In a stunning display of talent, Sara Curtis achieved an impressive time of 51.03 seconds to win the 100-meter butterfly during the preliminaries of Day Two at the Cavalier Invite. This event, part of the 2026 Cavalier Invite taking place from February 5th to 7th at the Aquatic and Fitness Center in Charlottesville, VA, has captivated swimming enthusiasts and spectators alike.
The excitement kicked off this morning with the women’s 100 fly prelims, where freshman swimmer Sara Curtis from Italy made waves with her remarkable performance. Her time of 51.03 represents a significant improvement, shedding a substantial 1.5 seconds off her previous best of 52.53, which she clocked during a meet against Virginia Tech last month. This outstanding swim positions her as the 11th fastest swimmer in the nation for this season.
This achievement is particularly crucial for Curtis, as she has been considering the 100 backstroke as another event to compete in at the NCAA Championships. However, due to scheduling conflicts, the 50 free race occurs on the same day. Currently, she ranks 8th in the country for the 100 back, and her latest performance in the 100 fly opens up new possibilities for her event lineup, allowing her to potentially compete in just one event per day.
Following closely, Carly Novelline secured the second seed with a personal best time of 51.38 seconds, improving from her previous record of 51.50 set at last year's ACC Championships. Her performance will elevate her ranking to 19th nationally this season.
Sophia Umstead also shined in the prelims, setting a new lifetime best in the 400 IM with a time of 4:09.44, surpassing her earlier personal best of 4:10.11 recorded at the Tennessee Invite in November.
Zoe Skirboll made headlines by earning the top seed in the women's 100 breast with a remarkable time of 58.74 seconds. This marks her first occasion breaking the 59-second barrier, a notable improvement from her previous record of 59.09 set in November. This performance now ranks as the 16th fastest in the nation this season. South Carolina’s Alexis Dalton also had a noteworthy performance, qualifying second overall with a new personal best of 1:01.23, which is a four-tenths improvement from her previous time of 1:01.69 against Georgia Tech last month.
Additionally, Claire Curzan claimed the top seed in the 200 free with her time of 1:43.50, while Sylvia Roy secured the top position in the 100 back with a time of 53.71.
On the men's side, the Cavaliers didn’t see as many personal bests as their female counterparts. Jay Gerloff took the top spot in the men’s 100 breaststroke with a time of 53.20, matching his lifetime best from last season’s ACC Championships. Other standout performances included Thomas Mercer in the 400 IM with a time of 3:49.22, Tristen Davin in the 200 free at 1:36.01, and Spencer Nicholas in the 100 back at 45.81, though each fell short of their personal bests.
Freshman Blaise Van Slyke from William and Mary topped the prelims in the men’s 100 fly, finishing in 49.61 seconds, marking a new season best but still about a second shy of his pre-college best of 48.89.
Excitement continues to build as the finals session is set to begin tonight at 6 p.m. EST. Will the swimmers maintain their momentum, or will there be surprises in store? Stay tuned!
