Monday, March 21, 2022
American Records Fall at 2022 NCAA Division I Championships
Seven events had their American record books rewritten this past weekend at the 2022 NCAA Women’s Division I Swimming & Diving Championships. U.S. National Teamers Kate Douglass, Alex Walsh and Katharine Berkoff swam to top American times in individual events while a University of Virginia relay team once again showcased an incredible performance.
Douglass’ performances at the competition were nothing short of stellar as she amounted five American records and three individual titles—impressively across three different strokes—during her time in Atlanta.
Her first record came in the prelims of the 50-yard freestyle, going 20.87 to beat Abbey Weitzeil’s 2019 record by three hundredths. Douglass went on to break her own record during the final, going 20.84 to repeat her title as NCAA champion in the event.
A day later, she took to the 100y butterfly as the top seed by more than half a second. She flew in the finals, going 49.04 to take down Claire Curzan’s 49.24 record from February. Douglass posted splits of 22.86 and 26.18 on her way to the title, beating out Tokyo Olympians Torri Huske and Maggie MacNeil to finish atop the podium.
Her final individual American record of the meet came in the 200y breaststroke, where she clocked a 2:02.19 to become the first American to ever go under 2:02.50. The swim was nearly a full second ahead of her previous personal best and almost a second and a half faster than her prelims swim.
Douglass' University of Virginia teammate Alex Walsh also swam her way to the record books, posting a 1:50.08 in the 200y IM to crack Ella Eastin's four-year-standing record of 1:50.67. The time shaved more than two seconds off her performance at the ACC Championships last month and dropped roughly a second-and-a-half from her previous personal best.
Berkoff captured her record by way of the 100y backstroke, an event in which her dad captured four American records during his time at Harvard in the 1980s. Berkoff’s swim last week—which stopped the clock in 48.74—made her the only American woman to ever go sub-:49 in event history. The record-breaking swim also completed her repeat-efforts as NCAA champion in the event.
The lone relay American record to fall in Atlanta was the women’s 4x100y freestyle relay. The University of Virginia sent out Douglass (46.62), Alex Walsh (46.49), Reilly Tiltmann (47.79) and Gretchen Walsh (46.01) to bring home the title in 3:06.91. In the past two months, University of Virginia women have set new American records in the 4x50y freestyle, 4x100y freestyle, 4x50y medley and 4x100y medley relays.
NCAA Division I Championships resume this week with the men’s competition, taking place March 23-26. Click here for additional information.
Douglass’ performances at the competition were nothing short of stellar as she amounted five American records and three individual titles—impressively across three different strokes—during her time in Atlanta.
Her first record came in the prelims of the 50-yard freestyle, going 20.87 to beat Abbey Weitzeil’s 2019 record by three hundredths. Douglass went on to break her own record during the final, going 20.84 to repeat her title as NCAA champion in the event.
A day later, she took to the 100y butterfly as the top seed by more than half a second. She flew in the finals, going 49.04 to take down Claire Curzan’s 49.24 record from February. Douglass posted splits of 22.86 and 26.18 on her way to the title, beating out Tokyo Olympians Torri Huske and Maggie MacNeil to finish atop the podium.
Her final individual American record of the meet came in the 200y breaststroke, where she clocked a 2:02.19 to become the first American to ever go under 2:02.50. The swim was nearly a full second ahead of her previous personal best and almost a second and a half faster than her prelims swim.
Douglass' University of Virginia teammate Alex Walsh also swam her way to the record books, posting a 1:50.08 in the 200y IM to crack Ella Eastin's four-year-standing record of 1:50.67. The time shaved more than two seconds off her performance at the ACC Championships last month and dropped roughly a second-and-a-half from her previous personal best.
Berkoff captured her record by way of the 100y backstroke, an event in which her dad captured four American records during his time at Harvard in the 1980s. Berkoff’s swim last week—which stopped the clock in 48.74—made her the only American woman to ever go sub-:49 in event history. The record-breaking swim also completed her repeat-efforts as NCAA champion in the event.
The lone relay American record to fall in Atlanta was the women’s 4x100y freestyle relay. The University of Virginia sent out Douglass (46.62), Alex Walsh (46.49), Reilly Tiltmann (47.79) and Gretchen Walsh (46.01) to bring home the title in 3:06.91. In the past two months, University of Virginia women have set new American records in the 4x50y freestyle, 4x100y freestyle, 4x50y medley and 4x100y medley relays.
NCAA Division I Championships resume this week with the men’s competition, taking place March 23-26. Click here for additional information.