Swim Championships
Virginia Strengthens Leads on Second Night of NCAA Women's Swim Championships
Virginia Maintains Lead Heading Into Final Day at NCAA Women's Swimming Championships
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