2020 ACC Men’s Championships: Day 3 Prelims Live Recap

2020 ACC Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships

• When: Wednesday, February 26th to Saturday, February 29th Prelims 10:00 am | Finals 6:00 pm (1650 prelims Saturday at 4:00 pm)
• Where: Greensboro Aquatic Center, Greensboro, North Carolina (Eastern Time Zone)
• Defending Champion: North Carolina State University (NC State) (29x, 5th-straight) (results)
• Streaming: ACC Network
  • Day 2 Finals
  • Day 3 Finals
  • Day 4 Finals
• Championship Central: Here
• Detailed Timeline: Here
• Psych Sheets: Here
• Live Results
• Friday Prelims Heat Sheets

Prelims for day 3 of the 2020 ACC Championships will include five events. NC State could really break the meet open in the very first event, the 100 fly, where they have four of the top six seeds, including Coleman Stewart, who took 2nd in this event last year, and top-seeded Nyls Korstanje. UVA will try to hold pace in the 400 IM, where they have three of the top seven seeds, including top-seeded Casey Storch.

The 200 free prelims will be particularly interesting, as only three of last year’s top eight return. Virginia Tech’s Blake Manoff topped the psych sheet, but he appears to be forgoing this event to focus on the 100 fly. FSU’s Jakub Ksiazek, who finished 10th here last year, will be swimming in lane four of the final heat.

100 breast defending champion Evgenii Somov of Louisville holds the top seed in the 100 breast, and the same goes for Stewart in the 100 back.

100 Fly – Prelims

• ACC record: 44.46 – Coleman Stewart (NC State), 2019
• ACC meet record: 44.79 – Ryan Held (NC State), 2018
• 2019 champion: Kanoa Kaleoaloha (Florida State), 44.93

Top 8:

1. Nick Albiero (Louisville) – 44.83
2. Coleman Stewart (NC State) – 45.00
3. Blake Manoff (Virginia Tech) – 45.61
4. Nyls Korstanje (NC State) – 45.92
5. Noah Hensley (NC State) – 46.02
6. Luke Sobolewski (NC State) – 46.09
7. Antani Ivanov (Virginia Tech) – 46.13
8. Blaise Vera (Pitt) – 46.21

Louisville junior Nick Albiero broke 45 for the first time in career, putting up the fastest time of the morning with a 44.83 that ties Maxime Rooney for the fastest time in the NCAA so far this season.

Coleman Stewart nearly broke 45 himself, hitting the 45.00 mark right on the dot, and setting up what should be an exciting race between himself and Albiero tonight. As expected, NC State dominated this event, putting a total of men into tonight’s A-final. Stewart will be joined by teammates Nyls Korstanje (45.92), Noah Hensley (46.02), and Luke Sobolewski (46.09).

Virginia Tech got two up, with both swimmers hitting new lifetime bests. Blake Manoff went 45.61 for the #3 seed this morning after going 46.18 from just three weeks ago. Antani Ivanov took the #7 seed with a 46.13, shaving 0.02s off of his lifetime best from last year’s NCAA championships.

Pitt’s Blaise Vera rounds out tonight’s A-final with a 46.21.

Stewart, Hensley, Albiero and Vera all return from last year’s A-final. Korstanje won the consolation final last year.

400 IM – Prelims

• ACC record: 3:38.00 – Gal Nevo (Georgia Tech), 2009
• ACC meet record: 3:38.43 – Robert Owen (Virginia Tech), 2017
• 2019 champion: Brendan Casey (Virginia), 3:39.93

Top 8:

1. Jack Hoagland (Notre Dame) – 3:43.45
2. Eric Knowles (NC State) – 3:43.64
3. Ted Schubert (Virginia) – 3:44.01
4. Filippo Del Maso (Virginia Tech) – 3:45.36
5. Casey Storch (Virginia) – 3:45.45
6. Samy Helmbacher (Pitt) – 3:46.09
7. Sean Conway (Virginia) – 3:47.43
8. Eben Vorster (Pitt) – 3:48.09

While Notre Dame freshman Jack Hoagland has been making headlines this season primarily for his distance freestyle performances, he’s no slouch at the 400 IM either, and this morning he knocked almost three seconds off of his lifetime best to take the top see with a 3:43.45.

NC State’s Eric Knowles, last year’s runner-up, put up the 2nd-fastest time of the morning with a 3:43.64.

UVA helped its cause with three swimmers making the top eight, including Ted Schubert (3:44.01) and Casey Storch (3:45.45), both of whom were in last year’s A-final, and freshman Sean Conway (3:47.43). Fellow Cavalier Matthew Otto appeared to have made the B-final, but was DQ’d for a one hand touch on breaststroke.

Virginia Tech’s Filippo Del Maso (3:45.36) will swim in the A-final after finishing 18th here last year.

Pitt made program history by putting two men into the same championship final for the first time since the school joined the ACC. Samy Helmbacher (3:46.09) returns after finishing 3rd last year, and Eben Vorster (3:48.09) moves up after taking 12th last year.

200 Free – Prelims

• ACC record: 1:31.32 – Andreas Vazaois (NC State), 2018
• ACC meet record: 1:32.45 – Scot Robison (Virginia), 2010
• 2019 champion: Bartosz Piszczorowicz (Louisville), 1:33.51

Top 8:

1. Sam Schilling (Virginia) – 1:33.42
2. Colton Paulson (Louisville) – 1:33.76
3. Sadler McKeen (Notre Dame) – 1:33.90
4. Ryan Baker (Virginia) – 1:34.11
5. Tomas Sungalia (North Carolina) – 1:34.51
6. Jack Wright (Virginia) – 1:34.63
7. Lane Stone (Virginia Tech) – 1:34.67
8. Erge Gezmis (NC State) – 1:34.72

UVA got three men into the top eight for the second event in a row. Junior Sam Schilling led the way with a 1:33.42 this morning, securing his spot in the A-final after finishing 15th overall last year. He’ll be joined by Ryan Baker (1:34.11), who took 5th last year, and freshman Jack Wright (1:34.63).

The rest of the A-final will consist of five swimmers from five different schools. Louisville’s Colton Paulson (1:33.76) will be in the championship final for the second straight year. Notre Dame’s Sadler McKeen (1:33.90) will join after taking 21st last year. UNC’s Tomas Sungalia (1:34.51) finished 30th in last year’s prelims, but put up the 5th-fastest time of the morning. Lane Stone (1:34.63) of Virginia Tech makes the A-final once again; he took 4th last year. NC State’s Erge Gezmis rounds out the top eight with a 1:34.72.

100 Breast – Prelims

• ACC record: 51.30 – Brandon Fiala (Virginia Tech), 2017
• ACC meet record: 51.46 – Peter Kropp (Duke), 2017
• 2019 champion: Evgenii Somov (Louisville), 51.90

Top 8:

1. Evgenii Somov (Louisville) – 51.93
2. Keefer Barnum (Virginia) – 52.38
3. Valdas Abaliksta (North Carolina) – 52.55
4. Jacob Rauch (North Carolina) – 52.73
5. Cooper van der Laan (Pitt) – 52.85
6. Caio Pumputis (Georgia Tech) – 52.90
7. Joshua Bottelberghe (Notre Dame) – 52.95
8. Izaak Bastian (Florida State) – 53.05

Five out of the eight men who made up last year’s A-final will return tonight, including defending champion Evgenii Somov of Louisville, who was the only man under 52 this morning with a time of 51.93. Last year’s runner-up, Caio Pumputis, will also make the A-final after going 52.90 this morning, as will last year’s 3rd-place finisher, Keefer Barnum of Virginia (52.38).

After some early domination by NC State in the 100 fly, we’ve seen a lot more parity the rest of the morning, and it was actually UNC that was the only school to manage to put more than one into the top eight here. Valdas Abaliksta (52.55) returns after finishing 7th last year, and teammate Jacob Rauch (52.73) moves from the C-final to the A-final after taking 22nd last year.

Pitt continues to have a nice morning, Cooper van der Laan set a school record in 52.85 for the 5th-fastest time of the morning. Notre Dame’s Joshua Bottelberghe (52.90) will join the A-final after finishing 11th last year, and Florida State’s Izzak Bastian (53.05) will return after taking 6th last year.

100 Back – Prelims

• ACC record: 43.98 – Coleman Stewart (NC State), 2019
• ACC meet record: 44.36 – Coleman Stewart (NC State), 2019
• 2019 champion: Coleman Stewart (NC State), 44.44

Top 8:

1. Coleman Stewart (NC State) – 44.48
2. Mitchell Whyte (Louisville) – 44.78
3. Nick Albiero (Louisville) – 45.14
4. Joe Clark (Virginia) – 46.14
5. Kyle Barone (Georgia Tech) – 46.17
6. Noah Hensley (NC State) – 46.27
7. Griffin Alaniz (Florida State) – 46.30
8. Nikolaos Sofianidis (Louisville) – 46.47

This was a bit of an odd prelims, as you had three men at 45.1 or better, and then the rest of the field was clustered in the low 46s.

Unsurprisingly, Stewart led the way with a 44.48, barely a tenth of a second off his meet record from last year (set leading off the medley relay), and over half a second faster than he was last year in prelims. NC State’s Noah Hensley will also swim in the A-final for the second year in a row after putting up a 46.27 this morning.

The Cardinals got three men into the top eight. Sophomore Mitchell Whyte dropped a 44.78 that’s a new lifetime best by over half a second, and makes him the 3rd-fastest man in the nation this season, pending other results from this morning. Teammate Nick Albiero went 45.14 for the #3 seed, and Nikolaos Sofianidis rounded out the top eight with a 46.47. All three men swam in the A-final last year.

Last year’s 3rd place finisher, Joe Clark of Virginia, returns after going 46.14. The final two spots will go to Georgia Tech’s Kyle Barone (46.17) and Florida State’s Griffin Alaniz (46.30).