Virginia Holds Advantage After Second Day at ACC Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships
Virginia held onto its lead early lead in the second night of finals at the ACC Men's Swimming and Diving Championship. Three more records fell in Thursday's final as Georgia Tech took three league titles in the session. Virginia's Mat McLean swam the fastest collegiate 500 Free of the season to open the session and help Virginia to a 56.5 point margin over Florida State and Georgia Tech.
In the session's first event, the 500 freestyle, Virginia's McLean put on a show to take his second consecutive ACC title in the event. He swam the 20 laps in 4:10.00 which ranks as the fastest collegiate time this season to break his ACC record, set in the morning session by nearly four seconds. His mark would have placed second at last year's NCAA Championship and was only 1.40 seconds shy of the NCAA record. Finishing second was Florida State's Kyle Young (4:14.6), followed by Virginia's Taylor Smith (4:15.91).
Georgia Tech's Gal Nevo took the 200 IM title with a new league record time of 1:43.34. The mark was an NCAA “A” cut as well as the second-fastest collegiate time this season. Virginia's John Azar took second place in 1:45.53, followed by Maryland's Andrew Relihan in 1:46.03. The win by the Georgia Tech broke Virginia's string of seven straight wins in the event.
The Yellow Jackets' Nigel Plummer took top honors in the 50 free to become the league's fastest swimmer as a freshman. He touched the wall in 19.54, besting Virginia's Scot Robison (19.61) by five one-hundredths of a second. Georgia Tech's Garrett Robberson finished third in 19.63. The top seven finishers set NCAA “B” cuts and were separated by less than four tenths of a second.
Miami's Reuben Ross took first place in the 1M diving event with a six dive total of 453.10 to take his third career ACC diving title. Finishing in second place was Florida State's Terry Horner (447.95). Virginia Tech's Mikey McDonald took third place with a score of 397.90.
In the night's final event, Georgia Tech won its third event of the night and fourth of the Championships in the 200 Free Relay. The Ramblin' Wreck touched the wall in a time of 1:17.84 to break a ten-year-old ACC record in the event. Virginia finished second (1:81.21) followed by Florida State (1:18.43). The top four teams broke the previous league record of 1:18.75. The Georgia Tech win was their first ever in the 200 Free Relay and the Yellow Jackets' second ever relay win.
Team Totals
1. Virginia 227
2. Florida State 221.5
Georgia Tech 192.5
North Carolina 159
5. Virginia Tech 130
6. NC State 121
7. Maryland 96
8. Duke 90
9. Clemson 75
10. Boston College 42
11. Miami 20
Young Earns NCAA Automatic Qualifying Mark As Seminoles Move Into Second Place On Day Two Of ACC Swimming Championships
The Florida State men’s swimming and diving team used a NCAA automatic qualifying time and three school records to move into second-place on the day two of the ACC Championships in College Park, Md. FSU has 221.5 points 66 points behind first-place Virginia.
“We had to put ourselves in position in the morning and we responded tonight,” FSU head coach Neil Harper said. “Across the board we improved our positions. We have some gamers and when they get in finals and race they swim well.”
The Seminoles got things started with the 500 free. Fifth-year senior Kyle Young earned a NCAA automatic qualifying mark with a school record and second-place performance of 4:14.60. Sophomore Ian Rowe won the consolation final heat with a personal best time of 4:20.30 to finish ninth while junior Nick Graves placed 15th (4:24.04).
“When you look at Kyle and see his time you are thankful you invested in allowing him to redshirt,” Harper said. “We’re really proud of him and his training partners and that’s a testament to them and their coach Gary Taylor.”
In the 200 individual medley sophomore Robby Hayes improved his position and his school record by finishing fifth in a time of 1:46.66. In the consolation final junior Corey Swanson earned an 11th-place finish with a personal best time of 1:47.95 and sophomore Matt Shead touched the wall in 14th position (1:48.81).
“Robby made the final in seventh and moved up to fifth and that was another big swim,” Harper said. “Corey also moved up a spot in his heat and went faster too.”
A trio of seniors led the 50 free for the Garnet and Gold. Jimmy Holway went a personal best and NCAA provisional qualifying time of 19.68 to place fourth and Jarryd Both tied for fifth with a time of 19.75. Ed Denton placed 11th touching the wall in a personal best time of 19.93.
“Jimmy really swam well and he and Jarryd moved up,” Harper said. “Ed also swam well tonight moving up to third in his heat.”
Florida State finished the day with a third-place finish in the 200 free relay. The team of Holway, Botha, junior Dan Bradford and Denton set a new school record with a time of 1:18.43.
MEN’S SWIMMING SETS TWO MORE CONFERENCE RECORDS ON DAY 2 OF ACC CHAMPIONSHIPS
The Georgia Tech men’s swimming team is in third place after setting two conference records and three school records on the second night of the ACC Championships held on the campus of the University of Maryland. Gal Nevo set an ACC record in the 200-IM (1:43.34), while the Yellow Jacket 200 free relay team (1:17.84) broke a 10-year ACC record. Freshman Nigel Plummer set a school record as well in the 50-free (19.54) giving Tech wins in three of the four events on night two.
“This was an awesome day for us, but like last night we can’t enjoy it for too long,” head coach Stu Wilson said. “This is a long meet and we need to be ready to go in the morning. I was so happy for Nigel [Plummer] to win an event as a freshman and Garret’s [Robberson] great swim in the relay really pulled out the win for us. There are so many great swimmers in this meet so we need to really be on our A game tomorrow.”
The first event of the day was the 500-free and Ralph Long (4:31.80) and Travis Wagner (4:31.85) each set new career-highs in prelims.
In the 200-IM, Gal Nevo set an ACC record with a time of 1:43.34. The school record time also automatically qualified him for next month’s NCAA Championships as an A-cut. He broke his own record of 1:44.06 set in prelims which was three seconds better than the previous school record and seven seconds better than his season high. Virginia’s John Azar was a distant second more than two seconds behind Nevo.
Andy Miller finished 17th in the 200-IM with a career-best time of 1:47.79. That mark was actually better than seven of the eight swimmers in the bonus consolation. Way Joe Lee (1:50.02), Sam Bendziewicz (1:50.94) and Johnnie Hermes (1:50.79) all set career highs as well for the Yellow Jackets.
Plummer was victorious in the 50-free as he touched the wall in a school-record time of 19.54. He broke the record held by teammate Mauricio Sousa, who swam a 19.61 this morning in prelims. Sousa finished in a fifth-place tie with a NCAA B-cut time of 19.75. Garrett Robberson came in third for Tech as he touched the wall in a NCAA B-cut time of 19.63 giving the Yellow Jackets three of the top five winners in the 50-free.
Noah Copeland finished ninth in the 50-free with a career-best mark of 19.82. That was also good for a NCAA B-cut. Sullivan Lynch placed 17th with a B-cut time of 19.96. That was also a new career-high and actually better than five of the swimmers in the consolation final.
Johnny Hagaman (20.43), Jeremy Jackson (20.76), Ilia Ayzenshtok (21.03), Matt Vaughan (21.66), Jeffrey Phillips (20.92), Kelsey Duffy (21.27), Greg Tunning (22.18) and Kevin Skenes (22.27) all recorded career-highs in the 50-free during prelims.
The final event of the night was the 200-free relay and the Yellow Jackets won that one as well, this time of come-back finish. Sitting in third place after the first three legs, Robberson jumped in and took home the win for the Yellow Jackets as they recorded another school and conference record and NCAA B-cut time of 1:17.84. Sousa, Plummer and Copeland swam the first three legs for Tech. The previous ACC record was set back in 1998 and the Jackets beat the Tech best by more than a second.
University marks in 500 free, 200 IM and 200 free relay fall to 2009 team.
Sophomores Chip Peterson and Tyler Harris broke school records Thursday and the 200-yard freestyle relay team took down a mark which had stood for 18 years as the University of North Carolina men’s swimming and diving team completed its second day of competition at the 2009 Atlantic Coast Conference Men’s Swimming & Diving Championships at the University of Maryland’s Eppley Recreation Center Pool.
“I’m very proud of our group,” said Tar Heel head coach Rich DeSelm. “We had lots of career bests today, saw people move up on the all-time charts and saw a lot of swimmers improve their places from prelims to finals.
“We were good in spots and flat in spots today but tonight we were much better focused and much more aggressive and that sets us up well for tomorrow morning. It will come down to what kind of morning we have Friday as we make a run at the leaders.”
Led by junior Jeff James’ blistering 19.08 split on the third leg of the 200-yard freestyle relay, the Tar Heels broke the school record and placed fifth in a tightly-bunched field with a time of 1:18.97. Freshman Brad Hamilton led off in 20.29, followed by freshman Steve Cebertowicz in 19.62, James in 19.08 and freshman Evan Reed in 19.98. At 19:08, James had the second fastest split of any of the 40 swimmers in the event, bested only by the anchor leg on the winning Georgia Tech relay.
“That was a strong free relay for us. We don’t have the greatest depth in the conference in the 50 free but we had three freshmen on that relay and will have everyone returning next year. Jeff James had a spectacular split. He has that ability with his speed and power. He put us in a great position in that relay to have a spectacular time,” said DeSelm.
The old Tar Heel record was 1:20.06 and had stood since 1991. That time was put up by a relay that included Tod Schroeder (20.39), Mark Sedlak (19.36), Daniel Summerlin (20.49) and John Davis (19.82).
UNC is in fourth place after the second day of competition. Virginia leads with 277 points, followed by Florida State with 221.5 points, Georgia Tech with 192.5 points, North Carolina with 159 points, Virginia Tech with 130 points, NC State with 121 points, Maryland with 96 points, Duke with 90 points, Clemson with 75 points, Boston College with 42 points and Miami with 20 points.
“School records are fantastic accomplishments and congratulations to all six guys who were parts of school records tonight,” said DeSelm. “Any time you set one it is a fantastic accomplishment. Tyler Harris had the three fastest splits of his career in the 200 IM this morning but didn’t quite get it home. Tonight he did better and did get it home for a personal best.”
The highlight of the night for the Tar Heels came in the 500-yard freestyle where UNC placed five swimmers in the Top 13, led by a new school record by Peterson. The Pine Knoll Shores, N.C., native, captured sixth place overall in the event with a career best time of 4:18.18, one of six NCAA “B” qualifying times put on the scoreboard by the Tar Heels in this single event.
Peterson broke his own school record of 4:18.40 that he set in the prelims, a record he toppled that had been held by Yann deFabrique since 1993. Besides Peterson, four other Carolina swimmers had career bests on Thursday in the 500 – Wil Singley, Joe Kinderwater and Jason McLaughlin.
Freshman Wil Singley finished seventh with a time of 4:21.34 after he went a personal-best 4:21.07 in the prelims of the event, in the process taking 12 second off his seed time. Tar Heel swimmers took 10-11-13-19 in the two consolation heats. Sophomore Joe Kinderwater seized 10th place with a personal best time of 4:22.10, taking four-tenths of a second off a career best 4:22.50 he had in the prelims. Junior Hank Browning placed 11th in 4:22.36, a half second better than his prelim clocking Thursday. Junior Jason McLaughlin, who had shaved over three seconds off his career best in the prelims by going 4:23.42, nearly equaled that time in the finals at 4:2346 as McLaughlin claimed 13th place. Senior Yi-Khy Saw took 19th overall as he swam in the bonus consolation heat, going an NCAA “B” time of 4:24.55, down slightly from a prelim time of 4:24.80, and just 28 one-hundredths of a second off his personal best.
Harris set a school record in the 200-yard individual medley with a time of 1:46.07. With that time, he won the consolation final and placed ninth in the event overall. Harris was the fourth fastest individual on the day in the event overall. Harris’ time was an NCAA “B” consolation time and a career best. He broke his own school record of 1:46.54 that he set November 20, 2008 at the Gamecock Invitational in Columbia, S.C.
Sophomore Vinny Pryor placed 13th in the event, moving up three spots in the consolation final after qualifying 16th. Pryor went 1:48.63 in the event after going a career best 1:48.45 in the morning, a time that shaved 3.14 seconds off his previous career best. Junior Jeff James placed 19th in 1:49.27, just .04 off his personal best 1:49.23, while sophomore Andy Brake captured 20th place after going a career best 1:49.70 in the prelims.
Freshmen Brad Hamilton and Steve Cebertowicz both had career best times in the 50-yard freestyle Thursday evening as they finished 14th and 19th, respectively. Hamilton was clocked in 20.09 seconds, just .03 off the school record shared by Tod Schroeder (1990) and Kevin Erndl (2001). Hamilton moved into third place all-time at Carolina, just edging out Mark Sedlak (20.10) for third place. Meanwhile, Cebertowicz went 20.19 in the bonus consolation heat and has moved into sixth place on UNC’s all-time Top 10 list.
In one-meter diving, junior David Solarz was Carolina’s top finisher as he scored 312.40 points to finish seventh while freshman David MacDonald was 16th with 266.45 points.
Hokies In Fifth Following Thursday
The H2Okie men’s swimming and diving team finished the second day of competition at the Atlantic Coast Conference Championships in College Park, Md., on Thursday. Tech raced in the 50 and 500 free and the 200 IM, while the relay team competed in the 200 free relay. The team is currently in fifth place and has totaled 130 points. Virginia leads the competition after two days with a score of 277.
After breaking three records in the first day of action and scoring 54 points, the H2Okies began the night with the 500 free finals. Freshman Bryan Uncur tallied the only Tech point in the event with one, touching in with a time of 4:26.49.
In the 200 IM finals, freshman Dan Flynn competed in the finals for the H2Okies. Flynn posted a time of 1:48.55, shaving .63 seconds off of his preliminary time.
A trio of Tech sophomores posted 24 points in the 50 free. Stephen Hawkins registered a time of 19.93 for 12 points and a seventh place finish, along with making an NCAA “B” cut. Zach Holmes crossed the finish line in eighth place, just behind his running mate with a time of 20.06 for 11 points, while Richard Ulatowski scored the final point for Tech and posted a time of 20.34.
In relay action the team of senior Ian deToll, Hawkins, Holmes and Ulatowski took fourth place in the 200 free relay for Tech. The squad touched in with a time of 1:18.75, claiming 30 points and an NCAA “B” cut qualifier. The team also claimed its fourth team record at the championships, beating the previous time set in last season of 1:19.37.
Last weekend, the men’s diving team completed competition. Junior Mikey McDonald rewrote a new record in the 1-meter event for the H2Okies. The junior from Annandale, Va. posted a score of 397.90, while registering a third place finish and 16 points for Tech.
Blue Devils Swimming & Diving Sets Three More Records On Day Two At ACCs
The Duke men's swimming & diving team set three more school records Thursday night at the 2009 ACC Swimming & Diving Championships at the University of Maryland's Eppley Recreation Center.
Nick Garvy broke the Duke record in the 50 free twice today - once in prelims and again in the consolation final - as he became the first Duke athlete to break 20 seconds in the event. This morning, Garvy broke the record in 20.09 before coming back tonight in the finals in 19.83 to take 10th overall.
In the 200 IM, Spencer Booth followed up an impressive day one performance with a school-record 1:48.31 before coming back with 1:48.97 in the finals tonight.
The Blue Devils added a strong performance in the 200 free relay, coming in seventh place as the team of Garvy, Andy Osterland, Booth, and Ryan Packer clocked a record 1:19.87 in the finals.
Duke sits in eighth place after two days, just six points out of seventh place with the strongest potential scoring days still ahead.
"Our goal is to move up in the ACC standings," said head coach Dan Colella. "We made good strides today and will continue to stay competitive. We will see what we can do."
Woodhull-Smith Breaks 200 IM School Record at ACC’s
Kevin Woodhull-Smith set a new school record in the 200 IM as NC State continued its solid showing at the ACC Championships on Thursday, Feb. 26. Woodhull-Smith and Mason McGee both hit NCAA “B” cut qualifying standards, while three season-best times were posted throughout various events. The Pack remains in sixth place overall with 121 total points.
Woodhull-Smith hit a “B” cut and set a new Wolfpack record in the 200 IM with a 1:47.06 in the prelims, besting teammate Stephen Mellor’s 1:47.36 from 2008. He later took eighth place in the finals with a 1:47.45. Mellor posted the second best time on the team this season with a 1:48.01 in the prelims, while Taylor Goodwin’s 1:50.33 is third best. Greg Baskwell (1:51.18), Sean Reams (1:53.38), Dan Forsythe (1:54.75) and Jon Vorpagel (1:54.96) also competed in the 200 IM with excellent swims.
“Kevin has really been on a roll since around this time last year with several big swims and incredible performances,” said head coach Brooks Teal. “He continued that during the summer and really took his career to another level by competing at the Olympic trials.
“Kevin continues to improve with each and every performance, and we are incredibly proud of the effort that he gave tonight. Any time that a record is broken it is an exciting achievement, and I am positive that Kevin’s best swims are still ahead of him.”
McGee nailed a “B” cut with a 4:21.72 in the 500 freestyle, later claiming eighth in the finals with a 4:25.39. Andrew Lester’s 4:25.61 stands as the fourth best mark in school history and second best on the team this year, while Ben Mechak’s 4:31.22 is the third best on the season.
The top three marks on the squad this season in the 50 freestyle were all posted on the evening, with Conor Brennan (20.48), Gaites Brown (20.91) and Steven Wright (20.91) each putting up solid performances.
Brown, Brennan, Wright and Goodwin ended the night by recording the Wolfpack’s top 200 freestyle relay of the season, taking ninth overall with a 1:20.67. Brown got things started with a 20.77 split, while
Brennan followed with a 20.03. Wright swam a speedy 19.94 in the third leg, while Goodwin was even quicker with a 19.93 to wrap things up.
