2022 ACC Championships: Day 3 Prelims Live Recap

2022 ACC SWIMMING AND DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• When: Tuesday, February 15th to Saturday, February 19th Prelims 10:00am | Finals 6:00 pm (Tuesday 11:00am/4:30pm)
• Where: McAuley Aquatic Center, Atlanta Georgia (Eastern Time Zone)
• Defending Champions
  • Women: University of Virginia (17x) (results)
  • Men: University of Louisville (1x) (results)
• Streaming: ACC Network
  • Tuesday (prelims/finals)
  • Wednesday (prelims/finals)
  • Thursday (prelims/finals)
  • Friday (prelims/finals)
  • Saturday (prelims/1650s/finals)
• Championship Central: Here
• Detailed Timeline: Here
• Psych Sheets: Here
• Live Results
• Day 3 Prelim Heat Sheets

We’ve got an excellent team battle on our hands as we move into Day 3 of the 2022 ACC Championships, as the University of Virginia women hold a slim six-point lead on NC State. In the men’s meet, the Wolfpack have jumped out to a big early lead and appear to be swimming lights out.

Thursday morning prelims will feature heats in the 400 IM, 100 fly and 200 free, plus women’s 3-meter diving.

After cruising to victory in the 200 IM last night, UVA sophomore Alex Walsh has opted not to swim the 400 IM—an event she plans on racing at NCAAs—in favor of the 200 free this morning. Walsh is only the 10th seed in the 200 free, but threw down a blistering 1:41-plus split on Wednesday night’s 800 free relay.

In her absence, Cavalier teammate Ella Nelson is the top seed in the women’s 400 IM, and will aim to defend her title after setting a new meet record in 2021 (4:02.62).

The women’s 100 fly is headlined by defending champ Kate Douglass, a UVA junior who was the NCAA runner-up last season.

On the men’s side, Virginia Tech’s Youssef Ramadan comes in as the defending champion and top seed in the 100 fly, while the 200 free is stacked with contenders, including reigning champ Batur Unlu from Georgia Tech. The top seed is NC State sophomore Luke Miller, who was the fastest swimmer on the 800 free relay (1:31.03 split).

In the 400 IM, with 2021 winner Jack Hoagland redshirting the season due to injury, the event appears to be pretty wide open, with Wolfpack sophomore Mikey Moore the #1 seed after going 3:43.85 in November. Last season’s runner-up, Virginia Tech’s Keith Myburgh, is in the field as the sixth seed.

Women’s 400 IM – Prelims

• NCAA ‘A’ Cut – 4:03.62
• 2021 NCAA Invite Time – 4:13.19
• NCAA ‘B’ Cut – 4:17.30
• Meet Record – 4:02.62, Ella Nelson (UVA), 2021
• Conference Record – 4:01.40, Alex Walsh (UVA), 2021

1. Ella Nelson (UVA), 4:06.48
2. Grace Sheble (NCS), 4:07.36
3. Emma Weyant (UVA), 4:07.80
4. Reka Gyorgy (VT), 4:09.20
5. Kate Moore (NCS), 4:09.43
6. Abby Hay (LOU), 4:10.65
7. Rye Ulett (LOU), 4:12.29
8. Luciana Thomas (ND), 4:12.86

Defending champion Ella Nelson cruised in for the top seed heading into tonight’s final in the women’s 400 IM, doing just enough to hold off NC State’s Grace Sheble and win the fifth and final circle-seeded heat in 4:06.48.

Nelson, a junior out of UVA, currently ranks second in the NCAA with her time of 4:02.19 from the Tennessee Invite in November, trailing only teammate Alex Walsh (4:01.40) who opted not to race the event this morning.

Sheble, a freshman, had a very strong showing to qualify second for the final in 4:07.36, dipping well under her season-best of 4:08.91.

Cavalier freshman and Olympic silver medalist in this event, Emma Weyant, pulled away from Virginia Tech’s Reka Gyorgy and NC State’s Kate Moore on the back-half of the race in Heat 4 to advance third overall in 4:07.80, having come in with a best of 4:03.69 from November.

Fifth-years Gyorgy (4:09.20) and Moore (4:09.43) easily move on to the final in fourth and fifth, having finished 2-3 in the event last season behind Nelson.

Also earning repeat spots in the championship final are Louisville’s Abby Hay (4:10.65) and Notre Dame’s Luciana Thomas (4:12.86), who moved on in sixth and eighth, respectively.

In seventh is Louisville freshman Rye Ulett, who graduated high school early and joined the Cardinals last month. In her first swim of the meet, Ulett knocked two and a half seconds off her best time to qualify for the final in 4:12.29, having previously been 4:14.75 back in December.

Continuing the trend from Wednesday’s prelims, the time required to make the ‘A’ final here was significantly faster than it was in 2021. Last season it only took 4:15.34 to advance into the top eight, while today it was nearly two and a half seconds faster at 4:12.86.

Men’s 400 IM – Prelims

• NCAA ‘A’ Cut – 3:39.16
• 2021 NCAA Invite Time – 3:45.67
• NCAA ‘B’ Cut – 3:51.46
• Meet Record – 3:38.43, Robert Owen (VT), 2017
• Conference Record – 3:38.00, Gal Nevo (VT), 2009

1. Mikey Moore (NCS), 3:42.89
2. Filippo Dal Maso (VT), 3:44.17
3. Eric Knowles (NCS), 3:44.49
4. Casey Storch (UVA), 3:44.78
5. Daniel Sos (LOU), 3:45.69
6. Sean Conway (UVA), 3:47.24
7. Keith Myburgh (VT), 3:47.42
8. Bernhard Christianson (ND), 3:48.09

NC State sophomore Mikey Moore defended his top seed in the men’s 400 IM in definitive fashion, winning the fourth and final heat in a new personal best time of 3:42.89.

Moore, who finished fifth in last year’s final as a freshman, had set the conference’s top time (and a PB) of 3:43.85 back at the NC State Invite in November.

Trailing Moore in the fourth heat was Virginia Tech senior Filippo Dal Maso (3:44.17) and Wolfpack fifth-year Eric Knowles (3:44.49), who qualified second and third overall.

Dal Maso, an Italian native who was seventh last season, chops eight tenths off his previous best time of 3:44.97 from March 2020, while Knowles swims his fastest time since the 2020 ACCs.

Virginia’s Casey Storch won the opening circle-seeded heat in a season-best time of 3:44.78 to qualify in fourth, while the penultimate heat went to Louisville’s Daniel Sos in 3:45.69.

Women’s 100 Fly – Prelims

• NCAA ‘A’ Cut – 50.92
• 2021 NCAA Invite Time – 52.70
• NCAA ‘B’ Cut – 53.76
• Meet Record – 49.96, Kate Douglass (UVA), 2021
• Conference Record – 49.43, Kelsi Dahlia (LOU), 2017

1. Kate Douglass (UVA), 49.94
2. Gabi Albiero (LOU), 51.29
3. Kylee Alons (NCS), 51.39
4. Tristen Ulett (LOU), 51.43
5. Coleen Gillilan (ND), 51.92
6. Lexi Cuomo (UVA), 52.21
7. Abby Arens (NCS), 52.25
8. Elizabeth Vannote (UNC), 52.31

Kate Douglass torched the field en route to setting a new ACC Championship Record of 49.94 in the women’s 100 butterfly, bettering her previous mark of 49.96 set last season.

Douglass’ time moves her past Michigan’s Maggie MacNeil (49.97) for the top time in the NCAA this season, with MacNeil slated to race the event at the Big Ten Championships on Friday. Douglass was the runner-up to MacNeil at the 2021 NCAAs where the UVA junior set her current PB of 49.55.

Louisville’s Gabi Albiero, who finished fourth as a freshman last season, nailed a new personal best of 51.29 to advance second into the final, lowering the 51.59 she clocked at the 2021 ACCs.

Also setting a best time and earning a spot in the top four this morning was Albiero’s Cardinal teammate Tristen Ulett, who cracked 52 seconds for the first time in 51.43 to qualify fourth. Ulett set her previous best of 52.01 back in December 2019.

NC State’s Kylee Alons hit a new season-best to qualify third in 51.39, having placed third last year in 50.74. The 2021 runner-up, UVA’s Lexi Cuomo, safely advanced in sixth at 52.21.

Men’s 100 Fly – Prelims

• NCAA ‘A’ Cut – 44.96
• 2021 NCAA Invite Time – 46.29
• NCAA ‘B’ Cut – 47.43
• Meet Record – 44.32, Youssef Ramadan (VT), 2021
• Conference Record – 44.32, Youssef Ramadan (VT), 2021

1. Antani Ivanov (VT), 45.03
2. Nyls Korstanje (NCS), 45.06
3. Nicolas Albiero (LOU), 45.08
4. Youssef Ramadan (VT), 45.39
5. Abdelrahman Elaraby (LOU), 45.60
6. Noah Henderson (NCS), 45.68
7. Aiden Hayes (NCS), 45.79
8. Christian Ferraro (GT), 45.84

Virginia Tech senior Antani Ivanov was the lone swimmer to come home sub-24 in the men’s 100 fly prelims as the Bulgarian Olympian establishes the top time of the morning in 45.03.

Ivanov split 21.44/23.59 to hit a new season-best time from the first circle-seeded heat, and the clocking ultimately held up as the fastest of the session as NC State junior Nyls Korstanje (45.06) and Ivanov’s VT teammate Youssef Ramadan (45.39) won the last two heats to advance in second and fourth, respectively.

Louisville fifth-year Nicolas Albiero, who was the second-place finisher behind Ramadan last season, put up the third-fastest time overall from the penultimate heat in 45.08. That marked a new season-best for Albiero by eight-tenths of a second.

Joining Albiero in the ‘A’ final will be teammate Abdelrahman Elaraby, who knocked over two-tenths off his lifetime best to advance in fifth at 45.60.

NC State put three men up into the ‘A’ final, with junior Noah Henderson (45.68) and freshman Aiden Hayes (45.79) joining Korstanje in tonight’s big heat. The time for Henderson is a new PB, improving on his 45.83 from the 2021 NCAAs, while Hayes hits his fastest collegiate time ever after coming in with a season-best of 46.57 from November. Hayes owns a PB of 45.47.

Sneaking into the eighth spot was Georgia Tech fifth-year Christian Ferraro, who makes the ‘A’ final for a second straight year in 45.84. Louisville’s Dalton Lowe hit a season-best of 45.91 but just missed out on the final.

In fact, Lowe and FSU’s Max McCusker had tied for ninth in last year’s prelims, and now they finish in ninth and 10th, respectively.

Women’s 200 Free – Prelims

• NCAA ‘A’ Cut – 1:42.98
• 2021 NCAA Invite Time – 1:46.25
• NCAA ‘B’ Cut – 1:47.12
• Meet Record – 1:41.60, Mallory Comerford (LOU), 2019
• Conference Record – 1:39.80, Mallory Comerford (LOU), 2018

1. Alex Walsh (UVA), 1:44.54
2. Sarah Foley (DUKE), 1:45.17
3. Reilly Tiltmann (UVA), 1:45.19
4. Paige Hetrick (LOU), 1:45.35
5. Abbey Webb (NCS) / Emma Atkinson (VT), 1:45.60
6. –
7. Annabel Crush (NCS), 1:45.66
8. Polina Nevmovenko (LOU), 1:46.23

Virginia’s Alex Walsh eased her way to the top seed for tonight’s final in the women’s 200 freestyle, registering the third-fastest swim of her career in 1:44.54.

Walsh, who would’ve been the favorite to win the 400 IM had she opted to swim that event, is coming off a blistering 1:41.63 anchor leg on Tuesday night’s 800 free relay, so we should expect her to be at least two seconds quicker than she was this morning in the final.

The sophomore owns a best time of 1:43.61, set in last season’s NCAA prelims before she ultimately finished fifth in the final (1:44.12).

Duke sophomore Sarah Foley put up the second-fastest time of the session in 1:45.17, having smashed her career best time by two seconds leading off the 800 free relay at the beginning of the meet (1:43.85). Foley didn’t even swim this event at ACCs as a freshman.

The entire ‘A’ final will be made up of first and second-year swimmers, with Louisville sophomore Paige Hetrick the only returning finalist from last season.

Virginia freshman Reilly Tiltmann qualified third in 1:45.19, having set a new PB of 1:43.53 leading off the 800 free relay on Tuesday. Hetrick, who was sixth as a freshman, advances in fourth at 1:45.35, just off her PB of 1:45.00 set in January.

NC State’s Abbey Webb and Virginia Tech’s Emma Atkinson, both sophomores, tied for sixth in 1:45.60, and Wolfpack freshman Annabel Crush sits seventh at 1:45.66. Coming into the meet, Crush and Hetrick shared the conference’s top time this season at 1:45.00.

The battle for eighth also came down to two first-years, as Louisville’s Polina Nevmovenko (1:46.23) snagged the last spot in the final over UVA’s Ella Bathurst (1:46.29).

Men’s 200 Free – Prelims

• NCAA ‘A’ Cut – 1:32.05
• 2021 NCAA Invite Time – 1:34.04
• NCAA ‘B’ Cut – 1:36.32
• Meet Record – 1:32.23, Phillip Manoff (VT), 2021
• Conference Record – 1:31.32, Andreas Vazaios (NCS), 2018

1. Bartosz Piszczorowicz (NCS), 1:33.23
2. Murilo Sartori (LOU), 1:33.39
3. Batur Unlu (GT), 1:33.49
4. Luke Miller (NCS), 1:33.73
5. Sam Hoover (NCS), 1:33.77
6. Noah Bowers (NCS), 1:33.96
7. Hunter Tapp (NCS), 1:33.99
8. Colton Paulson (LOU), 1:34.02

The men’s 200 free prelims was unsurprisingly a tightly-contested affair with the top 12 swimmers separated by just 1.09 seconds. NC State managed to rack up five men into tonight’s championship final, led by junior Bartosz Piszczorowicz.

Piszczorowicz, a Polish native who previously competed for Louisville, put up a new personal best time of 1:33.23 to grab Lane 4 for the final, having set his previous best of 1:33.49 back at the 2019 ACCs.

Louisville freshman Murilo Sartori was the #2 qualifier in 1:33.39, bettering his lifetime best of 1:33.71 set just last month.

Defending champion Batur Unlu took second to Piszczorowicz in the fourth heat, clocking 1:33.49 to advance in fourth, while NC State’s Luke Miller closed things out by winning the final heat in 1:33.73 for fourth.

Miller is the conference’s fastest swimmer this season at 1:32.60, and split 1:31.03 on Tuesday night’s 800 free relay.

Joining Piszczorowicz and Miller in the ‘A’ final for NC State will be freshman Sam Hoover (1:33.77), and juniors Noah Bowers (1:33.96) and Hunter Tapp (1:33.99).

Louisville senior Colton Paulson, who was fifth last year, is the lone man to make the final above 1:34 at 1:34.02.

Seven of the eight ‘B’ finalists were also sub-1:35. Last season, 1:34.99 was eighth in the prelims, and this year, 1:35.00 is 16th.

Women’s 3-Meter Diving – Prelims

• Meet Record – 439.70, Abby Johnston (DUKE), 2010
• Conference Record – 439.70, Abby Johnston (DUKE), 2010

1. Emma Gullstrand (MIA), 376.00
2. Mia Vallee (MIA), 367.20
3. Aranza Vazquez (UNC), 344.10
4. Margo Omeara (DUKE), 333.90
5. Cami Hidalgo (GT), 327.45
6. Elizabeth Kaye (UVA), 320.25
7. Aliyah Watson (DUKE), 308.85
8. Paige Burrell (UNC), 307.65

The Miami duo of Emma Gullstrand (376.00) and Mia Vallee (367.20) took the top two spots in the women’s 3-meter diving prelims by a wide margin, with UNC and Duke also putting two up.