2022 ACC Championships: Alex Walsh, Kate Douglass Seeking Third Individual Wins on Final Night

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Virginia's Alex Walsh -- Photo Courtesy: Kyle Hess/theACC.com

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2022 ACC Championships: Alex Walsh, Kate Douglass Seeking Third Individual Wins on Final Night

The University of Virginia women have delivered one of the most magnificent conference championships performances in recent memory at the ACC meet in Atlanta as they have set American and NCAA records in the 200 free relay, 200 medley relay and 400 medley relay, the last of which was by more than two seconds during Friday’s finals.

However, the Cavaliers sit only 35.5 points ahead of top rival NC State going into the final night as the Wolfpack have used remarkable depth to make this a tight contest. The final morning of prelims action set up a tight contest for Saturday night’s finals, although Virginia may have the slight edge.

On the men’s side, NC State should reclaim the conference title after Louisville edged the Wolfpack last season. NC State sits 193 points going into the final night, likely out of the range for the Cardinals to make up the deficit.

2022 ACC Championships Links

Women’s Team Standings

  1. Virginia, University of        1028.5   2. North Carolina State Universit    993
  3. Louisville, University of       787.5   4. North Carolina, University of,    553
  5. Duke University                   534   6. VA Tech                           460
  7. Notre Dame, University of         459   8. Florida State University          401
  9. University of Miami (Florida)     336  10. Georgia Institute of Technolog    274
 11. Pittsburgh, University of         210  12. Boston College                    135

Men’s Team Standings

  1. North Carolina State Universit 1128.5   2. Louisville, University of       935.5
  3. VA Tech                           790   4. Virginia, University of           715
  5. Georgia Institute of Technolog  592.5   6. Florida State University          504
  7. North Carolina, University of,    432   8. Pittsburgh, University of         361
  9. Notre Dame, University of         326  10. Duke University                   275
 11. Boston College                  150.5  12. University of Miami (Florida)     116

Women’s 200 Backstroke

Virginia freshman Reilly Tiltmann will be aiming for her first individual ACC title in the 200 back final as she qualified first in prelims at 1:51.02. Tiltmann clipped her season-best time of 1:51.04, and she continues to rank fifth in the event nationally. Titlmann was previously fourth in the 200 free and third in the 100 back, and she led off Virginia’s winning 800 free relay Tuesday evening.

Right behind Tiltmann in qualifying was Virginia Tech’s Emma Atkinson, who swam a 1:51.24, while third went to NC State’s Emma Muzzy, last year’s winner, in 1:51.70.

Event 34  Women 200 Yard Backstroke
==================================================================
         MEET: # 1:49.61  2/16/2017 Alexia Zevnik, NCSU-NC
         CONF: % 1:49.09  3/18/2017 Alexia Zevnik, NCSU-NC
         AMER: $ 1:47.16  3/10/2019 Regan Smith, Riptide
         USOP: & 1:47.16  3/10/2019 Regan Smith, Riptide
         NCAA: ! 1:47.24  3/23/2019 Beata Nelson, Wisconsin
         Pool: ^ 1:49.61  3/19/2016 Alexia Zevnik, NC St
                 1:50.50  A
                 1:55.05  IV21 Invited NCAA 2021
                 1:57.11  B
    Name           Year School               Seed    Prelims              
==================================================================
                      === Preliminaries ===                       
 
  1 Tiltmann, Reill  FR UVA               1:51.04    1:51.02 qIV21  
    r:+0.60  26.12        53.95 (27.83)
        1:22.41 (28.46)     1:51.02 (28.61)
  2 Atkinson, Emma   SO VT                1:51.84    1:51.24 qIV21  
    r:+0.63  26.54        54.07 (27.53)
        1:22.39 (28.32)     1:51.24 (28.85)
  3 Muzzy, Emma E    SR NCSU              1:52.54    1:51.70 qIV21  
    r:+0.71  26.08        54.23 (28.15)
        1:23.11 (28.88)     1:51.70 (28.59)
  4 Moore, Kathleen  5Y NCSU              1:53.24    1:52.68 qIV21  
    r:+0.63  26.60        54.82 (28.22)
        1:23.47 (28.65)     1:52.68 (29.21)
  5 Ulett, Ryenne D  FR Louisville        1:53.22    1:52.89 qIV21  
    r:+0.71  27.09        55.39 (28.30)
        1:24.12 (28.73)     1:52.89 (28.77)
  6 Lindner, Sophie  SR UNC               1:53.84    1:53.11 qIV21  
    r:+0.64  26.42        54.09 (27.67)
        1:23.22 (29.13)     1:53.11 (29.89)
  7 Bathurst, Ella   FR UVA               1:54.08    1:53.64 qIV21  
    r:+0.70  26.81        55.29 (28.48)
        1:24.14 (28.85)     1:53.64 (29.50)
  8 Hetrick, Paige   SO Louisville        1:53.58    1:54.04 qIV21  
    r:+0.69  26.69        55.89 (29.20)
        1:25.01 (29.12)     1:54.04 (29.03)

Men’s 200 Backstroke

Louisville’s Nick Albiero typically does not race the 200 back at the NCAA Championships as it falls right before his signature event, the 200 fly, in the schedule, but after swimming the second-fastest time ever in Friday’s 200 fly at the ACC meet, he took advantage of an otherwise-free day to swim the 200 back. He qualified first in 1:39.63, making him the third swimmer this season to break 1:40 following Cal’s Destin Lasco and Texas’ Carson Foster.

Second place in prelims went to Virginia’s Sam Tornqvist in 1:40.03, and NC State’s Hunter Tapp took third in 1:40.14. Those swimmers improved to fourth and sixth, respectively, in the country, while Virginia freshman Jack Aikins entered the national top-10 with his fourth-place time of 1:40.44.

Event 35  Men 200 Yard Backstroke
==================================================================
         MEET: # 1:37.71  2/29/2020 Coleman Stewart, NC State-NC
         CONF: % 1:37.71  2/29/2020 Coleman Stewart, NC State-NC
         AMER: $ 1:35.73  3/26/2016 Ryan Murphy, California
         USOP: & 1:35.73  3/26/2016 Ryan Murphy, California
         NCAA: ! 1:35.73  3/26/2016 Ryan Murphy, California
         Pool: ^ 1:35.73  3/26/2016 Ryan Murphy, California-PC
                 1:39.13  A
                 1:41.81  IV21 Invited NCAA 2021
                 1:45.04  B
    Name           Year School               Seed    Prelims              
==================================================================
                      === Preliminaries ===                       
 
  1 Albiero, Nicola  5Y Louisville        1:42.19    1:39.63 qIV21  
    r:+0.62  23.34        48.32 (24.98)
        1:13.84 (25.52)     1:39.63 (25.79)
  2 Tornqvist, Samu  5Y VT                1:40.66    1:40.03 qIV21  
    r:+0.67  23.43        48.59 (25.16)
        1:14.46 (25.87)     1:40.03 (25.57)
  3 Tapp, Hunter A   JR NCSU              1:41.49    1:40.14 qIV21  
    r:+0.69  23.67        49.02 (25.35)
        1:14.70 (25.68)     1:40.14 (25.44)
  4 Aikins, Jack H   FR UVA               1:44.22    1:40.44 qIV21  
    r:+0.65  23.39        48.01 (24.62)
        1:13.60 (25.59)     1:40.44 (26.84)
  5 Stokowski, Kacp  JR NCSU              1:40.71    1:41.17 qIV21  
    r:+0.60  23.16        48.58 (25.42)
        1:14.61 (26.03)     1:41.17 (26.56)
  6 Pavlidi, Arijus  FR FSU               1:43.29    1:41.23 qIV21  
    r:+0.66  23.84        49.53 (25.69)
        1:15.34 (25.81)     1:41.23 (25.89)
  7 Saka, Berke      FR GT                1:40.89    1:41.36 qIV21  
    r:+0.63  23.63        49.32 (25.69)
        1:15.34 (26.02)     1:41.36 (26.02)
  8 Grender, Justin  SR UVA               1:41.67    1:41.43 qIV21  
    r:+0.69  23.79        49.38 (25.59)
        1:15.28 (25.90)     1:41.43 (26.15)

Women’s 100 Freestyle

Virginia junior Kate Douglass has performed brilliantly at this conference meet, and she will complete her individual program with the 100 free. Douglass, last year’s NCAA runnerup in the event, qualified first in 47.01, just ahead of teammate Gretchen Walsh in 47.07. Those are the two fastest times in the country this season.

Douglass and Walsh have both been part of all three record-setting relays for UVA this week, while Douglass swam the second-fastest time ever in the 50 free before winning the 100 fly. Walsh, meanwhile, placed second to Douglass in the 50 free, moving to fourth all-time in the process, and she took second in the 100 back before becoming the sixth-fastest performer ever in that event while leading off the Cavaliers’ 400 medley relay.

Third place in prelims went to NC State’s Katharine Berkoff, the 100 back winner Friday night, in 47.19, and Berkoff moved to No. 4 nationally in the event. Louisville’s Gabi Albiero (47.67) and North Carolina’s Grace Countie (47.95) were also sub-48 in prelims.

Event 36  Women 100 Yard Freestyle
==================================================================
         MEET: # 46.57  2/23/2019 Mallory Comerford, Louisville-KY
         CONF: % 46.20  3/17/2018 Mallory Comerford, Louisville-KY
         AMER: $ 45.56  3/18/2017 Simone Manuel, Stanford
         USOP: & 45.56  3/18/2017 Simone Manuel, Stanford
         NCAA: ! 45.56  3/18/2017 Simone Manuel, Stanford
         Pool: ^ 46.70  3/19/2016 Olivia Smoliga, Georgia-GA
                 47.18  A
                 48.76  IV21 Invited NCAA 2021
                 49.51  B
    Name           Year School               Seed    Prelims              
==================================================================
                      === Preliminaries ===                       
 
  1 Douglass, Kathe  JR UVA                 47.46      47.01 qA     
    r:+0.66  22.45        47.01 (24.56)
  2 Walsh, Gretchen  FR UVA                 48.00      47.07 qA     
    r:+0.74  22.47        47.07 (24.60)
  3 Berkoff, Kathar  JR NCSU                48.00      47.19 qIV21  
    r:+0.67  22.66        47.19 (24.53)
  4 Albiero, Gabrie  SO Louisville          48.14      47.67 qIV21  
    r:+0.65  22.90        47.67 (24.77)
  5 Countie, Grace   SR UNC                 48.41      47.95 qIV21  
    r:+0.72  23.04        47.95 (24.91)
  6 Openysheva, Ari  SR Louisville          48.53      48.26 qIV21  
    r:+0.67  23.17        48.26 (25.09)
  7 Regenauer, Chri  JR Louisville          48.92      48.44 qIV21  
    r:+0.69  23.44        48.44 (25.00)
  8 Crush, Annabel   FR NCSU                50.72      48.68 qIV21  
    r:+0.75  23.48        48.68 (25.20)

Men’s 100 Freestyle

Virginia Tech’s Youssef Ramadan became the fourth-fastest performer in history in the men’s 100 fly with his win in that event Thursday night, and he will be in pole position to add a second title in the 100 free. Ramadan swam a 41.83 in prelims to edge out NC State’s Nyls Korstanje for the top seed. Ramadan checked in at No. 4 in the nation for this season.

Korstanje finished in 41.99, and Virginia’s Matt King took third in 47.01. UVA’s Matt Brownstead was fourth in 42.45, while NC State’s Luke Miller, the 200 free winner, qualified fifth in 42.55.

Event 37  Men 100 Yard Freestyle
==================================================================
         MEET: # 41.41  2/24/2018 Ryan Held, NC State-NC
         CONF: % 41.05  2/24/2018 Ryan Held, NC State-NC
         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: ^ 40.46  3/26/2016 Caeleb Dressel, Florida-FL
                 41.71  A
                 42.88  IV21 Invited NCAA 2021
                 43.80  B
    Name           Year School               Seed    Prelims              
==================================================================
                      === Preliminaries ===                       
 
  1 Ramadan, Yousse  SO VT                  41.98      41.83 qIV21  
    r:+0.59  19.88        41.83 (21.95)
  2 Korstanje, Nyls  JR NCSU                42.62      41.99 qIV21  
    r:+0.63  19.91        41.99 (22.08)
  3 King, Matthew C  SO UVA                 42.54      42.01 qIV21  
    r:+0.64  20.06        42.01 (21.95)
  4 Brownstead, Mat  SO UVA                 42.47      42.45 qIV21  
    r:+0.63  20.35        42.45 (22.10)
  5 Miller, Lukas D  SO NCSU                42.48      42.55 qIV21  
    r:+0.62  20.42        42.55 (22.13)
  6 Sartori, Murilo  FR Louisville          43.62      42.56 qIV21  
    r:+0.66  20.38        42.56 (22.18)
  7 Boyle, Connor I  FR UVA                 43.11      42.59 qIV21  
    r:+0.64  19.99        42.59 (22.60)
  7 Piszczorowicz,   JR NCSU                43.20      42.59 qIV21  
    r:+0.66  20.39        42.59 (22.20)

Women’s 200 Breaststroke

Virginia’s Alex Walsh finished fifth in the 200 breast at the NCAA Championships last season, but she had not competed in the race all year as the versatile sophomore pushed her way up the national rankings in other events. But in prelims, she swam a 2:05.11 to lead all qualifiers into the final, and she moved up to fourth in the national rankings. Walsh will be aiming to complete a sweep of her three individual events in the final as she previously won the 200 IM and 200 free.

On either side of Walsh in the final will be the top two finishers from last year’s NCAA Championships. Virginia’s Ella Nelson, the runnerup last year, qualified second in 2:06.51, and defending NCAA champion Sophie Hansson of NC State took third in 2:07.05. Virginia’s Alexis Wenger, who finished just four hundredths behind Hansson in an intense 100 breast final Friday night, placed fourth in 2:07.27. The final will include four total Virginia swimmers and three NC State swimmers, with only Duke’s Sarah Foley (seventh) breaking up the Cavaliers-Wolfpack dual meet.

Notably missing from the field was Virginia’s Kate Douglass, who became the second-fastest swimmer ever in the 200 breast behind Lilly King at the Cavalier Invitational two weeks earlier. Douglass picked the 100 free instead of the 200 breast for Saturday’s action, and it’s unclear which event she will choose for the NCAA Championships.

Event 38  Women 200 Yard Breaststroke
==================================================================
         MEET: # 2:04.34  2/22/2014 Emma Reaney, Notre Dame
         CONF: % 2:03.14  2/5/2022  Katherine Douglass, UVA-VA
         AMER: $ 2:02.60  3/20/2018 LIlly King, Indiana
         USOP: & 2:02.60  3/20/2018 Lilly King, Indiana
         NCAA: ! 2:02.60  3/20/2018 Lilly King, Indiana
         Pool: ^ 2:03.59  3/19/2016 Lilly King, Indiana-IN
                 2:06.58  A
                 2:10.37  IV21 Invited NCAA 2021
                 2:13.97  B
    Name           Year School               Seed    Prelims              
==================================================================
                      === Preliminaries ===                       
 
  1 Walsh, Alexandr  SO UVA                    NT    2:05.11 qA     
    r:+0.76  27.96        59.40 (31.44)
        1:31.88 (32.48)     2:05.11 (33.23)
  2 Nelson, Ella E   JR UVA               2:05.65    2:06.51 qA     
    r:+0.68  29.24      1:01.07 (31.83)
        1:33.45 (32.38)     2:06.51 (33.06)
  3 Hansson, Sophie  SR NCSU              2:05.10    2:07.05 qIV21  
    r:+0.74  28.35      1:00.49 (32.14)
        1:33.41 (32.92)     2:07.05 (33.64)
  4 Wenger, Alexis   SR UVA               2:08.91    2:07.27 qIV21  
    r:+0.62  28.70      1:00.50 (31.80)
        1:33.46 (32.96)     2:07.27 (33.81)
  5 Podmanikova, An  SR NCSU              2:09.02    2:08.16 qIV21  
    r:+0.72  28.22      1:00.77 (32.55)
        1:33.61 (32.84)     2:08.16 (34.55)
  6 Keating, Anna E  SO UVA               2:09.28    2:08.65 qIV21  
    r:+0.72  29.50      1:02.17 (32.67)
        1:35.14 (32.97)     2:08.65 (33.51)
  7 Foley, Sarah E   SO Duke              2:08.30    2:09.05 qIV21  
    r:+0.65  29.19      1:01.86 (32.67)
        1:35.17 (33.31)     2:09.05 (33.88)
  8 Maccausland, He  JR NCSU              2:09.29    2:09.20 qIV21  
    r:+0.69  29.28      1:01.99 (32.71)
        1:35.48 (33.49)     2:09.20 (33.72)

Men’s 200 Breaststroke

To wrap up prelims, Georgia Tech’s Caio Pumputis swam a time of 1:52.96 to qualify first in the 200 breaststroke. Pumputis owns the ACC record at 1:50.79, a mark he set at the 2019 NCAA Championships. Virginia Tech’s Carles Call Marti, the 200 IM winner, took second in 1:53.05, while third went to Louisville’s Denis Petrashov in 1:53.38.

Event 39  Men 200 Yard Breaststroke
==================================================================
         MEET: # 1:51.26  2/27/2021 Evgenii Somov, Louisville-KY
         CONF: % 1:50.79  3/25/2019 Caio Pumputis, GT-GA
         AMER: $ 1:47.91  3/25/2017 Will Licon, Texas
         USOP: & 1:47.91  3/25/2017 Will Licon, Texas
         NCAA: ! 1:47.91  3/25/2017 Will Licon, Texas
         Pool: ^ 1:48.12  3/26/2016 Will Licon, Texas-ST
                 1:52.28  A
                 1:54.28  IV21 Invited NCAA 2021
                 1:58.43  B
    Name           Year School               Seed    Prelims              
==================================================================
                      === Preliminaries ===                       
 
  1 Pumputis, Caio   5Y GT                1:52.89    1:52.96 qIV21  
    r:+0.66  25.83        54.57 (28.74)
        1:23.46 (28.89)     1:52.96 (29.50)
  2 Coll Marti, Car  SO VT                1:53.16    1:53.05 qIV21  
    r:+0.65  25.57        54.59 (29.02)
        1:23.49 (28.90)     1:53.05 (29.56)
  3 Petrashov, Deni  JR Louisville        1:55.62    1:53.38 qIV21  
    r:+0.74  25.80        55.02 (29.22)
        1:23.97 (28.95)     1:53.38 (29.41)
  4 Pouch, Ananias   JR VT                1:55.12    1:53.39 qIV21  
    r:+0.64  25.57        54.05 (28.48)
        1:23.27 (29.22)     1:53.39 (30.12)
  5 Bottelberghe, J  SR ND                1:52.44    1:53.69 qIV21  
    r:+0.69  25.78        54.25 (28.47)
        1:24.10 (29.85)     1:53.69 (29.59)
  6 Myburgh, Keith   SR VT                1:56.92    1:54.29 qB     
    r:+0.63  26.32        55.37 (29.05)
        1:24.84 (29.47)     1:54.29 (29.45)
  7 Kusto, Rafal     SR NCSU              1:55.05    1:54.40 qB     
    r:+0.61  25.27        53.79 (28.52)
        1:23.20 (29.41)     1:54.40 (31.20)
  8 Iida, Max S      FR UVA               1:55.02    1:54.60 qB     
    r:+0.62  25.90        54.83 (28.93)
        1:24.18 (29.35)     1:54.60 (30.42)
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