ACC Championships, Day 2 Prelims: Gretchen Walsh Blasts American Record 20.77 in 50 Free

gretchen walsh
Photo Courtesy: Emily Cameron

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ACC Championships, Day 2 Prelims: Gretchen Walsh Blasts American Record 20.77 in 50 Free

Three swimmers enter Day 2 of the ACC Championships with A cuts in the women’s 50 freestyle. One enters as the American record holder. And that one improved the mark in short order.

Gretchen Walsh’s hot streak continues, the Virginia superstar going 20.77 to clip .02 seconds off her American mark from NCAAs last year. It leads five NCAA A cuts in the A final Tuesday night with a wonder of just how low Walsh can push it.

It was the first installment in an engrossing set of 50 frees, with Chris Guiliano of Notre Dame downing Ryan Held’s long-held ACC Championships mark in the men’s 50 with an 18.57.

All the action from the morning session at the Greensboro Aquatic Center:

Team Standings

Women - Team Rankings - Through Event 5                      
 
  1. North Carolina, University of     159   2. Louisville, University of         155
  3. Virginia, University of           154   4. North Carolina State Universit    144
  5. Duke University                   142   6. Notre Dame, University of         139
  7. Florida State University          128   8. VA Tech                           115
  9. University of Miami (Florida)      96  10. Pittsburgh, University of          85
 10. Georgia Institute of Technolog     85
 Men - Team Rankings - Through Event 6                       
 
  1. North Carolina State Universit    120   2. Louisville, University of         114
  3. VA Tech                           110   4. Notre Dame, University of         106
  5. Florida State University          102   6. North Carolina, University of      92
  7. Pittsburgh, University of          90   8. Georgia Institute of Technolog     86
  9. Duke University                    74  10. Virginia, University of            48

Women’s 500 freestyle

Virginia is in position to score big time, for not the last time. Cavan Gormsen led a UVA 1-2-3 in prelims, going 4:41.11. She and teammate Aimee Canny were the only two swimmers to enter the meet with times in the 4:30s. Canny was third in 4:42.40, just behind teammate Sophia Knapp. Madelyn Donohoe made it four Cavs in the A final in sixth.

NC State placed three in the A final, led by Yara Hierath in 4:43.91.

Event 9  Women 500 Yard Freestyle
==================================================================
         MEET: # 4:30.74  2/18/2016 Leah Smith, Virginia
         CONF: % 4:28.90  3/16/2017 Leah Smith, Virginia
         AMER: $ 4:24.06  3/16/2017 Katie Ledecky, Stanford
         USOP: & 4:24.06  3/16/2017 Katie Ledecky, Stanford
         NCAA: ! 4:24.06  3/16/2017 Katie Ledecky, Stanford
         Pool: * 4:29.54  12/4/2014 Katie Ledecky, NCAP-PV
                 4:37.89  A
                 4:41.09  IV23 Invited NCAA 2023
                 4:47.20  B
    Name           Year School               Seed    Prelims              
==================================================================
                      === Preliminaries ===                       
 
  1 Gormsen, Cavan      UVA               4:38.80    4:41.11 qB     
    r:+0.72  25.94        53.97 (28.03)
        1:22.09 (28.12)     1:50.63 (28.54)
        2:18.98 (28.35)     2:47.55 (28.57)
        3:15.93 (28.38)     3:44.39 (28.46)
        4:12.88 (28.49)     4:41.11 (28.23)
  2 Knapp, Sophia       UVA               4:43.33    4:42.14 qB     
    r:+0.74  25.81        53.93 (28.12)
        1:22.39 (28.46)     1:50.76 (28.37)
        2:18.88 (28.12)     2:46.98 (28.10)
        3:15.41 (28.43)     3:44.05 (28.64)
        4:12.89 (28.84)     4:42.14 (29.25)
  3 Canny, Aimee        UVA               4:36.26    4:42.40 qB     
    r:+0.76  26.70        55.37 (28.67)
        1:23.79 (28.42)     1:52.09 (28.30)
        2:20.84 (28.75)     2:49.34 (28.50)
        3:17.85 (28.51)     3:46.67 (28.82)
        4:14.81 (28.14)     4:42.40 (27.59)
  4 Hierath, Yara       NC State          4:43.54    4:43.91 qB     
    r:+0.77  26.71        55.04 (28.33)
        1:23.58 (28.54)     1:52.25 (28.67)
        2:20.96 (28.71)     2:49.62 (28.66)
        3:18.35 (28.73)     3:47.20 (28.85)
        4:16.14 (28.94)     4:43.91 (27.77)
  5 Travis, Brooke      NC State          4:46.60    4:43.94 qB     
    r:+0.77  26.44        54.62 (28.18)
        1:22.93 (28.31)     1:51.43 (28.50)
        2:20.15 (28.72)     2:49.06 (28.91)
        3:17.71 (28.65)     3:46.71 (29.00)
        4:15.73 (29.02)     4:43.94 (28.21)
  6 Donohoe, Madely     UVA               4:47.47    4:44.02 qB     
    r:+0.69  26.75        55.30 (28.55)
        1:24.09 (28.79)     1:52.90 (28.81)
        2:21.79 (28.89)     2:50.30 (28.51)
        3:19.04 (28.74)     3:47.82 (28.78)
        4:16.40 (28.58)     4:44.02 (27.62)
  7 Travis, Chase       VA Tech           4:41.73    4:44.35 qB     
    r:+0.77  26.60        55.19 (28.59)
        1:23.92 (28.73)     1:52.82 (28.90)
        2:21.59 (28.77)     2:50.48 (28.89)
        3:19.36 (28.88)     3:48.11 (28.75)
        4:16.85 (28.74)     4:44.35 (27.50)
  8 Hastings, Emma      NC State          4:41.51    4:44.40 qB     
    r:+0.73  26.31        54.35 (28.04)
        1:22.71 (28.36)     1:51.12 (28.41)
        2:19.71 (28.59)     2:48.41 (28.70)
        3:17.23 (28.82)     3:46.27 (29.04)
        4:15.45 (29.18)     4:44.40 (28.95)

Men’s 500 freestyle

Louisville’s Ilia Sibirtsev led the way in prelims with a time of 4:15.30, but NC State is poised for big points. The Wolfpack have four swimmers in the A final, and the lowest placed among them is 2022 ACC champ Ross Dant. Dant was two seconds slower than his season-best in 4:18.36 to scrape into the A final.

Ahead of him is Kenneth Lloyd, second in 4:15.53. He’s followed by James Plage and Kyle Ponsler. Huge swim from Luiz Dominguez of Virginia Tech to drop more than six seconds to be the fifth seed in 4:17.02.

Event 10  Men 500 Yard Freestyle
==================================================================
         MEET: # 4:10.00  2/26/2009 Matt McLean, Virginia
         CONF: % 4:09.13  1/26/2018 Anton Ipsen, NCSU-NC
         AMER: $ 4:06.32  2/19/2020 Kieran Smith, Florida
         USOP: & 4:06.32  2/19/2020 Kieran Smith, Florida
         NCAA: ! 4:06.32  2/19/2020 Kieran Smith, Florida
         Pool: * 4:07.97  3/24/2021 Jake Magahey, UGA-GA
                 4:10.74  A
                 4:14.36  IV23 Invited NCAA 2023
                 4:21.99  B
    Name           Year School               Seed    Prelims              
==================================================================
                      === Preliminaries ===                       
 
  1 Sibirtsev, Ilia     Louisville        4:16.05    4:15.30 qB     
    r:+0.63  23.39        48.58 (25.19)
        1:14.14 (25.56)     1:39.86 (25.72)
        2:05.94 (26.08)     2:32.03 (26.09)
        2:58.08 (26.05)     3:24.22 (26.14)
        3:50.27 (26.05)     4:15.30 (25.03)
  2 Lloyd, Kenneth      NC State          4:16.44    4:15.53 qB     
    r:+0.77  23.55        48.93 (25.38)
        1:14.83 (25.90)     1:40.92 (26.09)
        2:06.94 (26.02)     2:32.76 (25.82)
        2:58.28 (25.52)     3:24.17 (25.89)
        3:50.08 (25.91)     4:15.53 (25.45)
  3 Plage, James        NC State          4:15.74    4:16.65 qB     
    r:+0.72  23.91        49.17 (25.26)
        1:14.80 (25.63)     1:40.80 (26.00)
        2:06.94 (26.14)     2:32.97 (26.03)
        2:58.91 (25.94)     3:24.75 (25.84)
        3:51.06 (26.31)     4:16.65 (25.59)
  4 Ponsler, Kyle       NC State          4:17.65    4:16.69 qB     
    r:+0.70  23.15        48.29 (25.14)
        1:14.17 (25.88)     1:40.08 (25.91)
        2:06.28 (26.20)     2:32.51 (26.23)
        2:58.67 (26.16)     3:24.90 (26.23)
        3:51.12 (26.22)     4:16.69 (25.57)
  5 Dominguez Calon     VA Tech           4:23.35    4:17.02 qB     
    r:+0.72  22.71        47.82 (25.11)
        1:13.62 (25.80)     1:39.45 (25.83)
        2:05.48 (26.03)     2:31.85 (26.37)
        2:58.37 (26.52)     3:24.94 (26.57)
        3:51.40 (26.46)     4:17.02 (25.62)
  6 Sartori, Murilo     Louisville        4:18.74    4:17.11 qB     
    r:+0.74  23.48        49.17 (25.69)
        1:14.97 (25.80)     1:40.70 (25.73)
        2:06.67 (25.97)     2:32.93 (26.26)
        2:59.27 (26.34)     3:25.56 (26.29)
        3:51.72 (26.16)     4:17.11 (25.39)
  7 Unlu, Baturalp      GT                4:20.77    4:17.93 qB     
    r:+0.71  23.51        49.28 (25.77)
        1:15.22 (25.94)     1:41.32 (26.10)
        2:07.53 (26.21)     2:33.78 (26.25)
        3:00.19 (26.41)     3:26.38 (26.19)
        3:52.51 (26.13)     4:17.93 (25.42)
  8 Dant, Ross          NC State          4:16.21    4:18.36 qB     
    r:+0.62  23.49        48.91 (25.42)
        1:14.64 (25.73)     1:40.70 (26.06)
        2:06.82 (26.12)     2:33.18 (26.36)
        2:59.53 (26.35)     3:26.04 (26.51)
        3:52.59 (26.55)     4:18.36 (25.77)

Women’s 200 individual medley

Alex Walsh coasted to the top seed with a time of 1:53.96. She is nearly two seconds up on Duke’s Sarah Foley, who went 1:55.88. Margaret Nelson added a second UVA swimmer in the A final in 1:56.05, and Ella Bathurst crept into the A final in 1:57.47.

Event 11  Women 200 Yard IM
==================================================================
         MEET: # 1:50.15  2/14/2023 Kate C Douglass, UVA-VA
         CONF: % 1:48.37  3/17/2022 Kate C Douglass, UVA-VA
         AMER: $ 1:48.37  3/17/2022 Kate C Douglass, UVA-VA
         USOP: & 1:48.37  3/17/2022 Kate C Douglass, UVA-VA
         NCAA: ! 1:48.37  3/17/2022 Kate C Douglass, UVA-VA
         Pool: * 1:50.15  2/15/2023 Katherine Douglass, UVA-VA
                 1:53.66  A
                 1:56.90  IV23 Invited NCAA 2023
                 1:59.56  B
    Name           Year School               Seed    Prelims              
==================================================================
                      === Preliminaries ===                       
 
  1 Walsh, Alexandr     UVA               1:52.59    1:53.96 qIV23  
    r:+0.76  24.32        52.73 (28.41)
        1:25.61 (32.88)     1:53.96 (28.35)
  2 Foley, Sarah        Duke              1:56.13    1:55.88 qIV23  
    r:+0.66  25.02        55.02 (30.00)
        1:27.77 (32.75)     1:55.88 (28.11)
  3 Nelson, Margare     UVA               1:53.95    1:56.05 qIV23  
    r:+0.77  25.67        54.61 (28.94)
        1:27.64 (33.03)     1:56.05 (28.41)
  4 Noble, Helen        NC State          1:55.98    1:56.53 qIV23  
    r:+0.67  25.70        53.65 (27.95)
        1:28.14 (34.49)     1:56.53 (28.39)
  5 Gomes Celidonio     Louisville        1:57.40    1:56.64 qIV23  
    r:+0.74  25.22        54.40 (29.18)
        1:28.43 (34.03)     1:56.64 (28.21)
  6 Herkle, Kim         Louisville        1:58.64    1:57.01 qB     
    r:+0.72  25.87        55.66 (29.79)
        1:28.83 (33.17)     1:57.01 (28.18)
  7 Peroni, Martina     Duke              1:58.73    1:57.27 qB     
    r:+0.72  25.37        55.28 (29.91)
        1:29.20 (33.92)     1:57.27 (28.07)
  8 Bathurst, Ella      UVA               1:57.03    1:57.47 qB     
    r:+0.69  25.86        55.60 (29.74)
        1:29.04 (33.44)     1:57.47 (28.43)

Men’s 200 individual medley

Tim Connery set the pace for UVA in the 200 IM in 1:42.00. He’s .46 seconds ahead of the reigning champ and meet record holder, Arsenio Bustos of NC State. Daniel Diehl set a season-best for the Wolfpack in 1:42.77, and Sam Hoover adds a third NC State swimmer in the A final. Carles Coll Marti is fourth in 1:42.80.

 Event 12  Men 200 Yard IM
==================================================================
         MEET: # 1:40.31  2/15/2023 Arsenio Bustos, NC State
         CONF: % 1:39.35  3/24/2019 Andreas Vazaios, NCSU-NC
         AMER: $ 1:38.10  3/23/2023 Destin Lasco, California
         USOP: & 1:36.34  3/24/2023 Leon Marchand, Arizona St.
         NCAA: ! 1:36.34  3/24/2022 Leon Marchand, Arizona St.
         Pool: * 1:39.26  11/16/2023Hubert Kos, ASU
                 1:41.03  A
                 1:43.14  IV23 Invited NCAA 2023
                 1:46.16  B
    Name           Year School               Seed    Prelims              
==================================================================
                      === Preliminaries ===                       
 
  1 Connery, Timoth     UVA               1:43.91    1:42.00 qIV23  
    r:+0.66  21.91        47.26 (25.35)
        1:16.96 (29.70)     1:42.00 (25.04)
  2 Bustos, Arsenio     NC State          1:45.63    1:42.46 qIV23  
    r:+0.64  21.35        46.81 (25.46)
        1:16.49 (29.68)     1:42.46 (25.97)
  3 Diehl, Daniel       NC State          1:43.11    1:42.77 qIV23  
    r:+0.66  22.34        48.33 (25.99)
        1:18.41 (30.08)     1:42.77 (24.36)
  4 Coll Marti, Car     VA Tech           1:43.12    1:42.80 qIV23  
    r:+0.61  22.46        48.10 (25.64)
        1:17.19 (29.09)     1:42.80 (25.61)
  5 Hoover, Samuel      NC State          1:44.72    1:43.14 qIV23  
    r:+0.63  22.63        49.49 (26.86)
        1:18.94 (29.45)     1:43.14 (24.20)
  6 Herbet, Mason       FSU               1:44.35    1:43.52 qB     
    r:+0.70  22.03        47.52 (25.49)
        1:18.00 (30.48)     1:43.52 (25.52)
  7 Edge, James         Notre Dame        1:45.66    1:43.63 qB     
    r:+0.62  22.31        48.32 (26.01)
        1:18.13 (29.81)     1:43.63 (25.50)
  8 Sergile, Sebast     UVA               1:43.42    1:43.81 qB     
    r:+0.65  22.55        48.82 (26.27)
        1:19.00 (30.18)     1:43.81 (24.81)

Women’s 50 freestyle

Gretchen Walsh just blasted her way to the win in prelims in 20.77, .02 under the conference and American mark she set. It also breaks the U.S. Open mark she jointly held with Maggie MacNeil.

Jasmine Nocentini is the second seed for Virginia in 21.30, and Maxine Parker joins her in the A final in seventh. Katharine Berkoff is third in 21.38. Gabi Albiero is lurking in fifth, a spot behind teammate Christiana Regenauer.

Event 13  Women 50 Yard Freestyle
==================================================================
         MEET: # 20.83  2/15/2023 Gretchen C Walsh, UVA-VA
         CONF: % 20.79  3/16/2023 Gretchen C Walsh, UVA-VA
         AMER: $ 20.79  3/16/2023 Gretchen C Walsh, UVA-VA
         USOP: & 20.79  3/16/2023 Maggie McNeil/Gretchen Walsh, Michigan/UVA
         NCAA: ! 20.79  3/16/2023 Maggie McNeil/Gretchen Walsh, Michigan/UVA
         Pool: * 20.83  2/15/2023 Gretchen Walsh, UVA-VA
                 21.63  A
                 22.15  IV23 Invited NCAA 2023
                 22.67  B
    Name           Year School               Seed    Prelims              
==================================================================
                      === Preliminaries ===                       
 
  1 Walsh, Gretchen     UVA                 20.79      20.77%qA     
    r:+0.75  10.13        20.77 (10.64)
  2 Nocentini, Jasm     UVA                 21.45      21.30 qA     
    r:+0.62  10.23        21.30 (11.07)
  3 Berkoff, Kathar     NC State            21.52      21.38 qA     
    r:+0.71  10.45        21.38 (10.93)
  4 Regenauer, Chri     Louisville          21.93      21.56 qA     
    r:+0.68  10.44        21.56 (11.12)
  5 Albiero, Gabrie     Louisville          21.75      21.61 qA     
    r:+0.59  10.42        21.61 (11.19)
  6 Dennis, Julia       Louisville          21.98      21.68 qIV23  
    r:+0.63  10.39        21.68 (11.29)
  7 Parker, Maxine      UVA                 22.21      21.81 qIV23  
    r:+0.71  10.75        21.81 (11.06)
  8 Yendell, Sophie     Pitt                22.03      21.90 qIV23  
    r:+0.70  10.65        21.90 (11.25)

Men’s 50 freestyle

Chris Guiliano joined Walsh in the quick morning club, blasting a time of 18.57 seconds to win the men’s 50 free. That downs the meet record set by Ryan Held in 2017 at 18.68 seconds. It’s within .01 of the conference mark that Held set at NCAAs that year (18.56).

Second was Youssef Ramadan of Virginia Tech in 18.79. Both he and Abdelrahman Elaraby (18.82) set NCAA A cuts. Quintin McCarty of NC State, who already has an auto time, was fourth, leading three Wolfpack swimmers in the A final with Larry Salls and Aiden Hayes. Matt Bownstead of Virginia is also in the mix, sixth in 19.05.

Event 14  Men 50 Yard Freestyle
==================================================================
         MEET: # 18.68  2/28/2017 Ryan Held, NCSU-NC
         CONF: % 18.56  3/23/2017 Ryan Held, NCSU-NC
         AMER: $ 17.63  3/22/2018 Caeleb Dressel, Florida
         USOP: & 17.63  3/22/2018 Caeleb Dressel, Florida
         NCAA: ! 17.63  3/22/2018 Caeleb Dressel, Florida
         Pool: * 18.33  3/25/2021 Ryan Hoffer, CAL-PC
                 18.82  A
                 19.21  IV23 Invited NCAA 2023
                 19.79  B
    Name           Year School               Seed    Prelims              
==================================================================
                      === Preliminaries ===                       
 
  1 Guiliano, Chris     Notre Dame          18.84      18.57#qA     
     r:+0.61  8.93         18.57 (9.64)
  2 Ramadan, Yousse     VA Tech             18.97      18.79 qA     
     r:+0.57  9.19         18.79 (9.60)
  3 Elaraby, Abdelr     Notre Dame          19.45      18.82 qA     
     r:+0.65  9.20         18.82 (9.62)
  4 McCarty, Quinti     NC State            18.80      18.95 qIV23  
     r:+0.66  9.19         18.95 (9.76)
  5 Salls, Larry        NC State            19.20      19.04 qIV23  
         r:+0.66                       
  6 Brownstead, Mat     UVA                 19.27      19.05 qIV23  
     r:+0.61  9.18         19.05 (9.87)
  7 Whitfield, Bren     VA Tech             19.49      19.10 qIV23  
     r:+0.65  9.29         19.10 (9.81)
  8 Hayes, Aiden        NC State            19.47      19.20 qIV23  
     r:+0.63  9.16        19.20 (10.04)
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