2022 ACC Championships: Katharine Berkoff (100 Back), Sophie Hansson (100 Breast) Move to Third All-Time as NC State Posts Huge Night

NC State's Katharine Berkoff -- Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

2022 ACC Championships: Katharine Berkoff (100 Back), Sophie Hansson (100 Breast) Move to Third All-Time as NC State Posts Huge Night

Entering Friday’s action at the ACC Championships, the Virginia Cavaliers had yet to lose a single women’s swimming event, but that streak came to an end Friday. Instead, NC State was the dominant women’s team on this day, narrowing the Virginia lead from more than 100 to just 35.5 points heading into the final day.

For NC State, Abby Arens won the 200 fly, and Katharine Berkoff posted the third-fastest performance in history in the women’s 100 backstroke. In the women’s 100 breaststroke, NC State’s Sophie Hansson touched out Virginia’s Alexis Wenger as the duo became the third and fourth women to ever break 57 in the event.

At the end of the session, Virginia posted an amazing performance in the 400 medley relay as Gretchen Walsh, Wenger, Alex Walsh and Kate Douglass crushed the American and NCAA records in the 400 medley by more than two seconds. This was the Cavaliers’ third relay record of the week after previously setting marks in the 200 free relay and 200 medley relay.

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

Women’s 200 Butterfly

For the first time all meet, the Virginia women did not finish first in a swimming event. Cavaliers senior Jessica Nava, who won the conference title in the event last season, led by six tenths with 50 yards to go, but NC State’s Abby Arens surged home with a 29.81 performance, and she touched the wall in 1:54.11. Nava finished four tenths back in 1:54.54, while Louisville’s Abby Hay took third in 1:54.77.

Virginia’s Alex Walsh swam one of the country’s top times earlier this season with a 1:51.83, but the versatile Walsh chose to skip the 200 fly at the conference meet to focus on other events. Walsh would be a top contender for the NCAA title in the event if she chooses to swim it at the national meet.

Event 23  Women 200 Yard Butterfly
=========================================================================
         MEET: # 1:52.81  2/23/2019 Grace Oglesby, Louisville-KY
         CONF: % 1:50.61  3/19/2016 Kelsi Worrell, LVLE-KY
         AMER: $ 1:49.51  2/24/2018 Ella Eastin, Stanford
         USOP: & 1:49.51  2/24/2018 Ella Eastin, Stanford
         NCAA: ! 1:49.51  2/24/2018 Ella Eastin, Stanford
         Pool: ^ 1:50.61  3/19/2016 Kelsi Worrell, Louisville-KY
                 1:53.20  A
                 1:57.42  IV21 Invited NCAA 2021
                 1:59.23  B
    Name           Year School            Prelims     Finals       Points 
=========================================================================
                            === A - Final ===                            
 
  1 Arens, Abigail   SO NCSU              1:55.23    1:54.11 IV21    32  
    r:+0.70  25.27        54.19 (28.92)
        1:24.30 (30.11)     1:54.11 (29.81)
  2 Nava, Jessica L  SR UVA               1:55.44    1:54.54 IV21    28  
    r:+0.68  25.01        53.87 (28.86)
        1:23.62 (29.75)     1:54.54 (30.92)
  3 Hay, Abigail E   JR Louisville        1:54.43    1:54.77 IV21    27  
    r:+0.70  25.39        54.48 (29.09)
        1:24.31 (29.83)     1:54.77 (30.46)
  4 Ulett, Tristen   SO Louisville        1:55.32    1:55.14 IV21    26  
    r:+0.76  25.68        54.86 (29.18)
        1:25.02 (30.16)     1:55.14 (30.12)
  5 Harter, Abigail  SO UVA               1:55.75    1:55.43 IV21    25  
    r:+0.75  25.90        55.13 (29.23)
        1:24.69 (29.56)     1:55.43 (30.74)
  6 Sheble, Grace E  FR NCSU              1:55.92    1:55.50 IV21    24  
    r:+0.70  25.96        55.50 (29.54)
        1:25.42 (29.92)     1:55.50 (30.08)
  7 Jernstedt, Edit  FR FSU               1:56.42    1:55.80 IV21    23  
    r:+0.74  25.63        55.11 (29.48)
        1:25.03 (29.92)     1:55.80 (30.77)
  8 Gillilan, Colee  JR ND                1:55.02    1:55.85 IV21    22  
    r:+0.57  25.42        54.69 (29.27)
        1:24.86 (30.17)     1:55.85 (30.99)

Women’s 100 Backstroke

Virginia freshman Gretchen Walsh appeared to pose a threat to NC State’s Katharine Berkoff in the women’s 100 back, but Berkoff dominated this one. She was out in 23.88 and back in 25.53, and she finishes in 49.41. That finished just off Regan Smith’s American and U.S. Open records of 49.16 and Beata Nelson’s NCAA record of 49.18, but Berkoff’s time was the third-fastest performance in history. Berkoff beat her own ACC record (and lifetime best) of 49.74 by three tenths, and she was almost a second ahead of her former meet record.

Berkoff, last year’s NCAA winner in the 100 back, swam more than a half-second faster than any other swimmer so far this season. Smith, now a Stanford freshman, is the only other swimmer to break 50 in the 100 back, and she swam a 49.97 in a head-to-head win over Berkoff at midseason. Of note, 2021 NCAA runnerup Rhyan White of Alabama swam a 50.18 earlier in the evening at the SEC Championships.

Meanwhile, Walsh swam a very impressive time of 50.13 to claim second, and that moved her to third in the country behind Berkoff and Smith. Another Virginia freshman, Reilly Tiltmann, swam a 50.42 for third place, good for sixth in the national rankings.

Event 25  Women 100 Yard Backstroke
=========================================================================
         MEET: # 50.45  2/19/2021 Katharine Berkoff, NC State-NC
         CONF: % 49.74  3/19/2021 Katharine Berkoff, NC State-NC
         AMER: $ 49.16  3/14/2021 Regan Smith, Riptide
         USOP: & 49.16  3/14/2021 Regan Smith, Riptide
         NCAA: ! 49.18  3/22/2019 Beata Nelson, Wisconsin
         Pool: ^ 50.28  3/18/2016 Rachel Bootsma, California-PC
                 50.93  A
                 53.01  IV21 Invited NCAA 2021
                 53.94  B
    Name           Year School            Prelims     Finals       Points 
=========================================================================
                            === A - Final ===                            
 
  1 Berkoff, Kathar  JR NCSU                50.54      49.41%A       32  
    r:+0.53  23.88        49.41 (25.53)
  2 Walsh, Gretchen  FR UVA                 51.53      50.13^A       28  
    r:+0.73  24.05        50.13 (26.08)
  3 Tiltmann, Reill  FR UVA                 51.41      50.42#A       27  
    r:+0.68  24.42        50.42 (26.00)
  4 Alons, Kylee J   SR NCSU                51.83      51.16 IV21    26  
    r:+0.62  24.82        51.16 (26.34)
  5 Countie, Grace   SR UNC                 51.54      51.95 IV21    25  
    r:+0.70  24.88        51.95 (27.07)
  6 Lindner, Sophie  SR UNC                 52.36      51.97 IV21    24  
    r:+0.81  24.96        51.97 (27.01)
  7 Atkinson, Emma   SO VT                  52.36      52.28 IV21    23  
    r:+0.61  25.14        52.28 (27.14)
  8 Pattison, Greer  FR UNC                 52.05      52.29 IV21    22  
    r:+0.61  24.94        52.29 (27.35)

Women’s 100 Breaststroke

In an epic showdown between Virginia’s Alexis Wenger and NC State’s Sophie Hansson, Wenger used incredible turns and pullouts to take the lead, but Hansson clawed back on each 25. Still, it looked like Wenger was ahead with five yards to go, only for Hansson to get her hands on the wall four hundredths ahead. Hansson touched in 56.72, smashing the ACC record Wenger set in prelims by a half-second, while Wenger touched in 56.76.

The win gave Hansson her fourth consecutive ACC title in the 100 breast. The swimmers became the third and fourth women to ever swim under 57 in the event, and only Lilly King and Molly Hannis have ever been faster. This ACC duo will head to the NCAA Championships next month as prohibitive favorites in the 100 breast. Tennessee’s Mona McSharry, who ranks third in the country this season, swam a 57.50 earlier in the evening at the SEC Championships.

Finishing well back in third was another NC State senior, Andrea Podmanikova, in 57.90.

Event 27  Women 100 Yard Breaststroke
=========================================================================
         MEET: # 57.22  2/18/2022 Alexis K Wenger, UVA-VA
         CONF: % 57.22  2/18/2022 Alexis K Wenger, UVA-VA
         AMER: $ 55.73  3/22/2019 Lilly King, Indiana
         USOP: & 55.73  3/22/2019 Lilly King, Indiana
         NCAA: ! 55.73  3/22/2019 Lilly King, Indiana
         Pool: ^ 56.85  3/18/2016 Lilly King, Indiana-IN
                 58.46  A
               1:00.12  IV21 Invited NCAA 2021
               1:01.84  B
    Name           Year School            Prelims     Finals       Points 
=========================================================================
                            === A - Final ===                            
 
  1 Hansson, Sophie  SR NCSU                57.60      56.72^A       32  
    r:+0.73  26.68        56.72 (30.04)
  2 Wenger, Alexis   SR UVA                 57.22      56.76^A       28  
    r:+0.59  26.62        56.76 (30.14)
  3 Podmanikova, An  SR NCSU                58.98      57.90 A       27  
    r:+0.68  27.19        57.90 (30.71)
  4 Kucheran, Nina   SR FSU                 59.34      59.02 IV21    26  
    r:+0.63  27.87        59.02 (31.15)
  5 Maccausland, He  JR NCSU                59.15      59.47 IV21    25  
    r:+0.68  28.03        59.47 (31.44)
  6 Keating, Anna E  SO UVA                 59.89      59.60 IV21    24  
    r:+0.72  28.17        59.60 (31.43)
  7 Astashkina, Mar  SR Louisville          59.77      59.74 IV21    23  
    r:+0.69  28.26        59.74 (31.48)
  8 Farrington, Ade  SO Louisville        1:00.02      59.86 IV21    22  
    r:+0.74  28.16        59.86 (31.70)

Women’s 400 Medley Relay

For the third consecutive day, the Virginia women swam the fastest time in history in a relay, and this time, the Cavaliers annihilated the NCAA and U.S. Open records in the 400 medley relay by more than two seconds. They beat the American record by nearly three seconds. The team of Gretchen Walsh, Alexis Wenger, Alex Walsh and Kate Douglass, combined to swim a time of 3:22.34, compared to the previous NCAA and U.S. Open record of 3:24.59 set by NC State at last year’s NCAA Championships. The previous American record (3:25.09) had belonged to a Simone Manuel-led Stanford team since 2018.

Gretchen Walsh led off in 49.71, four tenths faster than her individual 100 back time from earlier in the evening, and she became the second-fastest swimmer in the nation this season and sixth-fastest in history with that effort. Walsh touched out NC State backstroker Katharine Berkoff by 0.04. Wenger followed with a 56.79 breaststroke split, just ahead of Sophie Hansson’s 56.96. Alex Walsh then split 49.59 on the butterfly leg, handing Douglass a lead of four tenths, and then Douglass pulled away with a massive 46.25 anchor leg.

Virginia won ended up winning by more than two seconds over NC State as the Wolfpack team of Berkoff, Hansson, Kylee Alons and Abbey Webb touched in 3:24.78. The Wolfpack swam the third-fastest 400 medley relay in history behind only Virginia’s time here and NC State’s previous record swim from last year’s NCAAs.

More than six seconds back in third place was the North Carolina team of Sophie Lindner, Lillian Higgs, Elizabeth Vannote and Grace Countie. The Tar Heels posted a time of 3:30.87.

Event 30  Women 400 Yard Medley Relay
==================================================================================
         MEET: # 3:26.25  2/19/2021 University of Virginia, UVA-V
                          A Walsh, A Wenger, A Cuomo, K Douglass
         CONF: % 3:24.59  3/18/2021 NC State Univ., NC State
                          K. Berkoff, S. Hansson, K. Alons, J. Poole
         AMER: $ 3:25.09  3/15/2018 Stanford
                          A Howe, K Williams, J Hu, S Manuel
         USOP: & 3:24.59  3/18/2021 NC State, NC St
                          K Berkoff, S Hansson, K Alons, J Poole
         NCAA: ! 3:24.59  3/18/2021 NC State
                          K Berkoff, S Hansson, K Alons, J Poole
         Pool: ^ 3:26.14  3/17/2016 Stanford, Stanf
                          A Howe, S Haase, J Hu, L Neal
                 3:31.66  A
                 3:33.78  B
    School                           Seed     Finals       Points 
==================================================================================
  1 UVA  'A'                      3:27.12    3:22.34%A       64  
     1) Walsh, Gretchen C FR          2) r:0.21 Wenger, Alexis SR     
     3) r:0.27 Walsh, Alexandra SO    4) r:0.30 Douglass, Katherine JR
    r:+0.68  23.88        49.71 (49.71)
        1:15.97 (26.26)     1:46.50 (56.79)
        2:09.16 (22.66)     2:36.09 (49.59)
        2:57.79 (21.70)     3:22.34 (46.25)
  2 NCSU  'A'                     3:26.44    3:24.78^A       56  
     1) Berkoff, Katharine F JR       2) r:0.37 Hansson, Sophie SR    
     3) r:0.22 Alons, Kylee SR        4) r:0.13 Webb, Abbey SO        
    r:+0.59  24.34        49.75 (49.75)
        1:16.20 (26.45)     1:46.71 (56.96)
        2:09.26 (22.55)     2:36.51 (49.80)
        2:59.24 (22.73)     3:24.78 (48.27)
  3 UNC  'A'                      3:34.83    3:30.87 A       54  
     1) Lindner, Sophie M SR          2) r:0.30 Higgs, Lillian SR     
     3) r:0.16 Vannote, Elizabeth JR  4) r:0.36 Countie, Grace SR     
    r:+0.67  24.84        51.75 (51.75)
        1:19.52 (27.77)     1:51.19 (59.44)
        2:15.01 (23.82)     2:42.96 (51.77)
        3:05.49 (22.53)     3:30.87 (47.91)
  4 Louisville  'A'               3:32.64    3:31.50 A       52  
     1) Ulett, Tristen D SO           2) r:0.09 Astashkina, Mariia SR 
     3) r:0.41 Albiero, Gabriela SO   4) r:0.35 Hetrick, Paige SO     
    r:+0.63  25.65        53.03 (53.03)
        1:20.63 (27.60)     1:52.47 (59.44)
        2:16.16 (23.69)     2:43.52 (51.05)
        3:06.32 (22.80)     3:31.50 (47.98)
  5 Duke  'A'                     3:36.46    3:32.70 B       50  
     1) Shuppert, Emma K JR           2) r:-0.03 Foley, Sarah SO      
     3) r:0.27 Ozkan, Aleyna SO       4) r:0.23 Smith, Mckenna FR     
    r:+0.55  25.17        52.93 (52.93)
        1:19.90 (26.97)     1:51.21 (58.28)
        2:15.10 (23.89)     2:43.62 (52.41)
        3:06.44 (22.82)     3:32.70 (49.08)
  6 FSU  'A'                      3:34.03    3:33.10 B       48  
     1) Quaglieri, Tania JR           2) r:0.02 Kucheran, Nina SR     
     3) r:0.26 Halden, Jenny SO       4) r:0.14 Moynihan, Rebecca SR  
    r:+0.65  25.48        53.31 (53.31)
        1:20.83 (27.52)     1:52.00 (58.69)
        2:15.71 (23.71)     2:44.56 (52.56)
        3:07.19 (22.63)     3:33.10 (48.54)
  7 ND  'A'                       3:34.95    3:34.11         46  
     1) Christman, Madelyn T FR       2) r:0.17 Jew, Eleanor JR       
     3) r:-0.03 Gillilan, Coleen JR   4) r:0.25 Whiting, Sydney SO    
    r:+0.69  25.95        53.39 (53.39)
        1:21.34 (27.95)   1:53.70 (1:00.31)
        2:17.12 (23.42)     2:45.38 (51.68)
        3:08.57 (23.19)     3:34.11 (48.73)
  8 VT  'A'                       3:36.84    3:34.28         44  
     1) Atkinson, Emma R SO           2) r:0.04 Gyorgy, Reka 5Y       
     3) r:0.40 Alonso, Luana FR       4) r:0.42 Shackelford, Sarah JR 
    r:+0.69  25.02        52.15 (52.15)
        1:20.86 (28.71)   1:53.56 (1:01.41)
        2:17.84 (24.28)     2:46.12 (52.56)
        3:08.72 (22.60)     3:34.28 (48.16)

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