2017 Women’s ACC Championships: NC State, Virginia Pick Up Day One Relay Wins

Photo Courtesy: David Rieder

The first day of the women’s ACC championships (plus men’s diving) at the Georgia Tech Aquatic Center featured impressive relay wins from North Carolina State in the 200 medley and from Virginia in the 800 free. Meanwhile, Louisville sophomore Mallory Comerford impressed with a quick split on the Cardinals’ third-place 800 free relay. Read more about the events below.

200 Medley Relay

Going for the program’s first ACC title in women’s swimming and diving since 1982, the NC State Wolfpack opened up the meet with a win in the 200 medley relay. The foursome of Elise Haan (23.73), Kayla Brumbaum (26.63), Natalie Labonge (23.17) and Ky-Lee Perry (21.36) combined to post a time of 1:34.89, which ranks second in the country this season behind Arizona (1:34.63).

Louisville finished a comfortable second place in 1:35.69. Andrea Cottrell split 26.42 on the breaststroke leg, the fastest time in the field, and she was joined by backstroker Alina Kendzior, butterflyer Nastja Govejek and freestyler Casey Fanz.

Virginia originally finished third in 1:36.31, but the Cavaliers were disqualified for an illegal exchange. Moving into that position was North Carolina’s Caroline Baldwin, Catherine Munch, Hellen Moffitt and Sarah Hitchens, who finished in 1:36.39 with Baldwin (23.88) and Moffitt (22.29) each contributing key legs.

Florida State finished fourth in 1:36.41, buoyed by Natalie Pierce’s 26.42 breaststroke leg, followed by Notre Dame (1:36.93), Duke (1:37.19), Virginia Tech (1:38.02) and Georgia Tech (1:38.50).

Men’s 1-Meter Diving

Notre Dame’s Joe Coumos edged out Miami’s Briadam Herrera for the win in the meet’s first diving event. Coumos scored 420.00 points, to Hererra’s 418.65. North Carolina’s Jack Nyquist claimed third place with 385.35 points.

Pitt senior Dominic Giordano, the reigning NCAA champion in the 3-meter event, settled for fourth at 376.60, and Duke’s Nathaniel Hernandez (321.90), Louisville’s Daniel Fecteau (319.35), Virginia Tech’s Benjamin Schiesl (319.30) and Pitt’s Joe Ference (304.05) rounded out the top eight.

800 Free Relay

Virginia bounced back from the DQ in the 200 medley relay to finish first in the 800 free relay to close out the swimming competition for night one. Leah Smith (1:43.60), Jen Marrkand (1:44.08), Morgan Hill (1:45.57) and Kaitlyn Jones (1:42.96) posted a time of 6:56.21 to beat rival NC State by more than three seconds. The time ranks second in the country so far this season.

The Wolfpack did get under 7:00 to finish second with Rachel Muller, Alexia Zevnik, Courtney Caldwell and Hannah Moore combining to swim a time of 6:59.73, and Louisville finished third in 7:01.62. Only one of Louisville’s swimmers posted a sub-1:46 split, but that was Mallory Comerford, who posted a time of 1:41.12. Rachael Bradford-Feldman, Sophie Cattermole and Abbie Houck joined Comerford on that third-place squad.

Virginia Tech finished fourth in 7:04.63 after Jessica Hespeler led off in 1:44.07. Abbie Dolan led off Notre Dame’s relay in 1:44.65, and the Irish ended up fifth in 7:06.88. North Carolina (7:06.97), Georgia Tech (7:08.87) and Duke (7:08.99) also finished in the top eight.

Women’s 3-Meter Diving

Virginia Tech got its first win of the meet in Monday’s final event as sophomore Ashlynn Peters won the 3-meter diving event with 365.95 points. Meanwhile, Miami’s Marcela Maric edged out North Carolina’s Elissa Dawson for second, 353.60 to 349.30.

Florida State’s Molly Carlson (335.10) and Miami’s Wally Layland (314.70) finished fourth and fifth, respectively. North Carolina’s Maria Lohman (294.10), UVA’s Kylie Towbin (280.80) and Louisville’s Molly Fears (252.10) also made the championship final.

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Korina Sanders McGill

7 years ago

Go Wolfpack!!!!