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Virginia Extends Lead at 2009 ACC Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships

Virginia took control of the team competition in the third day of the 2009 ACC Men's Swimming and Diving Championship. The Cavaliers scored 284 points in the evening session to take a commanding 139 point over Florida State and Georgia Tech. Four more ACC records fell in Friday's finals to raise the total to nine new league records set at the Championship.

To open the evening session, Georgia Tech's Gal Nevo won his second race of the meet with a dominating time of 3:39.33 in the 400 IM. The Yellow Jacket shattered the league record by three seconds, posted an NCAA “A” cut time and also recorded the fastest collegiate time this season. North Carolina's Tyler Harris finished (3:43.52) followed by Virginia senior Pat Mellors (3:44.65).

North Carolina's Tommy Wyher tracked down Florida State's Jarryd Botha over the final 50 yards to win the 100 Fly in 46.21. He bested the Seminole senior (Botha) by only two one-hundredths of a second. Virginia's Pat Reams finished third in 46.83. Wyher's time broke Botha's ACC record and secured the Tar Heel sophomore his second career ACC title.

Virginia's sophomore sensation Matt McClean broke his own ACC record in the 200 Free with a blistering time of 1:32.80. The NCAA “A” cut was the third fastest collegiate time this season. He was flanked on the medal stand by teammate Scot Robison who finished second in 1:33.05, also breaking the previous league record. Georgia Tech's Noah Copeland finished third (1:34.75).

Georgia Tech's Mickey Malul defended his 2008 ACC Championship in the 100 Breast with an NCAA “A” cut time of 52.86. Florida State's Scott Thacker finished second in 53.30, while Georgia Tech's Andy Miller took third in 53.47.

North Carolina's Wyher scored double gold on the evening with a win in the 100 Back with a new ACC record time of 46.41. He broke second place finisher Charlie Higgins (Virginia Tech) record which was set in the morning session. Higgins finished in 46.55 followed by Virginia's Eric Olesen (46.97) in third. Whyler and Higgins both scored NCAA “A” cut times in the race.

Miami's Rueben Ross won the 3M diving event with a six dive total of 474.30. He bested Florida State's Terry Horner (447.95) and Dan Frebel (406.95) to take the title. Ross earned his fourth career league title and second of the meet with the win.

Virginia closed the night with a win in the 400 Medley Relay. The Cavaliers took the win in an ACC record time of 3:08.71. Florida State took second place in 3:08.89, followed by Virginia Tech (3:11.18). All of the top three teams broke the previous league record.

The ACC Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships will conclude on Sunday with a full day of action. Preliminary rounds begin at 11 a.m., followed by swimming finals starting at 7 p.m. Live video streaming of the finals will start at 7:00 p.m. on ACC Select. For more information, please visit www.ACCSelect.com.

Team Scores (After 14 events):
1. Virginia 561
2. Florida State 422
Georgia Tech 346.5
North Carolina 331
5. Virginia Tech 236
6. NC State 174
7. Maryland 164.5
8. Duke 153
9. Clemson 138
10. Boston College 56
11. Miami 40

Florida State Men Earn Three Silver Medals On Third Day Of ACC Championships
The Florida State men’s swimming and diving team used three silver medal performances and five school records to strengthen its hold on second-place at the ACC Swimming and Diving Championships in College Park, Md.  The Seminoles have 422 points which is more than 75 points ahead of third-place Georgia Tech.
 
“It’s been an incredible meet and we responded,” FSU head coach Neil Harper said.  “I think we made the most of every opportunity we had and I’m just proud of how we came together.  I think you saw are guys grit and determination and will to race.”
 
Fifth-year senior Jarryd Botha was the first Seminole on the podium during the evening.  Botha broke his own school record in the 100 fly with a second-place finish.  The Worcester, South Africa native touched the wall in 46.23 just .02 out of first-place.  Junior Corey Swanson turned in a 12th-place performance with a personal best time of 47.83.
 
“Jarryd led the whole race right up until the last yard,” Harper said.  “To lose by a couple of hundredths is tough, but it was an incredible time.”
 
Junior Scott Thacker earned the Garnet and Gold’s second silver medal of the evening in the 100 breast.  Thacker swam a personal best time of 53.30 to take home second.  Sophomore Rob Holderness tied for sixth-place with a time of 53.84, while Swanson swimming his second event of the evening placed eighth (54.26).  Sophomore Matt Shead also scored in the 100 breast finishing tied for ninth with a time of 54.64. 
 
“We’ve always known what Scott was capable of doing and it was great to see him put together the perfect race,” Harper said.  “I was really excited for him.”
 
After lasting 15 years, the school record in the 400 individual medley was broken twice on Friday.  Fifth-year senior Kyle Young reset his record with a fifth-place showing of 3:47.93.  Junior Shawn Erickson also scored for FSU with a 16th-place finish (3:57.15).
 
In the 200 free junior Andy Hodgson lowered his school record and finished fourth in a time of 1:34.80.  Fifth-year senior Ed Denton improved his position by placing 13th with a time of 1:37.65 while sophomore Stephen Pendleton finished 16th (1:39.04).
 
Hodgson also earned a school record and fourth-place finish in the 100 back.  His time of 47.82 was also a NCAA provisional time.
 
“Andy is such a gamer and he had a really tough double,” Harper said.  “The 200 free and 100 back is a tough double and he just missed getting third in both.  I really saw his heart today, it’s all Garnet and Gold and I’m really proud of him.”
 
In the 400 medley relay the Seminole team of Hodgson, Thacker, Botha and Denton shattered the school record in a NCAA provisional time of 3:08.89 to take second.  Hodgson once again broke his school record in the 100 back leading-off with a 47.41.
 
“For [Andy] to come through and go faster in the relay when we needed it most was great,” Harper said.  “Scott, Jarryd and Ed were great.  I knew we needed to be a low 3:10 to make NCAA’s and to go 3:08 was tremendous.”
 
GEORGIA TECH MEN’S SWIMMING BREAKS ANOTHER CONFERENCE AND FIVE SCHOOL RECORDS ON DAY 3 OF ACC CHAMPIONSHIPS
Behind an ACC record by Gal Nevo in the 400-IM (3:39.33) and a first-place finish by Mickey Malul in the 100-breast (52.86), the Georgia Tech men’s swimming team is in third-place after the third night of the ACC Championships at the University of Maryland.
 
The Yellow Jackets currently have 346.5 points trailing only Virginia (561) and Florida State (422).
 
Nevo and Malul each automatically qualified for the NCAA Championships with their times that were both school records as well. Nevo’s time was about a second off the NCAA record for the 400-IM. Travis Wagner (47.22) set a Tech record in the 100-fly, while Ilia Ayzenshtok (47.57) broke the Tech record for the 100-back. The 400-medley relay team of Ayzenshtok, Malul, Wagner and Noah Copeland also broke a school record as they finished fourth in a time of 3:11.88.
 
The 400 IM began with another ACC record as Gal Nevo broke the previous mark by almost three seconds. Nevo finished in an A-cut time of 3:39.33 automatically qualifying him for the NCAA Championships. This comes one night after setting an ACC record with an A-cut in the 200 IM. North Carolina’s Tyler Harris was a distance second more than four seconds behind Nevo. Nevo’s time met A-cut standard by five and a half seconds.
 
“This was another great night for us,” head coach Stu Wilson said. “For Gal [Nevo] to break that record by so much in the 400 IM and qualify for NCAA’s in two events now is a tremendous accomplishment, not to mention he came within a second of the NCAA record. Mickey [Malul] also had a great swim to secure his spot in the NCAA meet. This has been such a fast meet and I really think the guys have stepped up to the challenge. There is one night left and we are looking to continue what we have worked so hard at.”
 
In prelims of the 400 IM, Johnnie Hermes posted a career-high time of 3:55.90.
 
The 100-fly saw another school record go down as Travis Wagner touched the wall in a NCAA B-cut time of 47.22 during the morning prelims session. In finals, he placed sixth in 49.37.
 
Sullivan Lynch finished 18th in finals (48.53), but posted his career-high in prelims with a 48.29. Mauricio Sousa also set a new career-high in prelims touching the wall in 48.90. In finals, he finished 23rd with a mark of 49.04.
 
Matt Tang (49.49), Nigel Plummer (51.33), Kelsey Duffy (50.56) and Greg Tunning (52.21) also set career bests as well.
 
In the 200-free, Noah Copeland finished third with a NCAA B-cut time of 1:34.75. That was less than two-tenths of a second behind the school record he set Wednesday night in the first leg of the 800-free relay. Ralph Long (1:39.55) and Will Woodworth (1:39.95) also set career-highs in the 200-free.
 
In the 100-breast, Mickey Malul broke his own school record as he came home victorious in the event. Malul touched the wall in a NCAA A-cut time of 52.86 automatically qualifying him for next month’s NCAA Championships. He was .26 seconds off the eight-year old ACC record.
 
Andy Miller finished third in the event with a NCAA B-cut time of 53.47. That was a career-best for Miller. Jeremy Jackson was 14th in the event with a 55.68, but set a career-high in prelims as he touched the wall in 55.57. Sam Bendziewicz came in 19th (56.11), while Matt Vaughan was one place behind with a 56.18. Kevin Skenes also set a career-high with a 56.63 in prelims. For Vaughan, this was a career-high, while Bendziewicz’ career-best came in prelims (55.78).
 
The final individual event of the night was the 100-back and Ilia Ayzenshtok took home a fifth-place finish with a NCAA B-cut time of 47.75. In prelims, he set a school record touching the wall in 47.57.
 
Johnny Hagaman was right behind Ayzenshtok as he secured a sixth-place finish with a NCAA B-cut time of 48.28. He set his career high in prelims with a 48.16. Garrett Robberson finished 11th with a new career-high mark of 49.06, while Matt Tang placed 16th in 49.34. In prelims, he established a career-high time of 49.20. Way Joe Lee also set a career-high in the 100-back as he touched the wall in 50.05.
 
Tar Heels set five school records and remain in fourth place.
Sophomore Tommy Wyher broke two Atlantic Coast Conference records and teammates Tyler Harris and Vinny Pryor each broke a school record on the third night of swimming competition at the 2009 ACC Men's Swimming & Diving Championships at the University of Maryland's Eppley Recreation Center Pool.

The Tar Heels are in fourth place after three days of the championships with 331 points. Virginia leads with 561 points, followed by Florida State with 422 and Georgia Tech with 346.5. Virginia Tech is in fifth place with 236, followed by NC State with 174, Maryland with 164.5, Duke with 153, Clemson with 138, Boston College with 56, and Miami 40.
 
UNC’s Wyher won ACC championships in the 100-yard butterfly and the 100-yard backstroke. In both events, he set ACC records, ACC meet records, and UNC school records. In the 100 backstroke, Wyher claimed his second straight ACC championship in the event.
 
“Tommy had a fantastic evening. Winning any conference title is pretty special and winning two in one night is really special,” head coach Rich DeSelm said. “He qualified for NCAAs. He’s really embraced a positive work ethic over the past year and his competitive fire tonight was fun to watch.”
 
In the 100-yard butterfly, Wyher’s time of 46.21 was an NCAA “B” cut and a career-best time by almost two seconds (previous best 48.18). He broke the ACC record of 46.60 set by Jarryd Boytha of FSU on December 12, 2008 and the ACC meet record of 46.62 set by Lee Robertson of Virginia during Friday’s prelims. Wyher broke Tucker Shade’s UNC record of 46.86 set in 1998.
 
Wyher’s time of 46.41 in the 100-yard backstroke was an NCAA automatic qualifying time and a career best time (previous best 48.12). He broke the ACC record and ACC meet record of 46.54 set by Charlie Higgins of Virginia Tech earlier in the day. Wyher broke Ted Brisson’s UNC record of 48.10 set in 1998.
 
In the 400-yard individual medley, sophomore Tyler Harris took second place with time of 3:43.52, an NCAA automatic qualifying time and a career best time (old best was 3:44.00). Harris’ 3:43.52 improves his No. 1 ranking on Carolina’s All-Time Top 10 depth chart.
 
Sophomore Vinny Pryor broke UNC’s 18-year-old school record in the men’s 100-yard breaststroke. He tied for ninth in the event with a time of 54.64 after posting a career best time of 54.35 in prelims (previous best 56.10). Pryor broke Gary Gauch’s record of 54.99, which set in 1991, meaning Pryor and Gauch are the only Tar Heels to break the 55 second barrier in the event.

“Vinny looked stronger and stronger as the race went on,” DeSelm said. “He had a really good race and broke Gary Gauch’s school record that stood for a long time.”
 
A trio of Tar Heel sophomores swam career-best times and achieved NCAA “B” qualifying times in the consolation finals of the 400-yard individual medley. Andy Brake finished ninth in the event with a time of 3:50.77, moving him into second all-time at Carolina behind Harris in the event. Redshirt sophomore Chip Peterson placed 11th in 3:51.36, moving into fourth all-time.  Joe Kinderwater finished 13th with a time of 3:52.70, moving him into eighth all-time in the event. Senior Yi-Khy Saw placed 17th with a career best time of 3:53.26.
 
Junior Jason McLaughlin finished 11th in the 100-yard butterfly with a career-best time of 47.77, moving him into fourth all-time at Carolina. Sophomore Tyler Smith placed 19th in a career best 48.54, and freshman Brad Hamilton placed 20th in a career best of 48.61. Robert Grimmett-Norris swam a career best time of 48.15 during prelims, moving him into seventh place all-time in the event (previous best 49.06).
 
Wil Singley and Evan Reed placed ninth and 10th, respectively, in the 200-yard freestyle, both swimming career best times and achieving NCAA “B” cuts.  Singley’s time of 1:36.54 moves him into fifth place on Carolina’s All-Time Top 10 Depth Chart (previous best 1:39.17). Reed’s 1:36.59 puts him seventh all-time in the event (previous best 1:36.81). Redshirt junior Hank Browning finished 12th in the event with a time of 1:37.31. Freshman Steve Cebertowicz placed 15th in 1:38.25 (career best time of 1:37.21 in prelims, previous best 1:40.12). Freshman Brock Park swam a career best time during prelims of 1:37.82.
 
Senior tri-captain Brad Mitchell finished 13th in a career-best time of 55.13, placing him fifth all-time at UNC (previous best 55.23). Sophomore Flynn Jones swam a career-best time in a time trial Friday night with a time of 55.41, moving into eighth place all-time.
 
Junior tri-captain Jeff James finished 15th in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 49.33, a career-best time by six one hundredths of a second. His new career best places him eighth all-time at UNC.
 
During the preliminary session, sophomore exhibition swimmer Josh Hafkin swam a career-best time in the 100-yard backstroke. Hafkin’s time of 47.76 puts him in second place on Carolina’s All-Time Top 10 depth chart behind Wyher and is an NCAA “B” qualifying time. Had Hafkin been a member of UNC’s 19-man scoring squad, he would have qualified fifth in prelims and swum in championship finals.
 
In the men’s three-meter diving event, junior David Solarz led the way for UNC by posting a fifth place finish and a career high score of 394.00. Freshman David MacDonald finished eighth with a score of 348.55.
 
UNC wrapped up the evening with a school record swim of 3:12.41 to finish fifth in the 400-yard medley relay. The top three relays all eclipsed the previous ACC record in the event. The relay included Wyher (47.40), Pryor (53.88), McLaughlin (47.63) and James (43.50). The previous school record was 3:15.08 set in 1998 by Ted Brisson (48.28), Brad Kline (55.81), Tucker Shade (46.86), and Ed Abele (44.13).
 
“We had a great night. Our trend has been to be good in the morning and then be great at night,” DeSelm said. “The enthusiasm, spirit and team focus were really good tonight. We should have a good day tomorrow. We have Georgia Tech in our sights.  We’ll make a run at it and do our best tomorrow.”

Virginia Tech Men's Swimming and Diving
After the third day of action at the Atlantic Coast Conference Championships, the Virginia Tech H2Okie men’s swimming and diving team holds a firm grasp on the fifth spot. Tech has scored 236 points at the meet, while Virginia leads for the third straight day with 561 points.

Today, Tech competed in the 400 IM, 100 fly, 200 free, 100 breaststroke and 100 back, while the relay team swam in the 400 medley relay.

The third day of events, were highlighted by freshman Charlie Higgins in the 100 back. Higgins, a Weddington, N.C., native claimed second place in the event, along with garnering an NCAA “A” cut time in the competition. The freshman touched in with a time of 46.54 in the preliminary race to set a new H2Okie record in the event. Higgins registered a time of 46.55 in the finals, missing out on a first place showing by .14 seconds. Sophomore Trey Stewart took 14th place in the 100 back with a time of 49.27, to add three points to the H2Okies total.

In the 400 IM, freshman Dan Flynn scored the first two points on the day for the Hokies. Flynn posted a time of 3:55.84 in the event for a 15th place finish, while Higgins added an additional two points, after claiming 15th place in the 100 fly with a time of 48.54.

Sophomore Stephen Hawkins garnered a 14th-place showing in the 200 free. Hawkins clocked in at 1:37.91 in the finals and scored three points for the H2Okies.

In 100 breaststroke action, Tech scored 20 points led by junior Jonathan Huss, who missed out on breaking the H2Okie record in the event by .02 seconds. Huss, a native of Midlothian, Va., touched in with a preliminary time of 53.56, while registering a 53.65 showing in the finals for fourth place and 15 team points. The time was also good for an NCAA “B” cut. Fellow junior Scott Harkins swam the event in 54.71, good for 12th place and five points.

The Tech team of Higgins, Huss, Hawkins and senior Ian deToll staked claim to another H2Okie record, this time in the 400 medley relay. The squad posted a time of 3:11.18 for a third place showing, while making an NCAA “B”cut.

Last weekend, junior Mikey McDonald scored a fourth-place finish in the 3-meter dive. McDonald posted a score of 407.15 in preliminary action, while following with a 403.90 score in the finals.

Goodwin Sets New School Record at ACC’s
Taylor Goodwin set a new NC State record in the 100 butterfly as action continued at the ACC Championships on Friday, Feb. 27. Kevin Woodhull-Smith and Mason McGee also hit NCAA “B” cut qualifying standard, with Woodhull-Smith offering the second fastest 400 IM in school history.

NC State remains in sixth place overall with 174 total points.

Goodwin recorded a 47.86 in the 100 butterfly consolation finals, topping the mark of 48.36 shared by Olympian David Fox (1993) and Steve Cowling (2007). Sean Ream’s 49.02 is the second-fastest time on the squad this season, while Mike Seiferth (49.98) and Conor Brennan (52.69) each had valuable swims.

Woodhull-Smith swam the second -best mark in school history with a 3:50.92 in the consolation finals of the 400 IM. The time also hits an NCAA “B” cut and stands as the quickest on the team this season. Andrew Lester’s 3:54.47 in the consolation finals is the sixth best in school history, second fastest this year. Danny Voss contributed a 4:06.70.

McGee nailed a “B” cut and hit the fastest mark on the team this season in the 200 freestyle with a 1:36.01, later taking seventh overall in the finals on a 1:36.34. Gaites Brown’s 1:40.07 is second best on the roster this year, while Andrew Keenan added a 1:40.86.

In the 100 breaststroke Dan Forsythe posted a 55.61 in the bonus consolation, tops on the year, while Steven Wright established a 56.59. Greg Baskwell’s 56.87 is a personal best and third fastest on the Wolfpack roster this year, while Jon Vorpagel (58.40) and Danny Voss (1:01.13) put together good swims of their own.

Ben Mechak’s 50.12 in the 100 backstroke bonus consolation is the second-best mark on the team this year, while Steven Mellor was just behind him on a 50.15. Mike Seiferth hit a 52.67.

State got its top 400-medley relay of the year with a 3:18.13 – courtesy of Mellor, Forsythe, Goodwin and Brennan – to end the night.

Five Records Rewritten On Day Three At ACC Swimming & Diving
The Duke men's swimming & diving team set five more school records - bringing the total to 11 for the meet - during day three of the 2009 ACC Swimming & Diving Championships at the University of Maryland's Eppley Recreation Center. Duke sits in 8th place with 153 points, with one day and plenty of potential scoring opportunities still ahead.

Defending ACC champion Virginia is currently in the lead, followed by Florida State and Georgia Tech atop the conference totals.

"It was a great morning for the Duke men," said head coach Dan Colella. "The majority of our swims were lifetime bests, and we saw all the school records. One of our goals was to be competing hard and mixing it up with the rest of the ACC, and we're doing just that."

"Tomorrow is big day. The four teams we are in contention with [Virginia Tech, N.C. State, Maryland, Clemson] all look to be somewhat equal going into the last day as far as potential, so we have to see who wants it the most."

In the 100 butterfly, Nick Garvy scored for Duke in the championship final in 47.90, after he broke his own school record with a 47.51 in prelims. Pieter Den Hartog broke the record in the 200 freestyle in 1:38.06, before breaking it again tonight in 1:36.79. Spencer Booth's 100 backstroke time of 48.17 in prelims was good for a school record, as Booth then came back with a 48.71 in finals.

Duke's 400 medley relay team of Booth, David Carlson, Garvy, and Den Hartog missed the school record by under a second this morning, then came back to break it by more than six seconds tonight, as the Blue Devils placed eighth in 3:15.99.

In the 400 IM, Alex Kluge set a school record 3:57.19 during this morning's prelims, then came back with a 3:57.79 this evening.

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