ACC Championships, Day 4 Prelims: Eneli Jefimova, Anastasia Gorbenko Set Up International Showdown
There’s a lot of depth across the board at the 2026 ACC Championships. But the women’s 100 breaststroke might offer one of the most intriguing of matchups.
Friday’s preliminaries at Georgia Tech’s McAuley Aquatic Center included a tie between Olympians at the top, plus an in-form IM-er and an American Olympian in the mix. The race may come down to two swimmers who are relatively new to college swimming in Eneli Jefimova and Anastasia Gorbenko, who tied for the top seed in 57.39.
All the action from prelims:
ACC Championships Team Scores
Women - Team Rankings - Through Event 23 1. Virginia, University of 786 2. Stanford University 662 3. California, University of, Ber 621 4. Louisville, University of 507 5. North Carolina State Universit 404.5 6. Pittsburgh, University of 354.5 7. North Carolina, University of, 261.5 8. University of Miami (Florida) 248 9. Florida State University 223 10. Notre Dame, University of 220 11. Duke University 215.5 12. VA Tech 208 13. Georgia Institute of Technolog 204 14. Southern Methodist University 155 15. Boston College 48
Men - Team Rankings - Through Event 24 1. California, University of, Ber 622 2. Stanford University 596 3. Louisville, University of 521 4. North Carolina State Universit 505 5. VA Tech 369.5 6. Florida State University 350.5 7. Notre Dame, University of 320 8. North Carolina, University of, 299.5 9. Virginia, University of 281.5 10. Southern Methodist University 275 11. Pittsburgh, University of 244 12. Georgia Institute of Technolog 236 13. University of Miami (Florida) 162 14. Boston College 86 15. Duke University 68
Women’s 200 butterfly
Tess Howley is in position to continue Virginia’s dominance with a time of 1:52.58. She’s the top seed at night by three tenths over Mia West.
Stanford enters Friday 41 points up on Cal for second, but Cal has the edge in this event. In addition to West, Ava Chavez finished sixth and Lilou Ressencourt eighth. Stanford has Caroline Bricker third and Charlotte Hook fifth. Howley has a teammate in Bailey Hartman seventh plus Carly Novelline ninth.
Event 25 Women 200 Yard Butterfly
==================================================================
MEET: @ 1:49.16 2/23/2024 Alexandra Walsh, UVA-AC
CONF: # 1:49.16 2/23/2024 Alexandra Walsh, UVA-AC
AMER: $ 1:48.33 10/20/2023Reagan Smith, Ariizona St.
USOP: % 1:48.83 10/20/2023Reagan Smith, Stanford
NCAA: ^ 1:49.11 3/22/2025 Emma Sticklen, Texas
Pool: & 1:50.61 3/19/2016 Kelsi Worrell, Louisville-KY
1:55.88 IV25 Invited NCAA 2025
1:57.11 NC NCAA
Name Year School Seed Prelims
==================================================================
=== Preliminaries ===
1 Howley, Tess JR UVA 1:51.81 1:52.58 qIV25
r:+0.69 25.02 53.29 (28.27)
1:22.30 (29.01) 1:52.58 (30.28)
2 West, Mia SO California 1:53.32 1:52.89 qIV25
r:+0.67 24.97 53.49 (28.52)
1:22.68 (29.19) 1:52.89 (30.21)
3 Bricker, Caroli JR Stanford 1:52.77 1:52.96 qIV25
r:+0.64 25.15 53.35 (28.20)
1:22.68 (29.33) 1:52.96 (30.28)
4 Cronk, Carli SO ND 1:55.28 1:53.57 qIV25
r:+0.70 25.43 53.92 (28.49)
1:23.04 (29.12) 1:53.57 (30.53)
5 Hook, Charlotte SR Stanford 1:56.00 1:55.45 qIV25
r:+0.74 26.23 55.17 (28.94)
1:24.60 (29.43) 1:55.45 (30.85)
6 Chavez, Ava JR California 1:56.28 1:55.46 qIV25
r:+0.62 25.62 54.81 (29.19)
1:24.99 (30.18) 1:55.46 (30.47)
7 Hartman, Bailey SO UVA 1:55.04 1:55.60 qIV25
r:+0.75 26.21 55.65 (29.44)
1:25.73 (30.08) 1:55.60 (29.87)
8 Ressencourt, Li 5Y California 1:53.24 1:55.62 qIV25
r:+0.71 26.17 54.93 (28.76)
1:25.08 (30.15) 1:55.62 (30.54)
Men’s 200 butterfly
After an outstanding 400 IM Thursday, Josh Zuchowski is at it again. The Stanford senior went 1:40.63 to set the top seed, ahead of Logan Robinson of Florida State, who’s having a great meet. He was second in 1:40.98.
There’s a Virginia swimmer third but it’s not the one you’d expect. Hayden Bellotti dropped two seconds off his season-best to third in 1:41.02. The one you were looking for, Thomas Heilman, was seventh in 1:41.57, meaning the top seed entering the meet has to deal with an outside lane.
Event 26 Men 200 Yard Butterfly
==================================================================
MEET: @ 1:37.92 2/18/2022 Nicolas J Albiero, Louisville-KY
CONF: # 1:37.92 2/18/2022 Nicolas J Albiero, Louisville-KY
AMER: $ 1:36.41 11/21/2025Luca Urlando, Georgia
USOP: % 1:36.41 11/21/2025Luca Urlando, Georgia
NCAA: ^ 1:36.41 11/21/2025Luca Urlando, Georgia
Pool: & 1:37.92 2/18/2022 Nicolas Albiero, Louisville-KY
1:41.45 IV25 Invited NCAA 2025
1:43.79 NC NCAA
Name Year School Seed Prelims
==================================================================
=== Preliminaries ===
1 Zuchowski, Josh SR Stanford 1:42.21 1:40.63 qIV25
r:+0.69 22.86 48.53 (25.67)
1:14.56 (26.03) 1:40.63 (26.07)
2 Robinson, Logan SO FSU 1:40.40 1:40.98 qIV25
r:+0.64 22.40 48.32 (25.92)
1:14.25 (25.93) 1:40.98 (26.73)
3 Bellotti, Hayde JR UVA 1:43.39 1:41.02 qIV25
r:+0.64 23.28 49.08 (25.80)
1:14.57 (25.49) 1:41.02 (26.45)
4 Holmes, Gibson JR Stanford 1:42.35 1:41.14 qIV25
r:+0.71 22.86 48.30 (25.44)
1:14.46 (26.16) 1:41.14 (26.68)
5 Gentry, Landon SR VA Tech 1:44.87 1:41.35 qIV25
r:+0.67 22.11 47.16 (25.05)
1:13.55 (26.39) 1:41.35 (27.80)
6 Puggaard, Caspe FR California 1:42.30 1:41.46 qNC
r:+0.67 22.56 48.42 (25.86)
1:14.72 (26.30) 1:41.46 (26.74)
7 Heilman, Thomas FR UVA 1:39.09 1:41.57 qNC
r:+0.67 22.48 48.15 (25.67)
1:14.58 (26.43) 1:41.57 (26.99)
8 Lunak, Seb JR UNC 1:42.09 1:41.64 qNC
r:+0.64 22.87 49.19 (26.32)
1:14.96 (25.77) 1:41.64 (26.68)
Women’s 100 backstroke
Claire Curzan set prelims on fire with a 48.83, which is .09 off Katharine Berkoff’s 2022 pool record. She’s the only swimmer in the field with a sub-50-second time this season. It would seem to be her race to lose.
She’s the only Cavalier in the A final, with Charlotte Wilson 10th and Tess Howley on the back of a double in 13th.
NC State, which trailed Louisville by 100 points for fourth, can eat into that here. Erika Pelaez went 50.28 for second. Leah Shackley was sixth and Kennedy Noble seventh.
Claire Jansen continues a stellar meet for Pitt in third in 50.47. Mary-Ambre Moluh of Cal was fourth and can make some hay for Cal in a race where Stanford has neither an A nor B finalist.
Event 27 Women 100 Yard Backstroke
==================================================================
MEET: @ 48.10 2/23/2024 Gretchen Walsh, UVA-AC
CONF: # 48.10 2/23/2024 Gretchen Walsh, UVA-AC
AMER: $ 48.10 2/23/2024 Gretchen Walsh, UVA-AC
USOP: % 48.10 2/23/2024 Gretchen Walsh, UVA-AC
NCAA: ^ 48.10 2/23/2024 Gretchen Walsh, UVA-AC
Pool: & 48.74 3/18/2022 Katharine Berkoff, NC State-NC
51.68 IV25 Invited NCAA 2025
52.65 NC NCAA
Name Year School Seed Prelims
==================================================================
=== Preliminaries ===
1 Curzan, Claire UVA 49.12 48.83 qIV25
r:+0.55 23.51 48.83 (25.32)
2 Pelaez, Erika SO NC State 50.44 50.28 qIV25
r:+0.53 24.72 50.28 (25.56)
3 Jansen, Claire SR Pitt 51.03 50.47 qIV25
r:+0.60 24.47 50.47 (26.00)
4 Moluh, Mary-Amb SO California 50.61 50.48 qIV25
r:+0.60 24.41 50.48 (26.07)
5 Pfaff, Ali JR Duke 51.06 51.00 qIV25
r:+0.67 24.64 51.00 (26.36)
6 Shackley, Leah SO NC State 50.09 51.04 qIV25
r:+0.55 24.63 51.04 (26.41)
7 Noble, Kennedy SR NC State 51.52 51.30 qIV25
r:+0.58 24.68 51.30 (26.62)
8 Murray, Camille SO Louisville 51.67 51.35 qIV25
r:+0.66 24.50 51.35 (26.85)
Men’s 100 backstroke
Kaii Winkler has a chance to get NC State moving in what promises to be a jumbled final. Five swimmers were under 45, but none were quicker than Winkler’s 44.74 to get the top seed. Teammates Hudson Williams and Aiden Hayes were in the top five, with Quintin McCarty sixth.
Williams tied with Notre Dame’s Tommy Janton in 44.94 for third, with Marcus Reyes-Gentry second. Cal, that paragon of backstroke, has a lone A finalist, with Evan Petty in eighth, the no one else in the top 35.
Event 28 Men 100 Yard Backstroke
==================================================================
MEET: @ 44.04 2/28/2020 Coleman Stewart/Kaspar Stokows, NC State-NC
CONF: # 43.83 3/24/2023 Kaspar Stokowski, NC State-NC
AMER: $ 43.26 11/20/2025Will Modgilin, Texas
USOP: % 43.20 3/28/2025 Hubert Kos, Texas
NCAA: ^ 43.20 3/28/2025 Hubert Kos, Texas
Pool: & 43.35 3/25/2022 Luca Urlando, UGA-GA
45.26 IV25 Invited NCAA 2025
46.29 NC NCAA
Name Year School Seed Prelims
==================================================================
=== Preliminaries ===
1 Winkler, Kaii SO NC State 45.46 44.74 qIV25
r:+0.69 21.35 44.74 (23.39)
2 Reyes-Gentry, M JR ND 45.69 44.87 qIV25
r:+0.56 21.43 44.87 (23.44)
3 Janton, Tommy JR ND 47.03 44.94 qIV25
r:+0.71 21.19 44.94 (23.75)
3 Williams, Hudso JR NC State 44.49 44.94 qIV25
r:+0.54 21.65 44.94 (23.29)
5 Hayes, Aiden 5Y NC State 45.45 44.98 qIV25
r:+0.58 21.66 44.98 (23.32)
6 McCarty, Quinti JR NC State 46.34 45.16 qIV25
r:+0.61 21.57 45.16 (23.59)
7 Wilson, Max SR FSU 44.43 45.47 qNC
r:+0.61 21.67 45.47 (23.80)
8 Petty, Evan 5Y California 44.83 45.51 qNC
r:+0.62 22.05 45.51 (23.46)
Women’s 100 breaststroke
The time of 57.39 was good enough for Eneli Jefimova, the Estonian freshman at NC State, and Anastasia Gorbenko, the Israeli sophomore at Louisville. Those times are nearly a half-second clear of Lucy Bell’s time of 57.86, Bell coming off the 400 individual medley title on Thursday. Fourth was American Olympian Emma Weber, the senior going 58.12.
It took 58s to get in the final. Cal has one there in Elle Scott, though Silje Slyngstadli was locked out in ninth. Virginia got a second swimmer in the A final in Zoe Skirboll’s eighth place.
Event 29 Women 100 Yard Breaststroke
==================================================================
MEET: @ 56.72 2/18/2022 Sophie E Hansson, NCSU-NC
CONF: # 56.09 3/22/2024 Jasmine Nocentini, UVA-AC
AMER: $ 55.73 3/22/2019 Lilly King, Indiana
USOP: % 55.73 3/22/2019 Lilly King, Indiana
NCAA: ^ 55.73 3/22/2019 Lilly King, Indiana
Pool: & 56.85 3/18/2016 Lilly King, Indiana-IN
59.51 IV25 Invited NCAA 2025
1:00.30 NC NCAA
Name Year School Seed Prelims
==================================================================
=== Preliminaries ===
1 Jefimova, Eneli FR NC State 57.67 57.39 qIV25
r:+0.68 26.93 57.39 (30.46)
1 Gorbenko, Anast SO Louisville 57.67 57.39 qIV25
r:+0.68 26.88 57.39 (30.51)
3 Bell, Lucy SR Stanford 57.60 57.86 qIV25
r:+0.70 27.56 57.86 (30.30)
4 Weber, Emma SR UVA 57.96 58.12 qIV25
r:+0.69 27.40 58.12 (30.72)
5 Gridley, Kaelyn SR Duke 58.46 58.46 qIV25
r:+0.71 27.50 58.46 (30.96)
6 Cheatwood, Mia SR Louisville 58.97 58.59 qIV25
r:+0.68 27.78 58.59 (30.81)
7 Scott, Elle FR California 59.20 58.71 qIV25
r:+0.71 27.55 58.71 (31.16)
8 Skirboll, Zoe SR UVA 58.74 58.79 qIV25
r:+0.68 27.69 58.79 (31.10)
Men’s 100 breaststroke
It’s international flair atop the 100 breast, too, with Yamato Okadome leading the way in 50.78. Cal stands to score big, with Luca Gissendaner fourth and Hank Rivers fifth.
Eli Martin of Virginia Tech was second in 51.29, with Stanford’s Daniel Li third.
Event 30 Men 100 Yard Breaststroke
==================================================================
MEET: @ 50.62 2/21/2025 Denis Petrashov, Louisville-AC
CONF: # 50.27 3/28/2025 Denis Petrashov, Louisville-AC
AMER: $ 49.51 3/21/2025 Julian Smith, Florida
USOP: % 49.51 2/21/2025 Julian Smith, Florida
NCAA: ^ 49.53 3/29/2024 Liam Bell, California
Pool: & 49.90 3/25/2022 Max McHugh, Minnesota-MN
51.58 IV25 Invited NCAA 2025
52.58 NC NCAA
Name Year School Seed Prelims
==================================================================
=== Preliminaries ===
1 Okadome, Yamato SO California 50.48 50.78 qIV25
r:+0.65 10.78 24.02 (13.24)
37.48 (13.46) 50.78 (13.30)
2 Martin, Eli SO VA Tech 51.56 51.29 qIV25
r:+0.66 11.32 24.38 (13.06)
37.66 (13.28) 51.29 (13.63)
3 Li, Daniel SO Stanford 51.79 51.54 qIV25
r:+0.67 11.08 24.30 (13.22)
37.78 (13.48) 51.54 (13.76)
4 Gissendaner, Lu SR California 51.25 51.62 qNC
r:+0.67 10.74 23.63 (12.89)
37.02 (13.39) 51.62 (14.60)
5 Rivers, Hank SR California 51.51 51.63 qNC
r:+0.61 11.00 24.16 (13.16)
37.61 (13.45) 51.63 (14.02)
6 Baravelli, Tomm SR FSU 51.68 51.95 qNC
r:+0.65 10.79 24.12 (13.33)
37.73 (13.61) 51.95 (14.22)
7 Delmar, Ben JR UNC 51.74 51.99 qNC
r:+0.70 11.13 24.35 (13.22)
37.98 (13.63) 51.99 (14.01)
8 Maloney, Ethan SR VA Tech 53.19 52.01 qNC
r:+0.65 10.89 24.37 (13.48)
37.94 (13.57) 52.01 (14.07)
