Gretchen Walsh Earns ESPY Nomination After Historic NCAA Swim Season
Gretchen Walsh has been nominated for the Best College Athlete - Women's Sports award at the 2024-25 ESPY Awards. She earned this nomination after a historic NCAA swim season with Virginia women's swim and dive.
Gretchen Walsh finished her collegiate career as a 25-time NCAA Champion, with four National Titles for Virginia women's swim and dive. She was named the CSCAA Swimmer of the Year for the second straight year.
Walsh set 11 world records, nine individual, at the 2024 World Aquatics 25m Championships. She also won three individual events at the 2025 NCAA Women's Swimming & Diving Championships, setting three American and NCAA records.
The ESPY Awards ceremony will take place on Wednesday, July 16th, at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles. Fans can cast their ballot for Gretchen Walsh at espn.com/espys/.
Gretchen Walsh won seven titles at the ACCs, concluding her career with 28 total titles and four ACC Team Championship titles. She received the IMP Award given to the top female Virginia athlete at the 2024-25 Hoos Choice Awards.
In June, at the Toyota US National Championships, Gretchen Walsh earned gold in the 50m Fly, setting an American record. She also earned gold in the 100m Fly and gold in the 50m Free, tying the American record.
Gretchen Walsh competed in the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris, where she notched two gold medals and two silver medals. She broke the Olympic record in the 100 fly and was part of World Records for the mixed 4x100 medley relay and the 4x100 medley relay.
The ESPY nomination makes Gretchen Walsh the second Cavalier to be nominated for this category, joining Morgan Brian in 2014. The last Cavalier to win an award was Dawn Staley, who earned the Jimmy V Award in 2024.
Gretchen Walsh's nomination is a result of her outstanding final season at Virginia. She was named the ACC Swimmer of the Year for the second straight year.
The ceremony will be televised at 8 pm on ABC. Gretchen Walsh's fans can vote for her to win the award.
Gretchen Walsh's achievements in the pool have earned her a nomination for the Best College Athlete - Women's Sports award. She will find out if she wins on July 16th.