Danish distance freestyler Alexander Norgaard says he will swim for NC State this season.
Norgaard told SwimSwam that he will join the Wolfpack in January 2022, bolstering an already loaded freshman crew at NC State that finished #1 in our annual class rankings.
Norgaard, 21, announced his verbal commitment to swim at NC State back in June 2019 (for the fall of 2020), but opted to defer his enrollment for one season last year amidst the pandemic.
Less than two months after announcing his commitment to the Wolfpack in the summer of 2019, Norgaard had a standout performance at the 2019 World Championships in Gwangju, South Korea, qualifying for the final of the men’s 1500 freestyle by setting a Danish Record of 14:47.75 in the prelims (placing eighth in the final in a time of 15:20.47).
He went on to represent Denmark at the 2019 European SC Championships and the 2021 LC European Championships before making his Olympic debut this past summer in Tokyo, finishing 19th overall in the 800 free (7:53.50) and 26th in the 1500 free (15:28.70).
Best LCM Times (SCY conversion):
- 200 freestyle – 1:50.62 (1:36.77)
- 400 freestyle – 3:50.38 (4:18.12)
- 800 freestyle – 7:52.60 (8:49.52)
- 1500 freestyle – 14:47.75 (14:30.34)
Best SCM Times (SCY conversion):
- 200 freestyle – 1:46.33 (1:35.79)
- 400 freestyle – 3:42.61 (4:14.41)
- 800 freestyle – 7:32.77 (8:37.45)
- 1500 freestyle – 14:37.90 (14:32.66)
As you can see from his best times listed above, Norgaard’s SCM lifetime bests convert more favorably to SCY than most of his long course times, a good indicator that he’ll be dynamite in the yards pool.
His 4:14.4 conversion in the 500 free is right on the edge of what it took to earn a second swim at the 2021 NCAAs, while Norgaard’s LCM mile from the 2019 Worlds converts to a time that would’ve placed third in the 1650 at last season’s nationals.
It’s also important to point out that while his best 1500 times are a few years old (SCM from December 2018, LCM from July 2019), his short and long course-meter PBs in the 200 and 400 free, plus the SCM 800 free, have all been reset since November 2020.
Norgaard joins the NC State freshman class that some are regarding as the best in history. It includes Americans Aiden Hayes, Arsenio Bustos, David Curtiss, Sam Hoover and Garrett Boone, plus Swiss Olympic bronze medalist Noe Ponti.
Ponti, Norgaard and Polish transfer Bartosz Piszczorowicz from Louisville will join a strong contingent of Europeans on the Pack roster that includes Italian Giovanni Izzo, Dutchman Nyls Korstanje and the Polish duo of Kacper Stokowski and Rafal Kusto.
With Norgaard, NC State now has 5 potential NCAA scorers in the mile. They just need to tap that European pipeline for another breaststroker.
The Danish pipeline is strong at State.
This is the fourth star from the little country
Some of his results are a bit inconsistent.
It would make my heart sing to see Dino win a National Championship. I hope he brings out the best in Mr. Norgaard.
so gary taylor got the ball rolling with Ipsen and now the pipeline works…..
Great coaches, great program and exciting synergy. Wonder what this guy can do under the tuetelage of Master Genius Coach Markus Aurelius Bernadino? I predict 14:15 and 4:09
Besides the coaches, I think it’s the best mascot in the NCAA drawing swimmers in. 🐺
Wuffies are the very definition of a team.
You do have to wonder in total years of coaching if there has ever been more experience in coaching on one staff than Braden, Dino, and Barnes. Maybe Eddie and Kris…or maybe Eddie by himself…but I can’t imagine more head coaching experience since they’ve all been head coaches in the ACC.
Sheeesh forgot Brian Barnes is on staff now…if they can keep this staff together for the ’21 & ’22 classes careers the sky is the limit. Dino’s been there awhile and pretty sure he’s over being a HC so should stay. Keep the band together Barnes!
They just keep coming