2024 ACC Championships: Day 4 Prelims Live Recap

2024 ACC SWIMMING AND DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Tuesday, February 20 to Saturday, February 24, 2023
• Greensboro Aquatic Center, Greensboro, North Carolina
• Defending Champions: NC State men / Virginia women
• Full Event Schedule
• Championship Central
• Psych Sheets
• Live Results
• Live Streaming
• Day 1 Finals Recap
• Day 2 Prelims Recap | Day 2 Finals Recap
• Day 3 Prelims Recap | Day 3 Finals Recap
• Friday Prelims Heat Sheets

The ACC Swimming and Diving Championships continue this morning with prelims of the 200 fly, 100 back, and 100 breast. Notably, a couple swimmers who own a conference record will be aiming for the conference record in the event.

On the women’s side, UVA’s Alex Walsh set the ACC record at 1:50.23 at last year’s NCAAs despite not competing in this event at last year’s conference championship. Walsh is at the very bottom of the psych sheet with a “NT.”

On the men’s side, Noah Nichols is the defending champion in the 100 breast, and he set the ACC record with that win last year, but Louisville’s Denis Petrashov pipped that record at NCAAs. They’ll face off a tight field that also includes Virginia Tech’s Carles Coll Marti, who has the fastest time in the conference this season.

Beyond the individual titles at stake, this morning could have huge implications for some key battles in the team standings. That’s especially true on the men’s side, where Notre Dame holds a sizable lead over Virginia Tech and Louisville in the race for second second. The Fighting Irish’s best ACC finish coming into this meet was a third place effort in 2017.

TEAM SCORES THROUGH DAY 3

Women:

1. Virginia — 846.5
2. Louisville — 682
3. NC State — 573
4. Duke — 433.5
5. UNC — 401.5
6. Virgina Tech — 308.5
7. Notre Dame — 276
8. Florida State — 266
9. Pitt — 226
10. Miami — 221
11. Georgia Tech — 220

Men:

1. NC State — 812.5
2. Notre Dame — 559.5
3. Virginia Tech — 469.5
4. Louisville — 458
5. Florida State — 386
6. UNC — 380
7. Virginia — 344.5
8. Pitt — 315
9. Georgia Tech — 309
10. Duke — 164
11. Miami — 94

Women’s 200 Butterfly

• NCAA Record: 1:49.51, Ella Eastin (Stanford) – 2018 Pac-12 Championships
• ACC Record: 1:50.23, Alex Walsh (Virginia) – 2023 NCAA Championships
• ACC Championship Record: 1:52.81, Grace Oglesby (Louisville) – 2019
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:52.86
• 2022 NCAA Invite Time: 1:55.92

Top 8:

1. Alex Walsh (Virginia) – 1:52.05
2. Abby Harter (Virgina) – 1:55.01
3. Tess Howley (Virginia) – 1:55.24
4. Martina Peroni (Duke) – 1:55.52
5. Edith Jernstedt (Florida State) – 1:55.94
6. Elizabeth Vannote (UNC) – 1:56.63
7. Maggie Schalow (Virginia) – 1:56.95
8. Catherine Purnell (Duke) – 1:57.61

Well, that didn’t take long. Alex Walsh hasn’t swum this event since she broke the ACC record with a 1:50.23 to take 2nd at last year’s NCAA championships. So, she was seeded this morning with a “No Time” and swam in the very first heat. She didn’t need anyone to push her, though, as she popped a 1:52.05 to break the ACC meet record and move to #4 in the nation this season, behind a trio of Texas Longhorns. Unsurprisingly, Walsh’s time held up as the fastest time of the morning.

Walsh was one of four Cavalier women to qualify for tonight’s A-final. Abby Harter (1:55.01) and Tess Howley (1:55.24) posted the 2nd and 3rd fastest times of the morning, and Maggie Schalow (1:56.95) qualified 7th.

Duke started the morning off strong by qualifying two A-finalists. Martina Peroni (1:55.52) had the 4th-fastest time of the morning, and Catherine Purnell (1:57.61) just beat out NC State’s Grace Sheble (1:57.81) for the #8 spot.

Two women who qualified in the top eight improved other seed time. Florida State’s Edith Jernstedt was just better than her seed time with a 1:55.94 this morning, although she was still about two second shy of her lifetime best of 1:54.64, which she set in prelims of last year’s NCAA championship en route to making the B-final there. UNC’s Ellie Vannote took nearly two seconds off seed time with a 1:56.63; she’s been as fast 1:54.07.

Walsh, Schalow, and Purnell were the only swimmers to make the top 8 today who did not compete in the A-final last year.

Men’s 200 Butterfly

• NCAA Record: 1:37.35, Jack Conger (Texas) – 2017 NCAA Championships
• ACC Record: 1:37.92, Nick Albiero (Louisville) – 2022 ACC Championships
• ACC Championship Record: 1:37.92, Nick Albiero (Louisville) – 2022
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:40.16
• 2022 NCAA Invite Time: 1:42.57

Top 8:

1. Noah Bowers (NC State) – 1:41.44
2. Tate Bacon (Notre Dame) – 1:41.76
3. Aiden Hayes (NC State) – 1:41.86
4. Seb Lunak (UNC) – 1:42.35
5. Carl Bloebaum (Virginia Tech) – 1:42.80
6. Patrick Hussey (UNC) – 1:43.25
7. Boyd Poelke (UNC) – 1:43.48
8. Sebastien Sergile (Virginia) – 1:43.60

For the second year in a row, NC State’s Noah Bowers posted the top time in prelims. He was just a little off of last year’s time, 1:41.44 today  vs 1:41.36, but still did enough to get lane 4 tonight. Bowers finished 2nd last year in finals, with teammate Aiden Hayes winning the ACC title as a prelude to capturing the NCAA crown the next month. Today, Hayes qualified 3rd overall with a 1:41.86.

We’re used to seeing NC State rack up the A-finalists, but it was another school in the same state, UNC, which qualified the most men for tonight’s A-final. Seb Lunak led the Tar Heel trio with a new lifetime best of 1:42.35, along with Patrick Hussey (1:42.80) and Boyd Poelke (1:43.48). UNC has some history in this event — former Tar Heel Tom Luchsinger won the ACC title three times, 2011-2013.

Notre Dame’s Tate Bacon uncorked a 1:41.76 to qualify 2nd overall, improving on his lifetime best of 1:43.47. Likewise, Virginia Tech Carl Bloebaum hit a lifetime best, his first in over two years, to qualify 5th at 1:42.80. Virginia’s Sebastien Sergile rounded out the top 8 with a 1:43.60.

Hayes, Bowers, and Hussey are the only three men to return from last year’s A-final.

Women’s 100 Backstroke

• NCAA Record: 48.26, Gretchen Walsh (Virginia) – 2023 NCAA Championships
• ACC Record: 48.26, Gretchen Walsh (Virginia) – 2023 NCAA Championships
• ACC Championship Record: 49.25, Gretchen Walsh (Virginia) – 2023
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 50.88
• 2022 NCAA Invite Time: 52.36

Top 8:

1. Katharine Berkoff (NC State) – 50.37
2. Kennedy Noble (NC State) – 51.25
3. Reilly Tiltmann (Virginia) – 52.00
4. Greer Pattison (UNC) – 52.16
5. Caroline Bentz (Virginia Tech) – 52.28
6. Miriam Sheehan (NC State) – 52.33
7. Alison Pfaff (Duke) – 52.40
8. Meghan Donald (NC State) – 52.56

With Gretchen Walsh, the fastest women ever in the 100 back, opting to not compete the event here, NC State’s Katherine Berkoff, the former American Record holder and four-time ACC champ in this event, put herself in prime position to win her fifth title. Berkoff clocked a 50.37 in this morning’s prelims. That time would put her as the 4th-fastest women in the nation this year, except she’s already been 49.82 this season, and that was in a dual meet against Texas.

The Wolfpack racked up a total of four A-finalists, which should help them as they try to chase down Louisville in the race for 2nd. Kennedy Noble qualified 2nd in 51.25, with Miriam Sheehan (52.33) and Meghan Donald (52.56) also making the top 8. Donald’s time marked a new lifetime best.

Other A-finalists will include: Virginia’s Reilly Tiltmann (52.00), UNC’s Greer Pattison (52.16), Virginia Tech’s Caroline Bentz (52.28), and Duke’s Ali Pfaff (52.40).

Men’s 100 Backstroke

• NCAA Record: 43.35, Luca Urlando (Georgia) – 2022 NCAA Championships
• ACC Record: 43.93, Kacper Stokowski (NC State) – 2023 NCAA Championships
• ACC Championship Record: 44.04, Coleman Stewart (NC State) – 2020/ Kacper Stokowski (NC State) – 2023
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 44.71
• 2022 NCAA Invite Time: 45.70

Top 8:

1. Marcus Gentry (Notre Dame) – 45.12
2. Kacper Stokowski (NC State) – 45.22
3. Matt Brownstead (Virginia) 45.60
4. Max Wilson (Florida State) – 45.74
5. Hudson Williams (NC State) – 45.80
6. Dalton Lowe (Louisville) – 45.82
7. Stepan Goncharov (Pitt) – 45.87
8. Quintin McCarty (NC State) – 45.90

As a freshman last year, Notre Dame’s Marcus Gentry won the C-final with a time of 46.21. Tonight, he’ll compete for the ACC title after hitting a lifetime best of 45.12 to post the fastest time of the morning. That time also ties the Notre Dame record set by Tommy Janton last year. Janton missed the A-final today, but he made the B-final along with teammate Tanner Fillion. With another three men in the C-final tonight, the Fighting Irish seem to be doing what they need to do to hold onto 2nd place in the team standings.

NC State qualified three men for the A-final, led by three-time defending champ and ACC record holder Kacper Stokowski. He’s coming off representing Poland at the World Championships last week, and hasn’t looked too on form this week, but with a 45.22 this morning, he’s probably still the favorite to win the title tonight. Teammates Hudson Williams (45.80) and Quintin McCarty (45.90) also made the top 8.

Virginia’s Matt Brownstead qualified 3rd with a 45.60, followed by Max Wilson of FSU (45.74), Louisville’s Dalton Lowe (45.82), and Pitt’s Stepan Goncharov (45.87).

Women’s 100 Breaststroke

• NCAA Record: 55.73, Lilly King (Indiana) – 2019 NCAA Championships
• ACC Record: 56.72, Sophie Hansson (NC State) – 2022 ACC Championships
• ACC Championship Record:56.72, Sophie Hansson (NC State) – 2022
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 58.02
• 2022 NCAA Invite Time: 59.73

Top 8:

1. Jasmine Nocentini (Virginia) – 57.73
2. Kaelyn Gridley (Duke) – 59.10
3. Abby Arens (NC State) – 59.12
4. Emma Weber (Virginia) / Sabyne Brisson (Georgia Tech)- 59.35
5. (tie)
6. Zoe Skirboll (Virginia) – 59.89
7. Skyler Smith (UNC) – 59.98
8. Madeline Huggins (FSU) – 1:00.05

Jasmine Nocentini hit a lifetime best of 57.73 to post the top time of the morning. Nocentini shaved 0.16s off her previous best, which came just two weeks ago at the Cavalier Invite, and pending other results from around the country, moves to #4 in the nation this season.

Cavalier teammates Emma Weber (59.35) and Zoe Skirboll (59.89) will join her in tonight’s A-final. Weber finished 3rd in this event here last year.

Five other schools will be represented in the A-final. Duke’s Kaelyn Gridley qualified 2nd in 59.10 and will be aiming to improved on last year’s 6th-place finish. NC State’s Abby Arens qualified 4th in 59.12, just shy of her lifetime best of 59.09. Arens is the two-time defending champion in the 200 fly, but opted for the 100 breast this season.

Georgia Tech’s Sabyne Brisson tied with Weber (in separate heats) at 59.35. UNC’s Skyler Smith returns to the A-final, qualifying with a 59.98, and Madeline Huggins rounded out the top 8 with 1:00.05.

Men’s 100 Breaststroke

• NCAA Record: 49.69, Ian Finnerty (Indiana) – 2018 NCAA Championships
• ACC Record: 50.78, Denis Petrashov (Louisville) – 2023 NCAA Championships
• ACC Championship Record: 50.82, Noah Nichols (Virginia)
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 51.10
• 2022 NCAA Invite Time: 51.90

Top 8:

1. Noah Nichols (Virginia) – 51.26
2. Denis Petrashov (Louisville) – 51.67
3. Carles Coll Marti (Virginia Tech) – 51.71
4. Leandro Odorici (Georgia Tech) – 51.96
5. Peter Varjasi (Florida State) – 51.98
6. Ethan Mahoney (Virginia Tech) – 52.15
7. AJ Pouch (Virginia Tech) – 52.28
8. Tommaso Baravelli (Florida State) – 52.33

No surprises at the very top, as the men who held the top three seeds on the psych sheet posted the top three times of the morning. Defending champion Noah Nichols of Virginia led the way at 51.26, followed by ACC Record holder Denis Petrashov (51.67), and Virginia Tech’s Carles Coll Marti, who had the fastest time in the conference heading into the meet, at 51.71.

There was a bit of surprise, though, as Georgia Tech’s Leandro Odorici hit a lifetime best to 51.96 to qualify 4th. Last year, Odorici finished 22nd overall, with a 54.25 in finals after going 53.73 in prelims.

FSU’s Peter Varjasi will be another new face in at the A-final, after posting 51.98. Teammate Tommaso Baravelli will join him after qualifying 8th with a 52.33.

The Hokies got three men into the A-final, with Ethan Mahoney (52.15) and AJ Pouch (52.28) joining Coll Marti.

Women’s Platform Diving

• ACC Record: 367.20, Brittany Viola, Miami (FL) – 2008 NCAA Championships
• ACC Championship Record: 364.70, Katrina Young (Florida State) – 2014