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
- Streaming: ACC Network
- Championship Central: Here
- Detailed Timeline: Here
- Psych Sheets: Here
- Live Results
- Friday Finals Heat Sheets
- Day 4 Finals Live Recap
The Virginia women beat the US Open 400 medley relay record by over two seconds, cruising to 1st place with a 3:22.34. The team consisted of Gretchen Walsh (49.71), Alexis Wenger (56.79), Alex Walsh (49.59), and Kate Douglass (46.25).
Nick Albiero became the 2nd-fastest 200 flyer, taking down the ACC record in the process. Katharine Berkoff broker her own ACC record in the 100 back, and Sophie Hansson reclaimed her ACC record in the 100 breast after briefly losing it in prelims.
Both Albiero and Evgenii Somov became the first swimmers to ever take five conference titles in the same event, thanks to the extra year of eligibility due to COVID-19.
The meet ended with a meet record in the men’s 400 medley relay from NC State.
WOMEN’S 200 FLY – FINALS
Top 3:
- Abby Arens (NC State) – 1:54.11
- Jessica Nava (Virginia) – 1:54.54
- Abby Hay (Louisville) – 1:54.77
Defending champion Jessica Nava held the lead for most of the rest, but the field closed on her down the final stretch. There appeared to be three or four women in the mix for the win at the wall, but NC State’s Abby Arens got her hands on the wall first, winning in 1:54.11.
Nava took 2nd in 1:54.54, followed by Louisville’s Abby Hay at 1:54.77, followed by her teammate Tristen Ulett at 1:55.14.
Race Video
MEN’S 200 FLY – FINALS
Top 3:
- Nick Albiero (Louisville) – 1:37.92
- Antani Ivanov (Virginia Tech) – 1:39.73
- Aiden Hayes (NC State) – 1:40.39
Nick Albiero has made the most of his fifth year of eligibility. Not only did he become the first swimmer to ever win five conference titles in the same event, he did it stunning fashion, taking down the meet and conference records with the 2nd-fastest performance in history.
Virginia Tech’s Antani Ivanov took 2nd out of lane 1, breaking the 1:40 barrier with a strong 1:39.73. NC State freshman Aiden Hayes earned 3rd with his 1:40.39, earning his first NCAA ‘A’ cut. Not only that, but that appears to be a 17-18 National Age Group record for Hayes, breaking the previous mark of 1:40.67 set by Luca Urlando in 2020. Hayes’ Wolfpack teammate Noah Bowers took 4th with a 1:41.91.
Race Video
WOMEN’S 100 BACK – FINALS
Top 3:
- Katharine Berkoff (NC State) – 49.41
- Gretchen Walsh (Virginia) – 50.13
- Reilly Tiltmann (Virginia) – 50.42
Gretchen Walsh may be the fastest woman ever in the 50 back, but Katharine Berkoff hit the 50 mark first tonight, turning at 23.88 to Walsh’s 24.04, and Berkoff also outsplit Walsh on the backhalf, 25.53 to 26.08, to win her third-straight ACC title.
Berkoff’s swim also broke her own meet and ACC records, and she now moves up to the #3 performer of all time, behind only Regan Smith (49.16) and Beata Nelson (49.18).
Walsh took 2nd in 50.13, and her teammate Reilly Tiltmann touched in 3rd at 50.42, with both women also under the previous meet record.
Race Video
MEN’S 100 BACK – FINALS
Top 3:
- Kacper Stokowski (NC State) – 44.74
- Mitchell Whyte (Louisville) – 45.19
- Nikolaos Sofianidis (Louisville) 46.02
Kacper Stokowski successfully defended his ACC title in this event, earning his win as the only man to get under 45 tonight and touching in 44.74.
Louisville’s Mitchell Whyte held the lead early on, but couldn’t hold off Stokowski down the final length, and settled for 2nd in 45.19.
Those were the only two men to get under 46 after four did it in last year’s final.
Race Video
WOMEN’S 100 BREAST – FINALS
Top 3:
- Sophie Hansson (NC State) – 56.72
- Alexis Wenger (Virginia) – 56.76
- Andrea Podmanikova (NC State) – 57.90
UVA’s Alexis Wenger broke Sophie Hansson’s meet and conference record this morning, and for about 97 yards it looked like the Cavalier would dethrone the NC State swimmer, who has won the last three ACC titles.
But Hansson managed to time her final stroke just right, and got her hands on the wall a scant 0.04s before Wenger. With that touch, Hansson became the first ACC woman to get under 57, winning in 56.72. Hansson and Wenger now rank #3 and #4 all-time in this event.
Race Video
MEN’S 100 BREAST – FINALS
Top 3:
- Evgenii Somov (Louisville) – 51.13
- Josh Bottelberghe (Notre Dame) – 51.61
- Cooper Van Der Laan (Pitt)- 51.77
Louisville fifth-year Evgenii Somov joined his teammate Albiero as a five-time ACC event champion, making history with his fifth ACC title in the 100 breast. Somov was just a hair off of last year’s winning time of 51.03, a time which stands as the meet and conference record, but he still won by nearly half a second.
Second place went to Notre Dame’s Josh Bottelberghe, who touched in 51.61 after taking 7th in 52.39 last year. Pitt’s Cooper Van Der Laan once again took 3rd place, swimming a 51.77 that was just a bit slower than his 51.52 from 2021. Georgia Tech’s Caio Pumputis was the only other man under 52 in the A-final, taking 4th in 51.77.
Race Video
WOMEN’S 400 MEDLEY RELAY – TIMED FINALS
Top 3:
- Virginia – 3:22.34
- NC State – 3:24.78
- UNC – 48.27
No, that is not a typo. The Virginia Cavaliers smoked a 3:22.34, smashing the US Open Record by over two seconds, and taking down the mark of 3:24.58 set by NC State at last year’s NCAAs.
Gretchen Walsh led off in 49.71, Alexis Wenger split 56.79, then a fresh Alex Walsh and Kate Douglass split 49.59 and 46.25 on fly and free, respectively, as UVA took down all the records.
NC State had a great swim, registering a 3:24.78 that was under the meet record and appears to be the 3rd-fastest swim ever. Katharine Berkoff led off in 49.75, just a hair slower than Walsh, then 100 breast champion Sophie Hansson split 56.96 on breast. Kylee Alons got under 50 with a 49.80 fly split, and Abbey Webb anchored in 48.27.
UNC took 3rd in 3:30.87. Louisville was also under the NCAA ‘A’ cut with a 3:31.50.
MEN’S 400 MEDLEY RELAY – TIMED FINALS
Top 3:
- NC State – 3:01.88
- Louisville – 3:02.02
- Virginia Tech – 3:02.71
As the waves settled, the scoreboard showed NC State winning with a time of 3:01.88, setting a new meet record. Louisville got 2nd at 3:02.02, and Virginia Tech took 3rd in 3:02.71.
The battle in heat two was almost as great. Georgia Tech was in the lead for most of the race, but UVA’s Matt King split a wicked 40.62 on the anchor leg and got his hand on the wall just before Batur Unlu, as UVA won 3:05.33 to 3:05.39.
All of those top five teams were under the NCAA ‘A’ cut.
3 teams in the men’s 400 medley relay A-final go 3:02 or better and you choose to post the B-final with a winning 3:05 time? Oh, that team was UVA, now I know
These are all from UVAs youtube who are obviously only filming UVA swimmers. You have an unlicensed video of the A final? Post it.
https://youtu.be/uwxtNucJtck
The 1:24 mark of the Women’s 100Breast video is hilarious 😂
Sorry for talking about the long course season now but I really wonder how all these amazing college swimmers will perform in late June at world championships. If most of them qualify at world trials.
Because of the stupid early date of worlds and as a result the stupid early date of world trials, Americans who swim in college will have:
a conference meet in February
NCAAs in March
World trials late April (why not in late May with worlds in late June?)
World championships late June/early July (why not in early August?)
You are fully tapered in March (even February for some college teams) and you need to be at your best again… Read more »
Don’t get me wrong. I’m stunned by that UVA record in the women’s medley.
But I always wonder what’s the purpose of being fully rested for a conference meet. I will never get it. Save the best for NCAAs when it matters! The goal for each team should be to peak at the right time. And when I see certain times from this week I wonder how many swimmers will be able to go faster in a few weeks. But maybe I’m wrong and they still have another gear in reserves. We’ll see.
Amazing time. No weak leg. 4 great legs. A record destroyed by more than 2 seconds. Didn’t expect a 49 mid split from Alex Walsh… Read more »
Alex Walsh’s 49 fly split is so elite. That’s probably like her 10th best event.
It’s disgusting
Coming back here… her opening split of 22.66 for her 49.59 100 fly was faster than Lexi Cuomo’s 22.68 on their medley relay American record. Cuomo was awesome, but to think about the fact that they could be even faster
One more record for UVA to attempt to get.