2022 ACC Championships: Nick Albiero Swims Second-Fastest Time Ever in 200 Fly; NC State Extends Men’s Lead

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Nick Albiero -- Photo Courtesy: Luke Jamroz Photography

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2022 ACC Championships: Nick Albiero Swims Second-Fastest Time Ever in 200 Fly; NC State Extends Men’s Lead

NC State has flexed its depth in building a significant lead in the men’s competition at the ACC Championships, but Friday’s finals session saw Louisville deliver a big performance. The Cardinals, after narrowly defeating the Wolfpack to end a six-year winning streak at last year’s ACC Championships, saw fifth-year swimmers Nick Albiero and Evgenii Somov win their respective events for a fifth consecutive year, and Albiero posted the second-fastest time in history in the 200 butterfly.

However, NC State had a couple huge moments, too, with Kacper Stokowski winning the 100 backstroke and then freshman Sam Hoover holding off Louisville for a victory in the 400 medley relay.

2022 ACC Championships Links

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

Men’s 200 Butterfly

Louisville’s Nick Albiero put forth a dominant performance in the men’s 200 fly at the ACC Championships, and he became the first ACC swimmer to ever win five consecutive conference titles in an event (a feat made possible by the NCAA allowing a fifth year of eligibility for swimmers because of the COVID-19 pandemic). Albiero’s dominance was no surprise considering he won the national title in the event last season, but he delivered the best swim of his life here with a 1:37.92. That crushed his lifetime best of 1:38.64 and moved him from fifth to second on the all-time list.

The only swimmer to ever swim faster than Albiero was Texas’ Jack Conger, who swam a 1:37.35 at the 2017 NCAA Championships. Albiero broke the Georgia Tech pool record of 1:37.97, which Joseph Schooling posted to touch out Conger for the national title at the 2016 NCAAs, and at the time, both swimmers broke the existing NCAA and U.S. Open record. Albiero also shattered Luca Urlando’s 1:39.00 from earlier in the night at the SEC Championships as the nation’s fastest time.

Meanwhile, Virginia Tech’s Antani Ivanov swam an impressive 1:39.73 to finish second, making him the third swimmer (after Albiero and Urlando) to break 1:40 this season. Ivanov’s lifetime best of 1:39.26 ranks him 11th all-time in the event. NC State freshman Aidan Hayes posted his lifetime best to finish second in 1:40.39, moving up to fourth in the national rankings.

Event 24  Men 200 Yard Butterfly
=========================================================================
         MEET: # 1:38.65  2/29/2020 Nicolas Albiero, Louisville-KY
         CONF: % 1:38.57  3/28/2018 Andreas Vazaios, NC State-NC
         AMER: $ 1:37.35  3/25/2017 Jack Conger, Texas
         USOP: & 1:37.35  3/25/2017 Jack Conger, Texas
         NCAA: ! 1:37.35  3/25/2017 Jack Conger, Texas
         Pool: ^ 1:37.97  3/26/2016 Joseph Schooling, Texas-ST
                 1:40.44  A
                 1:43.47  IV21 Invited NCAA 2021
                 1:46.69  B
    Name           Year School            Prelims     Finals       Points 
=========================================================================
                            === A - Final ===                            
 
  1 Albiero, Nicola  5Y Louisville        1:39.53    1:37.92^A       32  
    r:+0.61  21.87        46.48 (24.61)
        1:11.63 (25.15)     1:37.92 (26.29)
  2 Ivanov, Antani   SR VT                1:42.79    1:39.73 A       28  
    r:+0.67  22.03        47.04 (25.01)
        1:12.84 (25.80)     1:39.73 (26.89)
  3 Hayes, Aiden G   FR NCSU              1:42.61    1:40.39 A       27  
    r:+0.63  21.89        47.57 (25.68)
        1:13.64 (26.07)     1:40.39 (26.75)
  4 Bowers, Noah L   JR NCSU              1:42.42    1:41.91 IV21    26  
    r:+0.67  22.43        48.56 (26.13)
        1:15.28 (26.72)     1:41.91 (26.63)
  5 Fong, Joshua L   JR UVA               1:42.57    1:42.27 IV21    25  
    r:+0.65  23.20        49.52 (26.32)
        1:15.39 (25.87)     1:42.27 (26.88)
  6 Henderson, Noah  JR NCSU              1:42.18    1:42.36 IV21    24  
    r:+0.64  21.97        47.20 (25.23)
        1:13.97 (26.77)     1:42.36 (28.39)
  7 Ferraro, Christ  5Y GT                1:42.37    1:43.10 IV21    23  
    r:+0.67  22.45        48.41 (25.96)
        1:15.54 (27.13)     1:43.10 (27.56)
  8 Smith, Zachary   SR ND                1:42.99    1:44.63 B       22  
    r:+0.68  22.57        48.61 (26.04)
        1:16.02 (27.41)     1:44.63 (28.61)

Men’s 100 Backstroke

NC State’s Kacper Stokowski was slightly behind Louisville’s Mitchell Whyte at the halfway point, but he surged coming home and used a brilliant final underwater dolphin kickout to pass White. Stokowski finished in 44.74, undercutting his own season-best time of 44.79. However, he lost the honor of top time in the country Friday night as Florida’s Adam Chaney recorded a 44.51 to win the event at the SEC Championships.

White grabbed second in 45.19, making himself the fourth-fastest performer in the nation in the process. Third went to another Louisville Cardinal, Nikolaos Sofianidis, in 46.02.

Event 26  Men 100 Yard Backstroke
=========================================================================
         MEET: # 44.04  2/28/2020 Coleman Stewart, NC State-NC
         CONF: % 43.98  3/24/2019 Coleman Stewart, NC State-NC
         AMER: $ 43.49  3/25/2016 Ryan Murphy, California
         USOP: & 43.49  3/25/2016 Ryan Murphy, California
         NCAA: ! 43.49  3/25/2016 Ryan Murphy, California
         Pool: ^ 43.49  3/25/2016 Ryan Murphy, California-PC
                 44.94  A
                 46.37  IV21 Invited NCAA 2021
                 47.77  B
    Name           Year School            Prelims     Finals       Points 
=========================================================================
                            === A - Final ===                            
 
  1 Stokowski, Kacp  JR NCSU                45.74      44.74 A       32  
    r:+0.64  21.79        44.74 (22.95)
  2 Whyte, Mitchell  SR Louisville          45.41      45.19 IV21    28  
    r:+0.59  21.74        45.19 (23.45)
  3 Sofianidis, Nik  5Y Louisville          46.05      46.02 IV21    27  
    r:+0.72  22.27        46.02 (23.75)
  4 Webb, Forest H   JR VT                  46.02      46.15 IV21    26  
    r:+0.59  22.06        46.15 (24.09)
  5 Tapp, Hunter A   JR NCSU                45.97      46.18 IV21    25  
    r:+0.70  22.49        46.18 (23.69)
  6 Tornqvist, Samu  5Y VT                  45.88      46.28 IV21    24  
    r:+0.66  22.22        46.28 (24.06)
  7 Herbet, Mason J  SO FSU                 45.90      46.42 B       23  
    r:+0.60  22.20        46.42 (24.22)
  8 Brownstead, Mat  SO UVA                 45.83      46.78 B       22  
    r:+0.68  21.90        46.78 (24.88)

Men’s 100 Breaststroke

After Louisville teammate Nick Albiero won his fifth consecutive ACC title in the 100 breast earlier in the session, Evgenii Somov joined Albiero in the very exclusive five-peat club in the 100 breaststroke. Six of the eight swimmers were within 0.22 at the halfway point, but Somov crushed the second 50 with a blistering 27.09 split, and that was enough to get the job done. He swam a time of 51.13, just a tenth off his own conference and meet record set last season. Somov’s time made him the fourth-fastest swimmer in the country behind Max McHugh, Derek Maas and Caspar Corbeau.

Meanwhile, in a tight battle for second, Notre Dame’s Josh Bottelberge finished in 51.61, followed closely by Pitt’s Cooper Van Der Laan (51.64).

Event 28  Men 100 Yard Breaststroke
=========================================================================
         MEET: # 51.03  2/26/2021 Evgenii Somov, Louisville-KY
         CONF: % 51.03  2/26/2021 Evgenii Somov, Louisville-KY
         AMER: $ 49.69  3/23/2018 Ian Finnerty, Indiana
         USOP: & 49.69  3/23/2018 Ian Finnerty, Indiana
         NCAA: ! 49.69  3/23/2018 Ian Finnerty, Indiana
         Pool: ^ 51.29  3/25/2016 Fabian Schwingenschlogl, Missouri-MV
                 51.59  A
                 52.40  IV21 Invited NCAA 2021
                 54.27  B
    Name           Year School            Prelims     Finals       Points 
=========================================================================
                            === A - Final ===                            
 
  1 Somov, Evgenii   5Y Louisville          51.39      51.13^A       32  
    r:+0.69  24.04        51.13 (27.09)
  2 Bottelberghe, J  SR ND                  52.10      51.61 IV21    28  
    r:+0.70  24.13        51.61 (27.48)
  3 Van Der Laan, C  SR Pitt                51.88      51.64 IV21    27  
    r:+0.64  24.23        51.64 (27.41)
  4 Pumputis, Caio   5Y GT                  51.94      51.77 IV21    26  
    r:+0.64  24.43        51.77 (27.34)
  5 Nichols, Noah P  SO UVA                 52.29      52.07 IV21    25  
    r:+0.67  24.10        52.07 (27.97)
  6 Coll Marti, Car  SO VT                  52.48      52.13 IV21    24  
    r:+0.64  24.01        52.13 (28.12)
  7 Petrashov, Deni  JR Louisville          52.30      52.14 IV21    23  
    r:+0.73  24.67        52.14 (27.47)
  8 Crisci, Flynn J  JR Pitt                52.68      52.67 B       22  
    r:+0.59  24.12        52.67 (28.55)

Men’s Platform Diving

Miami’s Zachary Cooper posted a dominant score of 397.85 to take first on the platform, while Duke’s Seamus Harding placed second in 376.30. Another Miami diver, Max Flory, took third with a 371.80.

Men’s 400 Medley Relay

In the final event of the night, NC State and Louisville went head-to-head in the 400 medley relay, and the Cardinals were just a tenth behind going into the freestyle after Nick Albiero’s 44.19 butterfly leg. But on the way home, Wolfpack freshman Sam Hoover split 41.42, just ahead of Louisville’s Abdelraman Elaraby (41.46), and NC State got to the wall in 3:01.88, just ahead of Louisville’s 3:02.61. Both times eclipsed the 3:02.48 from the University of Texas in December that had been the top time in the country.

Kacper Stokowski, Rafal Kusto, Nyls Korstanje and Hoover competed for NC State, while Mitchell Whyte, Evgenii Somov, Albiero and Elaraby swam the four legs for Louisville. Stokowski led off in 44.39, much quicker than his 44.74 winning time from the 100 back earlier in the night, and he beat Adam Chaney’s SEC Championships winning time of 44.51. However, the time was one hundredth behind a relay leadoff from Georgia’s Luca Urlando at SECs, so Stokowski will remain at No. 2 in the national rankings.

Virginia Tech also got into the mix with a third-place time of 3:02.71, good for fifth place in the national rankings. Sam Tornqvist, Ananias Pouch, Antani Ivanov and Youssef Ramadan swam for the Hokies, with Ivanov splitting a swift 44.31 on butterfly and Ramadan coming home in 41.41 for the fastest freestyle split in the field.

The top three teams all broke the meet record of 3:02.80 set in 2020 by a Louisville team with three of the same four swimmers as this squad.

Event 31  Men 400 Yard Medley Relay
==================================================================================
         MEET: # 3:02.80  2/28/2020 Louisville, University of, Louis
                          M Whyte, E Somov, N Albiero, A Barna
         CONF: % 3:01.76  3/23/2018 North Carolina State Universit, NCSU-
                          C. Stewart, Molacek, Held, Ress
         AMER: $ 3:01.51  3/23/2017 California
                          R Murphy, C Hoppe, M Josa, M Jensen
         USOP: & 2:59.22  3/23/2017 Texas, Texas
                          J Shebat, W Licon, J Schooling, J Conger
         NCAA: ! 2:59.22  3/23/2017 Texas
                          J Shebat, W Licon, J Schooling, J Conger
         Pool: ^ 3:00.68  3/24/2016 Texas, Texas
                          J Shebat, W Licon, J Schooling, J Conger
                 3:05.47  A
                 3:07.53  B
    School                           Seed     Finals       Points 
==================================================================================
  1 NCSU  'A'                     3:04.02    3:01.88#A       64  
     1) Stokowski, Kacper A JR        2) r:0.06 Kusto, Rafal SR       
     3) r:0.26 Korstanje, Nyls JR     4) r:0.20 Hoover, Samuel FR     
    r:+0.61  21.47        44.39 (44.39)
        1:07.90 (23.51)     1:35.94 (51.55)
        1:55.92 (19.98)     2:20.46 (44.52)
        2:40.09 (19.63)     3:01.88 (41.42)
  2 Louisville  'A'               3:07.38    3:02.02#A       56  
     1) Whyte, Mitchell D SR          2) r:0.02 Somov, Evgenii 5Y     
     3) r:0.27 Albiero, Nicolas 5Y    4) r:0.14 Elaraby, Abdelrhman JR
    r:+0.73  21.91        45.63 (45.63)
        1:08.75 (23.12)     1:36.37 (50.74)
        1:56.67 (20.30)     2:20.56 (44.19)
        2:39.71 (19.15)     3:02.02 (41.46)
  3 VT  'A'                       3:06.73    3:02.71#A       54  
     1) Tornqvist, Samuel 5Y          2) r:0.26 Pouch, Ananias JR     
     3) r:0.19 Ivanov, Antani SR      4) r:0.07 Ramadan, Youssef SO   
    r:+0.67  22.04        45.54 (45.54)
        1:09.38 (23.84)     1:36.99 (51.45)
        1:57.46 (20.47)     2:21.30 (44.31)
        2:40.59 (19.29)     3:02.71 (41.41)
  4 UVA  'A'                      3:08.21    3:05.33 A       52  
     1) Grender, Justin C SR          2) r:0.09 Nichols, Noah SO      
     3) r:0.22 Fong, Joshua JR        4) r:0.08 King, Matthew SO      
    r:+0.61  22.42        46.80 (46.80)
        1:10.63 (23.83)     1:38.59 (51.79)
        1:59.84 (21.25)     2:24.71 (46.12)
        2:43.76 (19.05)     3:05.33 (40.62)
  5 GT  'A'                       3:08.44    3:05.39 A       50  
     1) Saka, Berke FR                2) r:0.19 Pumputis, Caio 5Y     
     3) r:0.18 Ferraro, Christian 5Y  4) r:0.04 Unlu, Baturalp SO     
    r:+0.64  22.03        46.15 (46.15)
        1:09.93 (23.78)     1:37.30 (51.15)
        1:58.20 (20.90)     2:22.99 (45.69)
        2:42.79 (19.80)     3:05.39 (42.40)
  6 ND  'A'                       3:08.92    3:06.28 B       48  
     1) Smesko, Kaden W SO            2) r:0.21 Bottelberghe, Jshua SR
     3) r:0.19 Wilburn, Cason JR      4) r:-0.02 Guiliano, Chripher FR
    r:+0.60  22.49        47.15 (47.15)
        1:11.17 (24.02)     1:39.24 (52.09)
        1:59.80 (20.56)     2:24.73 (45.49)
        2:43.94 (19.21)     3:06.28 (41.55)
  7 FSU  'A'                      3:06.81    3:06.56 B       46  
     1) Herbet, Mason J SO            2) r:0.11 Bastian, Izaak SR     
     3) r:0.13 McCusker, Max SR       4) r:0.18 Varjasi, Peter JR     
    r:+0.61  22.18        45.85 (45.85)
        1:10.02 (24.17)     1:38.26 (52.41)
        1:58.88 (20.62)     2:24.17 (45.91)
        2:43.97 (19.80)     3:06.56 (42.39)
  8 UNC  'A'                      3:09.87    3:08.00         44  
     1) Burhans, Tucker F SR          2) r:0.06 Rauch, Jacob SR       
     3) r:0.20 Poelke, Boyd SO        4) r:0.18 Radkov, Nick FR       
    r:+0.74  22.83        47.01 (47.01)
        1:11.12 (24.11)     1:39.25 (52.24)
        2:00.06 (20.81)     2:24.91 (45.66)
        2:45.27 (20.36)     3:08.00 (43.09)
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