2025 ACC Swimming and Diving Championships Recap

The Virginia women’s swimming team has consistently demonstrated their exceptional capabilities, pushing the boundaries of competitive swimming further with each season. This was prominently showcased during the women’s 400 medley relay at the 2025 ACC Championships, where their powerful roster came together in an impressive display of teamwork.

Claire Curzan, Alex Walsh, Gretchen Walsh, and Anna Moesch achieved an astonishing feat by breaking the NCAA record in this event, finishing with a time of 3:19.58. This new record effortlessly surpassed Virginia’s previous mark of 3:21.01 set during the 2024 NCAA Championships. Notably, no team had ever finished a 400 medley relay in under 3:20 until now, as the Cavaliers bypassed that milestone and shattered the record by 1.43 seconds.

Split Analysis for Women’s 400 Medley Relay NCAA Record

As Virginia solidifies its position at the pinnacle of NCAA swimming, they have attracted a wealth of talented and adaptable swimmers who excel in multiple medley relay roles. Last season, A. Walsh took on the butterfly leg in the NCAA record-breaking relay. Impressively, none of the 100-stroke swimmers opted for their respective strokes at this championship; Curzan tackled the 100 fly while G. Walsh participated in the 100 back.

Despite the different events, both Curzan and G. Walsh posted the fastest times in their segments of the relay. With Curzan back in the mix this season, she expertly handled the backstroke, allowing Walsh to shine on the butterfly leg. This strategic decision paid off, as Walsh achieved a personal best of 49.35 in the 100 backstroke.

Walsh, who has previously competed in backstroke for this relay, capitalized on this opportunity to compete in the 100 butterfly and 100 backstroke events during the NCAA Championships. Opting for the individual 100 backstroke this time, she stepped into the butterfly role and delivered a groundbreaking performance with a split of 47.00—the fastest 100 fly time ever recorded.

This new standard surpassed her previous record of 47.15 set at the Eddie Reese Invite last month. During that same event, Virginia showcased their potential with a time of 3:21.48, establishing a new American record. In addition to G. Walsh’s remarkable split, freshman Moesch also outperformed the freestyle leg of the prior two NCAA records by a remarkable 0.67 seconds, clocking in at 46.18.

The Virginia women’s team has elevated their dominance in collegiate swimming to unprecedented heights at the 2025 ACC Championships. Earlier in the competition, they shattered the enduring women’s NCAA 800 freestyle relay record, solidifying their status as holders of all five NCAA relay records. Furthermore, G. Walsh’s outstanding lead-off time of 1:39.34 signifies that the Cavaliers have claimed every ACC swimming record. While Virginia has consistently been at the forefront of the women’s 400 medley event, they continue to find innovative ways to surpass expectations.