Some fast relay splits were swum on Day 4 of both the SEC and ACC Championships in the 400 medley relay.
Georgia’s Luca Urlando led off the 400 medley relay in a 44.38. Urlando, who is more known for his butterfly, had the fastest backstroke split of all of the SEC lead-off swimmers. Teammate Matthew Sates swam a 46.03 on the butterfly leg. Georgia finished fourth at the SEC Championships touching in a time of 3:04.76. Urlando’s time also places him at #1 in the NCAA this season. Prior to this swim, Urlando’s best time was a 44.99 which he swam leading off Georgia’s relay at the 2021 NCAA Championships.
If a head-to-head match were to occur, Urlando would have finished just ahead of NC State’s Kacper Stokowski. Stokowski led off the NC State relay in a 44.39. That time places him at #2 in the nation, only behind Urlando. Stokowski helped lead NC State to a winning time of 3:01.88. The relay also broke the meet record in the process. Stokowski was just off of his best time of 44.37 which he swam at the 2021 NCAA Championships.
Also on the men’s side, Virginia’s Matt King and LSU’s Brooks Curry swam some fast 100 freestyle anchor legs. King anchored the Virginia 400 medley relay in a time of 40.62. Virginia ultimately finished third in the relay at ACCs in a final time of 3:05.33. Curry anchored the LSU relay in a time of 40.93 helping the LSU relay to a seventh place finish at SECs in a final time of 3:07.31.
On the women’s side, both Tennessee’s Ellen Walshe and Virginia’s Alex Walsh split under 50 seconds in the 100 butterfly. Walsh split a time of 49.59 helping the Virginia relay to a first place finish with a final time of 3:22.34. That relay also broke a conference, NCAA, and American record.
Walshe, who won the individual 100 butterfly earlier in the meet, swam to a split of 49.75. She helped the Tennessee women to a second place finish in the 400 medley relay. Tennessee touched in a time of 3:26.88, just behind Alabama who won in a time of 3:26.64.
At the moment it actually looks as though Urlando would have a better chance of winning the 100 back then 100 fly at NCAAs, as counterintuitive as that would seem.
I still think he’d place higher in the 100 back than 2 IM, and his time is probably better in the back vs the IM, also he can definitely handle the 1 fly/1 back double.
This also makes one wonder what he’d do in the 200 back, given that in free and fly he’s better in the 200 than 100. (I’m not suggesting he swim the 200 back at NCAAs.)
Right??!!!
Alons from NC state went 49.80 in the fly as well