Virginia commit Gretchen Walsh threw down an impressive swim in the 50 freestyle over the weekend at the Nashville Aquatic Club’s Music City Invite as she swam a new best time in the 50 free in yards with a 21.41.
The time is quicker than her 21.50 from March of this year as she improved from fourth to second on the all-time rankings for the 17-18 age group in that event. Walsh just narrowly missed Simone Manuel’s 21.32 from the 2015 NCAAs when she won the title as a freshman at Stanford before her 19th birthday.
Walsh’s time would actually be the top time in Division I right now as that title belongs to current Virginia sophomore Kate Douglass (21.42), who Walsh will join in Charlottesville next season.
All-Time Rankings 17-18 Girls 50 Free (SCY)
- 21.32, Simone Manuel, 2015
- 21.41, Gretchen Walsh, 2020
- 21.43, Torri Huske, 2020
- 21.49, Abbey Weitzeil, 2014
- 21.53, Kate Douglass, 2019
Gretchen Walsh is one of the top rising stars in the United States right now and could have a big Olympic Trials next summer if she continues on this trajectory. The top sprinter in the high school class of 2021, she is the national high school record holder in the 50 and 100 freestyle, and was the first high school woman to break 47 seconds in the 100 free. She won the gold medal in the 50 and 100 free at the 2019 World Juniors, and with another year to prepare for the Olympic Trials, could swim her way on to the Olympic team with her older sister Alex, now a freshman at Virginia, also on that trajectory.
Very awesome! Her and the Nashville Aquatic Club coaches are doing a super job!