Virginia starts off hot, wins two out of three events on first night of NCAA women’s swimming championships

March 19, 2026

in Juventus

Reading Time: 3 mins read

No. 1 Virginia kicked off the NCAA Championships with the second quickest time in historical past within the 800-yd freestyle relay.

Aimee Canny, Madi Mintenko, Bailey Hartman, and Anna Moesch dropped 0.13 off of their seed time from the ACC championships to cease the clock in 6:45.21, successful the NCAA title.

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Moesch anchored the Cavalier ladies in 1:39.03, the quickest 200-yd freestyle cut up within the historical past of the game. The sophomore is rising as Virginia’s subsequent famous person.

They now personal the second and third quickest occasions within the historical past of the game, behind solely Virginia’s workforce from a 12 months in the past.

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Essentially the most stunning half about this workforce’s success is that three out of the 4 legs had been swapped out, together with Claire Curzan and each Walsh sisters.

The Hoos had been barely out of attain of their very own 6:44.13 the place Gretchen Walsh, Alex Walsh, Canny, and Curzan set the NCAA file. Gretchen Walsh led off in a blistering 1:39.34 a 12 months in the past to place Virginia in place to interrupt the quickest time in historical past.

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Indiana freshman Liberty Clark led off the Hoosiers relay with a 1:39.70, making her the third quickest performer of all time within the 200-yd freestyle. Clark bested Moesch’s finest time within the 200-yd free by two hundredths of a second, organising for a terrific race later within the week.

Virginia secured the win in 200 medley relay, beating Louisville by 0.58 seconds after dropping the occasion on the ACC championships. Sara Curtis, Emma Weber, Claire Curzan, and Bryn Greenwaldt dropped 1 / 4 of a second off of Virginia’s season finest to go 1:31.67.

Curtis posted the fifth quickest cut up of all time in her leadoff 50-yd backstroke whereas Claire Curzan swam the fourth fasteset 50-yd butterfly cut up in NCAA historical past.

The workforce from Louisville tied for second with Stanford in 1:32.35. Louisville added 9 hundredths of a second to their seed time whereas Stanford dropped six tenths of a second to leap up into the highest two. Tennessee, who gained the SEC title in February, positioned fourth in 1:32.66.

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One of many greatest takeaways from the 200 medley relay was California’s disqualification. The Golden Bears had been DQed as a consequence of an early takeoff by their freestyler after putting fifth within the occasion. This may create an added problem for Cal to climb again into the highest 5 by the tip of the week.

The Hoos have already jumped out to an early lead, totaling 100 factors on night time one, eleven factors forward of the second place Texas Longhorns.

Jillian Cox stands alone a prime of the gap ranks

Texas’ Jillian Cox has repeated as NCAA champion within the 1,650-yd freestyle. The space star is now two-for-two as nationwide champion within the mile.

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The Texas sophomore as soon as once more placed on an endurance clinic, chasing down Cal’s Claire Weinstein within the closing 600 yards and ending 4.26 seconds forward of the remainder of the sector. Cox swam a 15:32.26, which was an enchancment from her successful time a 12 months in the past by over a second.

Cox can also be the primary general seed within the 500-yd freestyle in a while within the week. She’s going to go for the gap sweep after putting first in each of her occasions in 2025.

Weinstein, who positioned second, broke Cal’s faculty file in 15:36.52.

Virginia picked up 20 factors within the 1,650-yd freestyle, including to the proper 80 scored within the two relays.

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