No. 1 Virginia women's swimming and diving team wins two relay titles on first night of NCAA championships

The Cavaliers won both relay titles on the first night of competition at the NCAA Championships at the Allan Jones Aquatic Center in Knoxville, Tenn.

UVa improved its own American, NCAA & U.S. Open record as it won the 200-yard medley relay to kick off the competition. It was the second consecutive NCAA title in the 200-yard medley relay win for Virginia and its second American, NCAA and U.S. Open record in the event in just over a month.

Gretchen Walsh started the relay with a 22.77 split in the 50-yard backstroke. Alex Walsh dove in second for the 50-yard breaststroke leg and Lexi Cuomo swam the butterfly leg.

UVa was neck-and-neck with N.C. State most of the relay, as Cuomo gave the Cavaliers a slight lead with the fastest split of the night in 22.10. That left it all to anchor, Kate Douglass, who cruised past the field on the turn and finished in 20.34, the second fastest 50 relay split ever, and solidified Virginia’s 1:31.51 record time to win the event.

Virginia capped off the night with a win in the 800-yard freestyle relay, posting a school record and pool record time of 6:49.82. Aimee Canny swam leadoff, Alex Walsh made her second appearance in a UVa relay on the night with the second leg, Reilly Tiltmann was the third leg and Ella Nelson anchored the winning relay for the Cavaliers.

It was the second time in three years Virginia has won the 800-yard freestyle relay.

The Cavaliers will look to add more hardware Thursday night on the second night of competition, which will feature the 500-yard freestyle, 200-yard IM, 50-yard freestyle, 1-meter diving and 200-yard freestyle relay.