A Look At the Incredible Versatility of Virginia Star Alex Walsh
The NCAA Women’s Championships are just a few weeks away and the University of Virginia will enter competition as the heavy favorite to repeat as national champ. The Cavaliers’ lineup is stacked with talent, weaknesses difficult to find. While there is star power, there is also incredible depth. That combination – of course – is deadly.
Leading into the NCAA Championships, it is worth noting the eye-opening versatility of Alex Walsh, the reigning Olympic silver medalist in the 200 individual medley. At the recent ACC Championships, Walsh captured individual titles in the 200 individual medley, where she is the defending NCAA champ, the 200 freestyle and the 200 breaststroke.
Walsh could embrace a multitude of lineups at the national level and contend for NCAA crowns in a variety of events. Ultimately, though, she is limited to three individual disciplines and four relays. Here is a look at Walsh’s career-best times in the 11 events in which she boasts premier performances.
50 Freestyle – 22.08
100 Freestyle – 48.59
200 Freestyle – 1:42.28
100 Backstroke – 50.88
200 Backstroke – 1:51.12
100 Breaststroke – 58.19
200 Breaststroke – 2:03.02
100 Butterfly – 51.31
200 Butterfly – 1:51.83
200 Medley – 1:51.53
400 Medley – 4:01.40
Excellent. Her versatility reminds me what Tracy Caulkins could do. It seems she can swim everything, and seeing what she does on 100 and 200, I guess she can swim aa wonderful 500 freestyle, too, even if she has more of a sprinter.