Abby Arens, Kennedy Noble, Kylee Alons, Giovanni Izzo, Mikey Moore Lead NC State Victory Over Duke

abby-arens-nc-state
NC State's Abby Arens -- Photo Courtesy: NCAA Media

Abby Arens, Kennedy Noble, Kylee Alons, Giovanni Izzo, Mikey Moore Lead NC State Victory Over Duke

The North Carolina State Wolfpack competed for the first time in 2023 Saturday in a dual meet at Triangle Area rival Duke, located less than 30 minutes away in Durham, and head coach Braden Holloway’s teams won a pair of comfortable victories despite NCAA champion Katharine Berkoff and rising sprint star David Curtiss missing the meet to race at the TYR Pro Swim Series in Knoxville. The NC State women won 168 to 130 behind multiple victories from junior Abby Arens, freshman Kennedy Noble and fifth-year Kylee Alons while the men dominated 199 to 96.

Notably, Duke was competing for the first time since longtime head coach Dan Colella passed away after a battle with cancer. A memorial service for Colella is scheduled for Sunday. Doak Finch, a member of Duke’s staff since the 2016-17 season, is the interim head coach for the remainder of the season.

For NC State’s women, Arens earned victories in the 100 breaststroke (1:00.67) and 100 freestyle (49.90) while Noble swept the 100 backstroke (52.96) and 200 backstroke (1:56.35). Alons won easily in the 50 free (22.90) before adding another first-place finish in the 100 butterfly (53.62). Noble, Heather MacCausland, Alons and Arens went 1:38.55 to win the 200 medley relay, and at the conclusion of the meet, Cassie Moses, Alons, Sarah Watson and Katharine Helms took the 400 free relay in 3:21.69.

In the 1000 free, Brooke Travis won a back-and-forth race with Duke’s Yixuan Chang by less than three tenths, 9:58.37 to 9:58.64, and Helms dominated the 200 free (1:48.31). Grace Sheble won the 200 fly in 1:58.61, and veteran Kylee Alons won easily in the 50 free (22.90).

Duke got two wins from Sarah Foley in the 200 breast (2:13.95) and 400 IM (4:18.46), and in diving, Kate Mullin led the way in 1-meter (301.55) and 3-meter (304.58). Chang was the winner in the 500 free in 4:53.20.

On the men’s side, fifth-year swimmer Giovanni Izzo won the 100 back (48.46) and 100 fly (47.79), leading a 1-2-3 finish with Noah Henderson and Kacper Stokowski. Junior Mikey Moore claimed wins in the 200 fly (1:49.15) and 200 back (1:47.65). Izzo, Hunter MasonNyls Korstanje and Noah Henderson took the 200 medley relay win in 1:26.50, and the Wolfpack finished 1-2 in the 400 free relay with Henderson, Korstanje, Bartosz Piszczorowicz and Austin Winchester taking first in 2:56.48.

Will Gallant cruised in the 1000 free as he finished first in 9:06.77, and Noah Bowers went 1:37.78 for a 200 free win. Mason touched in 55.37 to lead another Wolfpack 1-2-3 finish in the 100 breast before Korstanje and Sam Hoover took care of business in the sprint freestyle races, with Korstanje taking the 50 in 19.87 and Hoover touching in 44.82 in the 100.

Ross Dant won by 10 seconds in the 500 free as he touched in 4:27.02. In the final individual event of the day, freshman Kyle Ponsler won the 400 IM in 3:54.54 in another Wolfpack sweep, and diving wins went to Bayne Bennett (1-meter, 336.38) and Renato Calderaro (350.70).

The only win for the Duke men came courtesy of Cole Reznick in the 200 breaststroke (2:02.31).

Full Results

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

Welcome to our community. We invite you to join our discussion. Our community guidelines are simple: be respectful and constructive, keep on topic, and support your fellow commenters. Commenting signifies that you agree to our Terms of Use

0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x