The Virginia swim teams kicked off the regular season with their first official dual meet against the Florida Gators last weekend. Coming into the races, the women were ranked 1st nationally and the men were ranked 13th. The UVA women’s team came out on top, beating Florida 224-127. Although the Hoos led in the first half, the men’s team ultimately lost to the Gators with a score of 191.5-159.5.
Here are some takeaways from the start of the season:
Virginia Earns 2 ACC Swimmer Of The Week Titles
Two UVA athletes were named ACC Swimmer of the Week after the Florida meet. Sophomore Anna Moesch and freshman Thomas Heilman both had incredible performances at the meet, claiming top spots in their events, as well as earning many NCAA cuts.
Moesch placed first in all but one of her events, and achieved three NCAA cuts. Her 100 and 200 free are currently the top times in the nation. Here is a look at her meet:
- 1st in 100 free with a time of 22.07
- 1st in the 200 free with a time of 1:41.42
- 1st in 400 Medley Relay with a free split of 46.35
- 1st in 400 Free Relay with a split of 46.66
- 2nd in 50 free with a time of 20.16, her personal best
Heilman had a banner first meet of his collegiate career, placing first in all of his events while earning two NCAA cuts. Here is a look at his debut meet:
- 1st in 100 fly with a time of 45.29
- 1st in 50 fly with a time of 20.52, his personal best
- 1st in 200 fly with a time of 1:41.69
- 1st in 400 Medley Relay with a fly split of 44.36
- 1st in 400 Free Relay with a split of 42.84
With only one meet completed and two athletes already being recognized for their achievements in the water, UVA swimming is looking very promising for the season ahead.
Cavalier Women Continue To Dominate In The Pool
Even with the departure of the indomitable Gretchen Walsh and five-year NCAA Champion Alex Walsh, the UVA women remain a force to be reckoned with. The Cavaliers saw top performances from many swimmers, showing their strength and beating Florida by nearly 100 points.
Junior Claire Curzan had an incredible meet, earning the most points for the women’s team while placing first in all of her events. She also secured NCAA cuts in the 100 back and 100 fly. Here’s a look at her overall meet:
- 1st in 50 back with a time of 23.58
- 1st in 100 back with a time of 50.08
- 1st in 100 fly with a time of 50.06
- 1st in Medley Relay with a fly split of 49.26
- 1st in 400 Free Relay with a split of 47.00
Senior Aimee Canny won top spots in multiple events as well, and had personal bests in the 500 free and 200 IM, placing first in both. She also earned NCAA cuts in the 500 free, 100 breast, and the 200 IM. Here is a look at her meet:
- 1st in the 500 free with a time of 4:34.26
- 1st in the 200 IM with a time of 1:55.03
- 1st in the 400 Medley Relay with a breast split of 57.94
- 2nd in the Free Relay with a split of 47.95
- 3rd in the 100 breast with a time of 59.48
Men’s Team On The Rise
With a wave of top recruits from the Class of 2025, the UVA men are looking stronger than recent years coming into the 25-26 season, and the Florida meet showed the Hoos’ continual improvement.
A top recruit from the Class of 2025, freshman Maximus Williamson, left it all in the water for his first UVA meet, earning two NCAA cuts and going the 6th fastest time in program history in the 200 IM. Here is a look at his meet:
- 1st in 200 free with a time of 1:33.81
- 1st in 200 IM with a time of 1:43.55
- 1st in 400 Medley Relay with a breast split of 52.41
- 1st in 400 Free Relay with a split of 41.98
- 2nd in 100 free with a time of 43.06
Sophomore David King had a promising first meet of the season, compounding on his successful freshmen year with a personal best in the 50 free and a NCAA cut in the 200 back. Here is a look at his meet:
- 1st in 200 back with a time of 1:41.04
- 1st in 400 Medley Relay with a split of 42.21
- 1st in Free Relay with a split of 42.93
- 3rd in 100 back with a time of 46.32
- 5th in 50 free with a time of 20.16
Between Heilman, King, and Williamson, the UVA men’s team is looking to be the best it's been in a while. Although the Hoos were defeated at Florida, they seem to be closing the gap and catching up with their competitors, and the new wave of swimmers will no doubt speed up the process.
Transfer Student Making A Splash
The Florida meet was also a display for how prominent Bryn Greenwaldt may prove to be on the team this season. A graduate transfer student from Augustana, Greenwaldt was a D2 dual-sport athlete prior to coming to UVA, training as both a swimmer and a high jumper on the track and field team. She announced her transfer this past April after becoming an All-American in both of her sports last season.
Ever since she began her training with the Hoos, Greenwaldt has been a force of nature. Anticipated to solely be a sprinter, she quickly surpassed these expectations, completing any and every practice the coaches threw her way. What’s even more impressive is that Greenwaldt had never trained year round prior to coming to Virginia.
Greenwaldt further showed this tenacity in the season opener at Florida, claiming her first official D1 NCAA wins in the 50 free, 400 Freestyle Relay, and 400 Medley Relay. She beat out teammate Anna Moesch in the 50 free by .02 seconds, securing first place with a time of 22.05. Greenwaldt also placed in the 100 free, going 49.54 and grabbing 3rd place.
With the Walsh sisters having graduated, spots have now opened up on the A relays, and Greenwaldt is looking like a strong contender if last week’s meet is any indication.
Looking Ahead
Virginia will have its first home meet at the AFC next Friday, Oct. 24, at 4 p.m. The team will host North Carolina and will feature a celebration of the women’s 2025 NCAA Championship team.
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