NCAA Women’s Championships: Torri Huske Adds Second Title in 50 Free
Torri Huske has heard the word “second” plenty of times at NCAAs in contexts she did not prefer. Friday, in winning her second national title this week, brought one second to cherish.
Huske clocked in at 20.66 seconds, winning the 50 freestyle at the NCAA Championships at Georgia Tech’s McAuley Center. It’s Huske’s second title of the week, having won the 100 butterfly Thursday, and it augment last year’s 200 individual medley title, with Huske not swimming the 50.
Huske has been second six times at NCAAs – twice in the 100 free, twice in the 100 fly, twice in the 200 IM. Friday, she was second to none, taking control on the first 25 and blasting her way to a 22.66.
Virginia fab freshman Sara Curtis finished second in 20.74 seconds. Camille Spink was third in 20.98. It’s the first time that a 50 free at NCAAs has ever featured three sub-21-second swims in the same year. (The 2022 and 2023 meets had two each.)
Texas’s Eva Okaro made it two freshmen in the top four at 21.05. Julia Dennis was fifth, followed by Liberty Clark. Dennis had been third last year, Spink fourth.
Huske’s time is a pool record, knocking off the 2022 mark set by Kate Douglass at 20.84. Curtis was also under the mark. It’s a best time for Huske, whose previous flat-start best 50 was 20.92 from NCAAs last year.
“I feel like best times are very rare for me, so I was super excited to go a best time,” Huske said. “I knew I would have to execute a perfect race and that is exactly what I did. I am very proud of myself for how I executed that race.”
Curtis also turned in a best time, as a prelude to doing the same off the front of the 400 medley relay.
“I felt super good,” Curtis said. “I just broke the 21 barrier this morning, and I was super excited to race tonight. I did really good, and I’m so happy to be part of this.”
Last year’s B final – remember those? – winner Brady Kendall of Michigan was seventh in 21.33, with Anna Moesch of Virginia padding the Cavaliers’ lead in eighth in 21.37.
Freshmen, particularly of the international variety, have made a huge impact on the women’s sprint field. Four rookies scored Friday – Annam Olasewere of Stanford was the fourth, in 12th – and seven were among the top 27, including German international Nina Jazy of Virginia and France’s Albane Cachot of Arizona State.
Curtis is the foremost of them, but Okaro has been tremendous, too. The Great Britain import is the fastest 50 and 100 freestyle in Texas history, which is no small feat.
Event 14 Women 50 Yard Freestyle
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NCAA: N 20.37 3/21/2024 Gretchen Walsh - Also 3/20/25, Virginia
Meet: M 20.37 3/21/2024 Gretchen Walsh - Also 3/20/25, Virginia
American: A 20.37 3/21/2024 Gretchen Walsh - Also 3/20/25, Virginia
US Open: O 20.37 3/21/2024 Gretchen Walsh - Also 3/20/25, Virginia
Pool: P 20.84 3/17/2022 Kate Douglass, Virginia
Name Year School Prelims Finals Points
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=== Championship Final ===
1 Huske, Torri SR Stanford 21.14 20.66P 20
r:+0.55 9.92 20.66 (10.74)
2 Curtis, Sara FR Virginia 20.93 20.74P 17
r:+0.66 10.06 20.74 (10.68)
3 Spink, Camille JR Tennessee 21.04 20.98 16
r:+0.66 10.02 20.98 (10.96)
4 Okaro, Eva FR Texas 21.27 21.05 15
r:+0.67 10.15 21.05 (10.90)
5 Dennis, Julia SR Louisville 21.13 21.15 14
r:+0.61 10.01 21.15 (11.14)
6 Clark, Liberty FR Indiana 21.39 21.25 13
r:+0.60 10.29 21.25 (10.96)
7 Kendall, Brady SR Michigan 21.44 21.33 12
r:+0.60 10.18 21.33 (11.15)
8 Moesch, Anna SO Virginia 21.35 21.37 11
r:+0.68 10.39 21.37 (10.98)
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