UVA vs. Virginia Tech 2025: Live Recap

By Robert Gibbs on SwimSwam

Virginia vs. Virginia Tech

• Saturday, January 11, 2025
• AFC Pool, Charlottesville, VA
• SCY
• Dual meet format
• Live stream link (requires ACC+ access)
• Results on Meet Mobile “Virginia vs Virginia Tech”

The Virginia Tech Hokies head to Charlottesville today to take on the University of Virginia Cavaliers for the annual battle between the intrastate rivals. The Hokies, who we ranked 10th (men) and 25th (women) in our last round of power rankings, competed just last weekend. The men beat both Queens and South Carolina, while the women beat Queens and lost to South Carolina. Carles Coll Marti followed up his 200 breast title from Short Course Worlds with strong performances in yards in both breaststroke events.

Outside of the contingent that competed at Worlds, the Cavaliers haven’t raced since the Tennessee Invite. The women remained at #1 in our post-invite power rankings, and led by key performers like Gretchen Walsh, it’s never surprising to see them throw down fast times. This could also be the season debut for Alex Walsh, who took the fall semester off from college swimming after undergoing a procedure on her knee, but had a strong performance at Worlds. Katie Grimes, the #1 recruit in last year’s class, could also make her collegiate debut today.

We ranked the UVA men 11th in our last power rankings, but since then Noah Nichols and Tim Connery have dropped off the roster, meaning that the Wahoos have lost two of their top ACC and NCAA scorers.

The teams have split this meet each of the last three years, with the Cavalier women and the Hokie men winning each time. It’s the final home meet of the season for the Cavaliers, who will be recognizing their seniors before the swimming portion of the meet gets underway at 2pm eastern.

Women’s 200 Medley Relay

1. UVA ‘A’ – 1:31.53
2. UVA ‘B’ – 1:36.04
3. Virginia Tech “A’ – 1:38.94

Holy cow. It didn’t take long to see fireworks, as the UVA women came within 0.02s of the all-time record in the event. Claire Curzan led off in 23.25, Alex Walsh made her college season debut with a 26.08 split on the breaststroke, then Gretchen Walsh ripped a 20.87 fly leg. Assuming that’s accurate, that’s the fastest split in history by roughly half a second. Anna Moesch anchored in 21.33, as the Cavaliers stopped the clock in 1:31.53.

Men’s 200 Medley Relay

1. Virginia Tech ‘A’ – 1:22.93
2. UVA ‘A’ – 1:25.29
3. Virginia Tech ‘B’ – 1:25.60

The Hokie men got off to a strong start by beating the Cavaliers by over two seconds. Youssef Ramadan led off in 20.70, Carles Coll Marti continued his strong season with a 22.89 split on breast, Mario Mollay Yannes split 20.32 on fly, and Brenan Whitfield anchored in 19.02.

UVA had the faster splits on the back half, with freshman Spencer Nicholas going 19.87 on fly and Connor Boyle anchoring 18.83.

Women’s 1000 Free

Men’s 1000 Free

1. David King (UVA) – 9:03.43
2. Lee Naber (Virginia Tech) – 9:05.22
3. Dillon Wright (UVA) – 9:06.34

The Cavalier men got into the win column quickly with a 9:03.43 victory from freshman David King.

Women’s 200 Free

1. Claire Curzan (UVA) – 1:43.64
2. Kate Morris (UVA) – 1:45.90
3. Maxine Parker (UVA) – 1:46.87

The Cavalier women swept the top three spots, led by Claire Curzan at 1:43.64. Curzan’s been a bit faster this season with her 1:42.96 from the Tennessee Invite.

Score update: UVA 67, Virginia Tech 26

Men’s 200 Free

1. Luis Dominguez (Virginia Tech) – 1:33.61
2. Sebastien Sergile (UVA) – 1:34.98
3. Jakub Poliacik (Virginia Tech) – 1:35.56

Luis Dominguez went under 1:34 for the third time in just over a week, winning in 1:33.61 today after going 1:33.94 and 1:33.66 last weekend against Queens and South Carolina. That’a a season-best time for the Hokie veteran.

Score update: Virginia Tech 61, UVA 32

Women’s 100 Back

1. Carmen Weiler Sastre (Virginia Tech) – 51.89
2. Reilly Tiltmann (UVA) – 52.13
3. Tess Howley (UVA) – 52.21

Spanish Olympian Carmen Weiler Sastre shaved 0.05s off her yards best, using a strong back half to touch ahead of UVA’s Reilly Tiltmann (52.13) and Tess Howley (52.21).

Men’s 100 Back

1. Youssef Ramadan (Virginia Tech) – 45.07
2. Spencer Nicholas (UVA) – 45.93
3. Mario Molla Yannes (Virginia Tech) – 46.51

A trio of swimmers who are generally better know for their butterfly rater than backstroke took the top three spots. Youssef Ramadan, the 2023 NCAA champion in the 100 fly, got his hand on the fall first here with a season-best 45.07. UVA’s Spencer Nicholas, who set the 100 fly school record a couple months ago, took 2nd in 45.93, knocking 0.06s off his best time. Mario Molla Yannes of Virginia Tech finished 3rd in 46.51.

Women’s 100 Breast

1. Zoe Skirboll (UVA) – 59.29
2. Katie Christopherson (UVA) – 1:01.16
3. Emily Santos (Virginia Tech) – 1:01.57

Zoe Skirboll put the Cavalier women back in the win column with a 59.29, the only time under a minute in the field. That’s just off her season-best of 59.23 and her lifetime best of 59.11.

Men’s 100 Breast

1. Carles Coll Marti (Virginia Tech) – 50.78 **tied ACC Record**
2. Ethan Maloney (Virginia Tech) – 53.36
3. Matthew Heilman (UVA) – 54.30

Virginia Tech’s Carles Coll Martinot only set a pool record, but he tied the overall conference record with a lifetime best of 50.78. Coll Marti came into today with a lifetime best of 50.95 from last year’s ACC championships. Today’s mark appears to tie the ACC record belonging to Louisville’s Denis Petrashov.

Women’s 200 Fly

1. Katie Grimes (UVA) – 1:53.23
2. Alex Walsh (UVA) – 1:53.86
3. Bailey Hartman (UVA) – 1:57.57

Nothing quite like beating the NCAA record-holder in your very first college race. UVA freshman Katie Grimes led from start to finish, staying ahead of teamamte Alex Walsh the whole race. Grimes, who has a lifetime best of 1:52.28 from over two years ago, touched in 1:53.23, followed by Walsh at 1:53.86.

Men’s 200 Fly

1. Hayden Bellotti (UVA) – 1:43.69
2. Landon Gentry (Virginia Tech) – 1:45.74
3. Matt Styczen (UVA) – 1:45.79

Hayden Bellotti brought an end to the Hokie men’s winning streak by winning the 200 fly by nearly two seconds. Virginia Tech’s Landon Gentry got his hands on the wall just ahead of UVA’s Matthew Styczen, 1:45.74 to 1:45.79.

Women’s 50 Free

1. Gretchen Walsh (UVA) – 20.74
2. Anna Moesch (UVA) – 22.00
3. Aimee Canny (UVA) – 22.77

Gretchen Walsh already had the fastest time in the nation this season with a 20.54 from midseason, and she came within two-tenths of that time here today. No other woman has been under 21 this season. Anna Moesch was just a bit off her season best of 21.87 with her time of 22.00.

Men’s 50 Free

1. Brendan Whitfield (Virginia Tech) – 19.29
2. Connor Boyle (UVA) – 19.76
3. Jack Madoch (UVA) – 19.87

Hokie sophomore Brendan Whitfield hit a season-best time of 19.29 en route to the win. That’s faster than his 19.43 from midseason, and less than two-tenths off his lifetime best of 19.10 from last year’s ACC championships. UVA

Women’s 100 Free

1. Gretchen Walsh (UVA) – 46.12
2. Maxine Parker (UVA) – 48.81
3. Leah Hayes (UVA) – 49.10

Gretchen Walsh looked smooth here, cruising to the fastest time in the nation with a 46.12. That’s about half a second faster than Camille Spink’s 46.61 from the Tennesse Invite.

Score update: UVA 123, Virginia Tech 46

Men’s 100 Free

1. Brendan Whitfield (Virginia Tech) – 42.67
2. Will Hayon (Virginia Tech) – 43.42
3. Connor Boyle (UVA) – 43.60

Like Walsh, Brendan Whitfield swept the shortest freestyle events, taking the 100 free by the better part of a second not long after winning the 50 free.

Score update: Virginia Tech 105, UVA 64

Women’s 200 Back

1. Katie Grimes (UVA) – 1:51.56
2. Carmen Weiler Sastre (Virginia Tech) – 1:53.75
3. Emma Atkinson (Virginia Tech) – 1:55.79

Katie Grimes is now 2-2 in college competition after winning the 200 back by over two seconds. Her time of 1:51.56 puts her 13th in Division I this season, just ahead of Carmen Weiler Sastre, who took 2nd here in 1:53.75 after going 1:52.02 at midseason. Grimes owns a best time of 1:50.56 from December 2023.

Men’s 200 Back

1. Mario Molla Yannes (Virginia Tech) – 1:40.78
2. Nico Garcia (Virginia Tech) – 1:42.77
3. Jack Aikins (UVA) – 1:43.51

Mario Molla Yannes doesn’t appear to have swum a 200 yard backstroke until this past October. Today he won this event in 1:40.78, finishing ahead of Spanish Olympian Nico Garcia (1:42.77) and USA national teamer Jack Aikins (1:43.51), both of whom would probably consider this their strongest event.

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