2020 ACC Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships Day 3 Prelims: Virginia Gains 4 Top Seeds

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Alexis Wenger Photo Courtesy: Paul Mohan / SPORTSFILE

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In the team battle at the ACC Championships, Virginia might have just struck the decisive blow Friday morning in prelims, right out of the gate.

Led by Kate Douglass, Virginia owns the top three seeds in Friday evening’s 100 butterfly finals and four of the top six in an event were second-place NC State failed to get any swimmers in the finals, a potentially massive point swing. UVA has the top seed in four events Friday night.

UVA entered the day with 524.5 points, ahead of NC State (497) in what appears to be a two-horse race. Louisville is way back in third (404).

The full prelims recaps:

ACC Championships, Greensboro Aquatic Center

Ups, downs, mids (Teams in order of scoring after Thursday night)
Virginia 12, 5, 2
NC State 7, 8, 1
Louisville 7, 6, 4
Notre Dame 4, 1, 6
North Carolina 6, 3, 5
Florida State 0, 5, 5
Duke 3, 5, 3
Georgia Tech 0, 2, 4
Virginia Tech 1, 2, 6
Miami 0, 1, 0
Pittsburgh 0, 2, 4
Boston College 0, 0, 0

100 butterfly

Douglass led the UVA rampage in an A cut of 50.90. She could make a run at the meet record set in 2016 by Louisville’s Kelsi Worrell (50.06) in the evening prelims. The second seed is defending champion Morgan Hill with freshman Alexa Cuomo third thanks to a massive drop from 53.42 to 51.51. Jessica Nava also crept up into sixth by dropping more than a second from her seed time to 52.04. NC State couldn’t fashion an answer, with its best finisher, veteran Sirena Rowe, in 28th place.

Event 9  Women 100 Yard Butterfly
==================================================================
         Meet: ! 50.06  2/19/2016 Kelsi Worrell, Louisville-KY
          ACC: % 49.43  3/18/2017 Kelsi Worrell, LVLE-KY
     American: * 49.43  3/18/2017 Kelsi Worrell
         NCAA: $ 49.26  12/6/2019 Maggie McNeil, Michigan
    U.S. Open: # 49.26  3/18/2019 Louise Hansson
  Pool Record: & 49.81  3/20/2015 Kelsi Worrell, UOFL-KY
                 50.92  A
                 52.34  IV19 Invited to 2019 NCAA
                 53.76  B
    Name           Year School               Seed    Prelims              
==================================================================
                      === Preliminaries ===                       
 
  1 Douglass, Kathe  FR UVA                 50.30      50.90 qA     
                 23.77        50.90 (27.13)
  2 Hill, Morgan     SR UVA                 51.81      51.45 qIV19  
                 24.01        51.45 (27.44)
  3 Cuomo, Alexa     FR UVA                 53.42      51.51 qIV19  
                 23.48        51.51 (28.03)
  4 Oglesby, Grace   SR Louisville          51.62      51.59 qIV19  
                 24.25        51.59 (27.34)
  5 Marsh, Alyssa    SR Duke                51.05      51.60 qIV19  
                 23.37        51.60 (28.23)
  6 Nava, Jessica    SO UVA                 53.12      52.04 qIV19  
                 24.23        52.04 (27.81)
  7 Vereb, Joelle    JR VT                  52.32      52.23 qIV19  
                 24.17        52.23 (28.06)
  8 Gillilan, Colee  FR ND                  52.13      52.40 qB     
                 24.25        52.40 (28.15)

400 individual medley

It’s another 1-2 for UVA in what was the signature event of NC State’s ACC Championship win last year, with the Wolfpack sweeping the top four spots. They aren’t out of the picture this year with three A finalists. But they’ll be chasing two Cavaliers, with Margaret Nelson garnering the top spot in 4:06.62 and Abigail Richter second (4:07.90). NC State’s Kathleen Moore (4:08.13) and Makayla Sargent (4:08.47) are third and fourth, their chase bookending the UVA swimmers in the middle of the pool Friday night.

Event 10  Women 400 Yard IM
==================================================================
         Meet: ! 4:04.21  2/20/2015 Tanja Kylliainen, LVLE-KY
          ACC: % 4:03.51  3/20/2015 Tanja Kylliainen, LVLE-KY
     American: * 3:54.60  3/16/2018 Ella Eastin, Stanford
         NCAA: $ 3:54.60  3/18/2018 Ella Eastin, Stanford
    U.S. Open: # 3:54.60  3/16/2018 Ella Eastin, Stanford-PC
  Pool Record: & 4:02.47  3/20/2015 Sarah Henry, TA&M-GU
                 4:03.62  A
                 4:10.00  IV19 Invited to 2019 NCAA
                 4:17.30  B
    Name           Year School               Seed    Prelims              
==================================================================
                      === Preliminaries ===                       
 
  1 Nelson, Margare  FR UVA               4:12.47    4:06.62 qIV19  
                 26.62        56.72 (30.10)
        1:28.50 (31.78)     1:59.75 (31.25)
        2:33.95 (34.20)     3:08.23 (34.28)
        3:37.66 (29.43)     4:06.62 (28.96)
  2 Richter, Abigai  JR UVA               4:10.88    4:07.90 qIV19  
                 25.92        55.18 (29.26)
        1:26.25 (31.07)     1:56.67 (30.42)
        2:33.38 (36.71)     3:09.80 (36.42)
        3:39.15 (29.35)     4:07.90 (28.75)
  3 Moore, Kathleen  JR NC State          4:08.09    4:08.13 qIV19  
                 26.61        56.55 (29.94)
        1:27.59 (31.04)     1:57.55 (29.96)
        2:33.69 (36.14)     3:09.84 (36.15)
        3:39.54 (29.70)     4:08.13 (28.59)
  4 Sargent, Makayl  SR NC State          4:08.57    4:08.47 qIV19  
                 26.85        56.87 (30.02)
        1:28.03 (31.16)     1:58.81 (30.78)
        2:34.20 (35.39)     3:10.17 (35.97)
        3:39.65 (29.48)     4:08.47 (28.82)
  5 Hay, Abigail     FR Louisville        4:15.25    4:09.58 qIV19  
                 26.87        56.89 (30.02)
        1:28.33 (31.44)                    
            2:34.97 ( )     3:10.60 (35.63)
        3:40.69 (30.09)     4:09.58 (28.89)
  6 Muzzy, Emma      SO NC State          4:07.71    4:11.54 qB     
                 26.14        56.71 (30.57)
        1:27.74 (31.03)     1:58.36 (30.62)
        2:35.11 (36.75)     3:12.52 (37.41)
        3:42.80 (30.28)     4:11.54 (28.74)
  7 Thomas, Luciana  SO ND                4:11.89    4:12.93 qB     
                 26.80        56.53 (29.73)
        1:29.90 (33.37)     2:01.60 (31.70)
        2:38.54 (36.94)     3:15.33 (36.79)
        3:44.81 (29.48)     4:12.93 (28.12)
  8 Dean, Constance  JR Duke              4:11.97    4:13.41 qB     
                 27.87        59.75 (31.88)
        1:33.23 (33.48)     2:05.30 (32.07)
        2:40.01 (34.71)     3:14.98 (34.97)
        3:44.82 (29.84)     4:13.41 (28.59)

200 freestyle

NC State chose Julia Poole, seeded third in both the 200 free and 400 IM, to attack the former event, but she couldn’t make the A final, mired in ninth. That leaves the Wolfpack without an A finalist to contend with UVA’s three, led by top seed Megan Moroney. Third is Paige Madden with Kyla Valls sixth. But the top four seeds, including No. 2 Arina Openysheva of Louisville and No. 4 Abigail Dolan of Notre Dame, are clustered within .29 seconds, which should set up a scintillating final.

 Event 11  Women 200 Yard Freestyle
==================================================================
         Meet: ! 1:41.60  2/22/2019 Mallory Comerford, Louisville-KY
          ACC: % 1:39.80  3/18/2018 Mallory Comerford, Louisville-KY
     American: * 1:39.10  3/20/2015 Missy Franklin, California
         NCAA: $ 1:39.10  3/20/2015 Missy Franklin, California
    U.S. Open: # 1:39.10  3/20/2015 Missy Franklin, California
  Pool Record: & 1:39.10  3/20/2015 Missy Franklin, CAL-PC
                 1:42.98  A
                 1:45.12  IV19 Invited to 2019 NCAA
                 1:47.12  B
    Name           Year School               Seed    Prelims              
==================================================================
                      === Preliminaries ===                       
 
  1 Moroney, Megan   SR UVA               1:46.74    1:44.87 qIV19  
                 25.07        51.68 (26.61)
        1:18.45 (26.77)     1:44.87 (26.42)
  2 Openysheva, Ari  JR Louisville        1:45.31    1:44.93 qIV19  
                 24.57        51.06 (26.49)
        1:18.06 (27.00)     1:44.93 (26.87)
  3 Madden, Paige    JR UVA               1:43.52    1:45.14 qB     
                 24.88        51.40 (26.52)
        1:18.01 (26.61)     1:45.14 (27.13)
  4 Dolan, Abigail   SR ND                1:45.21    1:45.16 qB     
                 24.29        50.61 (26.32)
        1:17.65 (27.04)     1:45.16 (27.51)
  5 Cole, Emma       JR UNC               1:45.31    1:45.94 qB     
                 24.64        51.28 (26.64)
        1:18.79 (27.51)     1:45.94 (27.15)
  6 Valls, Kyla      JR UVA               1:47.19    1:46.02 qB     
                 24.40        51.28 (26.88)
        1:18.86 (27.58)     1:46.02 (27.16)
  7 Pish, Melissa    SO Duke              1:45.73    1:46.08 qB     
                 24.43        50.86 (26.43)
        1:18.29 (27.43)     1:46.08 (27.79)
  8 Kraus, Alena     SO Louisville        1:48.40    1:46.17 qB     
                 24.67        51.50 (26.83)
        1:18.86 (27.36)     1:46.17 (27.31)

100 breaststroke

Stop me if you’ve heard this before: The ACC Championships field is chasing a Cavalier. This time, it’s Alexis Wenger, who went 58.17 in winning prelims. Last year, she was second to NC State’s Sophie Hansson in the final, and Hansson is looming as the second seed in finals at 58.35. Both times are A cuts. Wenger is the only Cavalier in the finals, while NC State has the second and third seeds, Olivia Calegan taking the latter.

Event 12  Women 100 Yard Breaststroke
==================================================================
         Meet: ! 58.26  2/19/2016 Andee Cottrell, Louisville-KY
          ACC: % 57.74  2/22/2019 Sophie Hansson, NC State-NC
     American: * 55.73  3/16/2019 Lilly King, Indiana
         NCAA: $ 55.73  3/16/2019 Lilly King, Indiana
    U.S. Open: # 55.73  3/16/2018 Lilly King, Indiana-IN
  Pool Record: & 57.74  2/22/2019 Sophie Hansson, NCSU-NC
                 58.60  A
                 59.93  IV19 Invited to 2019 NCAA
               1:01.84  B
    Name           Year School               Seed    Prelims              
==================================================================
                      === Preliminaries ===                       
 
  1 Wenger, Alexis   SO UVA                 59.41      58.17!qA     
                 27.34        58.17 (30.83)
  2 Hansson, Sophie  SO NC State            58.90      58.35 qA     
                 27.35        58.35 (31.00)
  3 Calegan, Olivia  JR NC State          1:00.20      59.05 qIV19  
                 27.66        59.05 (31.39)
  4 Friesen, Morgan  JR Louisville        1:00.40      59.75 qIV19  
                 28.08        59.75 (31.67)
  5 Higgs, Lillian   SO UNC               1:00.06      59.92 qIV19  
                 28.24        59.92 (31.68)
  6 Wheeler, Kaylee  SO Louisville        1:00.64      59.94 qB     
                 28.04        59.94 (31.90)
  7 Astashkina, Mar  JR Louisville        1:00.26    1:00.04 qB     
                 28.28      1:00.04 (31.76)
  8 Hauder, Carolin  JR UNC                 59.29    1:00.16 qB     
                 28.27      1:00.16 (31.89)

100 backstroke

Finally a Wolfpack swimmer on the top line. Katharine Berkoff gets the nod, clear of the field by nearly a second in 51.21. Caroline Gmelich of UVA is the second seed, while UVA’s Moroney and NC State’s Kylee Alons are tied for the fourth seed. UNC’s Grace Countie spoils the team-title battle by being third.

Event 13  Women 100 Yard Backstroke
==================================================================
         Meet: ! 50.74  2/19/2016 Courtney Bartholomew, UVA-VA
          ACC: % 50.01  12/5/2014 Courtney Bartholomew, UVA
     American: * 49.18  3/22/2019 Beata Nelson, WISC
         NCAA: $ 49.18  2/23/2019 Beata Nelson, WISC
    U.S. Open: # 49.18  3/22/2019 Beata Nelson, WISC
  Pool Record: & 50.03  3/20/2015 Rachel Bootsma, CAL-PC
                 50.93  A
                 52.46  IV19 Invited to 2019 NCAA
                 53.94  B
    Name           Year School               Seed    Prelims              
==================================================================
                      === Preliminaries ===                       
 
  1 Berkoff, Kathar  FR NC State            51.85      51.21 qIV19  
                 24.62        51.21 (26.59)
  2 Gmelich, Caroli  JR UVA                 51.88      52.20 qIV19  
                 25.49        52.20 (26.71)
  3 Countie, Grace   SO UNC                 51.59      52.23 qIV19  
                 24.68        52.23 (27.55)
  4 Alons, Kylee     SO NC State            52.67      52.33 qIV19  
                 25.22        52.33 (27.11)
  4 Moroney, Megan   SR UVA                 52.77      52.33 qIV19  
                 25.55        52.33 (26.78)
  6 Lindner, Sophie  SO UNC                 52.99      52.41 qIV19  
                 25.37        52.41 (27.04)
  7 Quast, Carly     JR ND                  52.82      52.55 qB     
                 24.83        52.55 (27.72)
  8 Shuppert, Emma   FR Duke                52.80      52.56 qB     
                 24.93        52.56 (27.63)
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