ACC Championships, Day 5 Prelims: Virginia Women, Cal Men Set to Pull Away
The University of Virginia women and Cal-Berkeley men did the job in prelims on the final day of the ACC Championships, all but assuring that the teams will pull away at night to lock up conference titles. The Cavalier women picked up the top seeds in all three events contested Saturday, with Claire Curzan topping the 200 backstroke, Gretchen Walsh finishing first in the 100 freestyle and Alex Walsh leading four total Cavalier swimmers into the 200 breaststroke final.
For the Cal men, Gabriel Jett and Destin Lasco placed 1-2 in the 200 back while Jack Alexy was best in the field in the 100 free and freshman Yamato Okadome was just two hundredths off the top seed in the 200 breast. The finals session will also include the 1650 free, women’s platform diving and the 400 free relay.
Women - Team Rankings - Through Event 30 1. Virginia, University of 1040.5 2. Stanford University 852 3. Louisville, University of 682 4. California, University of, Ber 637 5. North Carolina, University of, 544.5 6. North Carolina State Universit 530 7. Florida State University 350 8. Pittsburgh, University of 348 9. University of Miami (Florida) 338 10. Duke University 271 11. VA Tech 241.5 12. Notre Dame, University of 207 13. Southern Methodist University 140.5 14. Georgia Institute of Technolog 111 15. Boston College 79
Men - Team Rankings - Through Event 31 1. California, University of, Ber 885.5 2. Stanford University 822 3. North Carolina, University of, 741 4. North Carolina State Universit 676 5. Louisville, University of 647.5 6. Florida State University 516.5 7. VA Tech 483 8. Virginia, University of 419 9. Pittsburgh, University of 382.5 10. Georgia Institute of Technolog 349 11. Southern Methodist University 323 12. Duke University 135 13. Boston College 90 14. University of Miami (Florida) 84 15. Notre Dame, University of 45
Women’s 200 Backstroke
Having already placed third in the 50 free and second in the 100 fly, Claire Curzan will be the big favorite to come out on top in the 200 backstroke final Saurday evening. In November, Curzan became the first swimmer ever to crack 1:47 in the 200 back, clocking 1:46.87 at the Tennessee Invitational, and the University of Virginia standout was the only swimmer under 1:50 in prelims at 1:49.97.
Challenges in the final will come from a pair of impressive NC State freshmen, Leah Shackley and Erika Pelaez, as well as Cal fifth-year swimmer Isabelle Stadden. Shackley clocked 1:50.08 in the morning, with Pelaez and Stadden tying for third at 1:51.64. Stadden has been a top-three finisher in this event at the NCAA Championships each year of her collegiate career.
A time of 1:52.69 was required to make the final, with Curzan’s Virginia teammate Tess Howley the last swimmer in. NC State got a third qualifier in Kennedy Noble while Virginia Tech Hokies Carmen Weiler Sastre and Emma Atkinson also made it.
Event 34 Women 200 Yard Backstroke
==================================================================
MEET: @ 1:49.61 2/16/2017 Alexia Zevnik, NCSU-NC
CONF: # 1:46.87 3/23/2024 Claire Curzan, UVA-AC
AMER: $ 1:46.87 11/22/2024Claire Curzan, UVA-AC
USOP: % 1:47.16 3/10/2019 Regan Smith, Riptide
NCAA: ^ 1:46.87 11/23/2024Claire Curzan, UVA-AC
Pool: & 1:47.91 3/21/2015 Missy Franklin, CAL-PC
1:50.50 A
1:54.01 IV24 Invited NCAA 2024
1:56.71 B
Name Year School Seed Prelims
==================================================================
=== Preliminaries ===
1 Curzan, Claire JR UVA 1:46.87 1:49.97 qA
r:+0.77 25.82 53.50 (27.68)
1:22.11 (28.61) 1:49.97 (27.86)
2 Shackley, Leah FR NCSU 1:49.71 1:50.08 qA
r:+0.78 25.54 53.18 (27.64)
1:21.42 (28.24) 1:50.08 (28.66)
3 Pelaez, Erika FR NCSU 1:50.64 1:51.64 qIV24
r:+0.72 26.15 54.52 (28.37)
1:23.13 (28.61) 1:51.64 (28.51)
3 Stadden, Isabel 5Y California 1:49.96 1:51.64 qIV24
r:+0.79 26.03 54.07 (28.04)
1:22.56 (28.49) 1:51.64 (29.08)
5 Weiler Sastre, JR VA Tech 1:50.68 1:51.79 qIV24
r:+0.58 26.27 54.29 (28.02)
1:22.82 (28.53) 1:51.79 (28.97)
6 Noble, Helen JR NCSU 1:51.22 1:52.27 qIV24
r:+0.61 26.23 54.55 (28.32)
1:23.33 (28.78) 1:52.27 (28.94)
7 Atkinson, Emma 5Y VA Tech 1:53.43 1:52.38 qIV24
r:+0.83 26.81 54.95 (28.14)
1:23.53 (28.58) 1:52.38 (28.85)
8 Howley, Tess SO UVA 1:52.59 1:52.69 qIV24
r:+0.70 26.22 54.27 (28.05)
1:23.28 (29.01) 1:52.69 (29.41)
Men’s 200 Backstroke
Cal will try to extend its lead in the team competition this evening with Gabriel Jett and Destin Lasco occupying the top-two spots in the 200 back. Jett clocked 1:38.19 in the morning while Lasco, the three-time NCAA champion and fastest swimmer ever in the event, went 1:39.15. The bearded Lasco has struggled to approach his best times this meet, although he will surely be peaking for next month’s NCAAs.
Virginia’s David King (1:39.55) and Stanford’s Joshua Zuchowski (1:39.71) also got under 1:40 in the morning. Two other Golden Bears reached the final, Mewen Tomac and Jackson Jones, with the NC State duo of Daniel Diehl and Oleksandr Zheltiakov also qualifying. Florida State’s Michel Arkhangelskiy, the winner of the 100 back Friday, ended up 10th in 1:40.83.
Women’s 100 Freestyle
Having already earned first place in the 50 free and 100 back in Greensboro, Gretchen Walsh notched a time no one else has ever achieved in the 100 free prelims. She clocked 45.50, two-thirds of a second behind the American, NCAA and U.S. Open records she set at last year’s national championships but still quicker than the all-time best from before Walsh’s arrival on the college scene, the 45.56 of Simone Manuel.
Stanford’s Torri Huske will go head-to-head with Walsh in an individual event for the first time all week after she qualified second in 46.93. Huske ran down Walsh for Olympic gold in the 100-meter fly in Paris while also winning silver in the 100-meter free.
Walsh’s UVA teammate Anna Moesch took third in 47.21, followed by the Louisville duo of Julia Denis (47.28) and Gabi Albiero (47.60). A third Cardinals swimmer, Lucy Mehraban, claimed the eighth and final qualifying spot, with NC State’s Olivia Nel and Cal’s Mary-Ambre Moluh also getting in.
Event 36 Women 100 Yard Freestyle
==================================================================
MEET: @ 45.16 2/24/2024 Gretchen Walsh, UVA-AC
CONF: # 44.83 3/24/2024 Gretchen Walsh, UVA-AC
AMER: $ 44.83 3/24/2024 Gretchen Walsh, UVA-AC
USOP: % 44.83 2/24/2024 Gretchen Walsh, UVA-AC
NCAA: ^ 44.83 3/24/2024 Gretchen Walsh, UVA-AC
Pool: & 45.16 2/24/2024 Gretchen Walsh, UVA-AC
47.10 A
48.34 IV24 Invited NCAA 2024
49.18 B
Name Year School Seed Prelims
==================================================================
=== Preliminaries ===
1 Walsh, Gretchen SR UVA 45.58 45.50 qA
r:+0.79 21.82 45.50 (23.68)
2 Huske, Victoria JR Stanford 46.62 46.93 qA
r:+0.61 22.10 46.93 (24.83)
3 Moesch, Annalie FR UVA 46.76 47.21 qIV24
r:+0.72 22.62 47.21 (24.59)
4 Dennis, Julia JR Louisville 47.87 47.28 qIV24
r:+0.66 22.38 47.28 (24.90)
5 Albiero, Gabi 5Y Louisville 47.75 47.60 qIV24
r:+0.64 22.96 47.60 (24.64)
6 Nel, Olivia JR NCSU 48.29 47.69 qIV24
r:+0.70 22.75 47.69 (24.94)
7 Moluh, Mary-Amb FR California 47.63 47.96 qIV24
r:+0.68 22.75 47.96 (25.21)
8 Mehraban, Lucy SO Louisville 48.53 47.98 qIV24
r:+0.77 22.91 47.98 (25.07)
Men’s 100 Freestyle
Cal went three-up for the second consecutive men’s event, with senior Jack Alexy leading the way at 41.52. Alexy, the short course world champion in the 100-meter free, is joined in the field by fifth-year teammates Matt Jensen (fourth, 41.77) and Bjorn Seeliger (eighth, 42.16).
NC State’s Quintin McCarty, who edged out Alexy for first in the 50 free, came in second at 41.61, followed by Virginia Tech’s Brendan Whitfield (41.73). Kaii Winkler and Jerry Fox joined McCarty as Wolfpack swimmers in the top heat while Stanford’s Andrei Minakov took sixth as he looks to follow up wins in both butterfly events.
Event 37 Men 100 Yard Freestyle
==================================================================
MEET: @ 40.62 2/24/2024 Christopher Guiliano, Notre Dame-AC
CONF: # 40.62 2/24/2024 Christopher Guiliano, Notre Dame-AC
AMER: $ 39.90 3/24/2018 Caeleb Dressel, Florida
USOP: % 39.90 3/24/2018 Caeleb Dressel, Florida
NCAA: ^ 39.90 3/24/2018 Caeleb Dressel, Florida
Pool: & 40.62 2/24/2024 Christopher Guiliano, Notre Dame-AC
41.34 A
42.19 IV24 Invited NCAA 2024
43.25 B
Name Year School Seed Prelims
==================================================================
=== Preliminaries ===
1 Alexy, John SR California 40.82 41.52 qIV24
r:+0.71 19.79 41.52 (21.73)
2 McCarty, Quinti SO NCSU 42.20 41.61 qIV24
r:+0.65 19.81 41.61 (21.80)
3 Whitfield, Bren SO VA Tech 41.66 41.73 qIV24
r:+0.69 19.90 41.73 (21.83)
4 Jensen, Matthew 5Y California 42.53 41.77 qIV24
r:+0.67 19.94 41.77 (21.83)
5 Winkler, Kaii FR NCSU 41.95 41.86 qIV24
r:+0.67 19.89 41.86 (21.97)
6 Minakov, Andrei SR Stanford 42.00 42.06 qIV24
r:+0.65 20.13 42.06 (21.93)
6 Fox, Jerry SO NCSU 41.65 42.06 qIV24
r:+0.69 20.04 42.06 (22.02)
8 Seeliger, Bjorn 5Y California 42.10 42.16 qIV24
r:+0.66 19.73 42.16 (22.43)
Women’s 200 Breaststroke
Virginia graduate student Alex Walsh will be the significant favorite in the women’s 200 breast final. Her best time of 2:02.07 makes her history’s No. 2 all-time performer behind former teammate Kate Douglass, and Walsh finished 1.68 seconds clear of anyone else in the field in prelims by clocking 2:06.03. She will be joined in the final by three Virginia teammates, with Leah Hayes (2:07.85) and Aimee Canny (2:07.93) having placed third and fourth, respectively, in qualifying, while Emma Weber was the last swimmer to make the final at 2:09.35.
Stanford’s Lucy Bell posted a mark of 2:07.71 for second overall in the morning while Duke’s Kaelyn Gridley, the conference winner in the 100 breast Friday, was fifth in 2:08.28. Florida State’s Maddy Huggins and NC State’s Lisa Nystrand also qualified.
Event 38 Women 200 Yard Breaststroke
==================================================================
MEET: @ 2:02.24 2/24/2024 Alexandra Walsh, UVA-AC
CONF: # 2:01.29 3/16/2023 Kate Douglass, UVA-VA
AMER: $ 2:01.29 3/16/2023 Kate Douglass, UVA-VA
USOP: % 2:01.29 3/16/2023 Kate Douglass, UVA-VA
NCAA: ^ 2:01.29 3/16/2023 Kate Douglass, UVA-VA
Pool: & 2:02.24 2/24/2024 Alexandra Walsh, UVA-AC
2:05.73 A
2:09.55 IV24 Invited NCAA 2024
2:13.28 B
Name Year School Seed Prelims
==================================================================
=== Preliminaries ===
1 Walsh, Alexandr 5Y UVA 2:03.97 2:06.03 qIV24
r:+0.82 28.80 1:00.86 (32.06)
1:33.07 (32.21) 2:06.03 (32.96)
2 Bell, Lucerne JR Stanford 2:05.10 2:07.71 qIV24
r:+0.68 29.52 1:02.03 (32.51)
1:34.64 (32.61) 2:07.71 (33.07)
3 Hayes, Leah FR UVA 2:09.47 2:07.85 qIV24
r:+0.80 29.32 1:01.75 (32.43)
1:34.68 (32.93) 2:07.85 (33.17)
4 Canny, Aimee JR UVA 2:06.70 2:07.93 qIV24
r:+0.79 29.04 1:01.39 (32.35)
1:34.25 (32.86) 2:07.93 (33.68)
5 Gridley, Kaelyn JR Duke 2:05.71 2:08.28 qIV24
r:+0.78 29.27 1:01.99 (32.72)
1:34.70 (32.71) 2:08.28 (33.58)
6 Huggins, Madeli SR FSU 2:07.96 2:08.30 qIV24
r:+0.76 28.74 1:00.73 (31.99)
1:33.85 (33.12) 2:08.30 (34.45)
6 Nystrand, Lisa FR NCSU 2:08.42 2:08.30 qIV24
r:+0.75 29.02 1:01.40 (32.38)
1:34.53 (33.13) 2:08.30 (33.77)
8 Weber, Emma JR UVA 2:06.97 2:09.35 qIV24
r:+0.68 29.37 1:02.16 (32.79)
1:34.97 (32.81) 2:09.35 (34.38)
Men’s 200 Breaststroke
Louisville is set up to earn big points in the 200 breast thanks to a two-second time drop from freshman Jacob Eccleston, who placed first in prelims in 1:51.84, and the presence of veteran Denis Petrashov, already the 100 breast winner who took third in prelims (1:52.63). Joining those two in the final will be Tommy Bried, who came in eighth at 1:53.65.
Cal’s Yamato Okadome finished two hundredths off the top seed in prelims, clocking 1:51.86, while the North Carolina duo of Ben Delmar (1:52.72) and Xavier Ruiz (1:52.74) took fourth and fifth, respectively. Carles Coll Marti, the short course world champion in the 200-meter breast, will be in the field after qualifying sixth at 1:52.77, as will Stanford’s Daniel Li.
