NC State Wolfpack Gets Back To Business With Sweep Of Villanova

RALEIGH, North Carolina, January 10. THE North Carolina State women’s and men’s swimming and diving returned from winter training to sweep Villanova on Friday afternoon. Several Wolfpack swimmers won multiple events – Natalie Labonge (200 free and 100 fly), Madeline Keeley (1- and 3-meter diving), Grant Saale (1- and 3-meter diving), Barrett Miesfeld (200 fly, 100 free) and Jake Matysek (100 and 200 breast). Villanova’s Ben Smith also picked up two wins in the 100 fly and 200 IM.

North Carolina State Press Release

The NC State swimming & diving team picked up a pair of victories over Villanova Friday afternoon at the Willis R. Casey Aquatic Center. The men’s squad earned a 166-101 win to improve to 4-3 on the season, while the women’s squad captured a 175-104 decision to improve to 6-2 on the year.

“It was a good meet for us,” said head coach Braden Holloway. “Our team looked a little sharper. I think that’s natural coming off of training camp and they’re back in school. They are back in a normal routine with class and school, so their workload is a little less. I think we had some pretty good performances and it was a good step in the right direction.”

Overall, the Wolfpack captured 25 of 28 individual titles on the day and also won two relay events, while 20 different individuals captured victories.

The meet started with the Wolfpack claiming victories in the men’s and women’s 200-medley relay, respectively. On the women’s side, the quartet of freshmen Alexia Zevnik, Kayla Brumbaum, Lydia Jones and Natalie Labonge teamed up to take first-place honors in a time of 1:43.79.

“The first relay was all freshman and that gives you a glimpse into the future,” Holloway said.

On the men’s side, freshman Andreas Schiellerup teamed up with Ian Bishop, Barrett Miesfeld and David Williams to post a first-place finish in a time of 1:29.84.

Labonge collected two victories throughout the afternoon to pace the women’s squad. A freshman from Greensboro, N.C., Labonge collected her first individual victory of the day in the 200 freestyle, touching the wall in a time of 1:51.89. The first-year student-athlete later cruised to victory in the 100 butterfly with a time of 55.77.

“Natalie Labonge keeps excelling and had two big wins again today,” Holloway said.

A product of Matthews, N.C., sophomore Ashlyn Koletic captured top honors in the 100 backstroke with a time of 56.43.

In diving, Madeline Keeley earned first-place honors on the one-meter and three-meter events. The sophomore recorded a score of 275.78 in the three-meter competition and totaled a score of 239.93 in the one-meter competition. Freshman Grant Saale also had tremendous success on the men’s side, as he registered the top score of 294.90 on the one-meter board and a score of 352.80 in the three-meter competition.

“Grant Saale, on the boards, has been diving really great,” Holloway said. “He had top scores again today, which is really exciting. Maddie Keeley also performed well on the women’s side.”

Miesfeld and Jake Matysek each collected two victories to lead the men’s squad for the day. Miesfeld, a senior from Tucson, Ariz., earned a victory in the 200 butterfly with a time of 1:49.89, before capturing top honors in the 100 freestyle with a time of 45.53.

Meanwhile, Matysek tapped the wall in the top position in the 200 breaststroke with a time of 2:04.72 before later sweeping the breaststroke events with a time of 57.59 in the 100 breast.

“Villanova had a great trip here and we’re really happy they came,” Holloway said. “They have a great staff and they’ll be pretty good in their conference. Hopefully we helped them get better as well. I am happy with how things went. Now, we will get back to work before we go to Minnesota in two weeks.”

Up next, the Wolfpack will travel to Minneapolis, Minn., to compete against the Minnesota Golden Gophers from Jan. 24-25.

Villanova Press Release

The Villanova swimming & diving teams each fell to NC State Friday afternoon at the Willis R. Casey Aquatic Center.

The Wildcat women dropped 175-104 to the Wolfpack. Villanova swimmers swept the top three places in the 200 IM with Sara Jurek coming in first (2:08.82), followed by freshman Jessica Randolph (2:12.78) and Mary Snyder (2:17.42).

In the 200 freestyle relay, Fiona Hardie, Katrin Heider, Kaisla Kollanus and Jurek placed first with a time of 1:37.28, and were followed by the quartet of Snyder, Emily Mayo, Hayden Bumgardner and Colleen Lord (1:43.46).

Kollanus finished the meet with a trio of top three finishes. The Hyvinkaa, Finland, native placed second in the 50 freestyle (24.28) and the 100 freestyle (52.07) and earned third in the 100 butterfly (58.37).

Hardie finished second in the 100 butterfly (57.42) and earned third in the 200 butterfly (2:07.03).

Heider placed second in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:52.22 while Mayo finished second in the 500 freestyle with a 5:08.26 final time.

Megan Conrad tapped the wall second in the 200 backstroke (2:09.20) while Lord finished just behind her (2:11.21) for third.

The men fell to NC State, 166-101. Ben Smith had a strong outing, finishing first in the 100 butterfly (51.20) and 200 IM (2:00.04). He swam a leg, alongside Kyle Grant, Chris Tamanini and Jason Moyer, in the 200 freestyle relay to place first (1:27.96).

Grant earned two second-place finishes, in the 100 butterfly (54.79) and 200 backstroke (1:56.26).

Harrison Rodts placed second in the 500 freestyle with a time of 4:54.23, and earned third in the 200 IM (2:10.70).

Moyer tapped the wall second in the 100 freestyle (48.18), followed by Tamanini (49.42).

In diving, Michelle Hall placed second on both the 1-meter (223.43) and 3-meter (195.30) boards.

The Wildcats are back in the pool for competition in their first home meet of the season, hosting Penn State Jan. 17 at 6 p.m.

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