ACC Weekly Recap: Mallory Comerford Impressive; Virginia Tech And Boston College Pick Up Wins

2016.03.18 2016 Womens NCAA Swimming Championships_Louisville Mallory Comerford

Photo Courtesy: Reagan Lunn/Georgia Tech Athletics

Swimming action in the ACC this weekend was on the light side as only five teams were in action. Florida defeated Florida State in a tighter-than-expected dual meet Thursday, and then Louisville, Miami, Virginia Tech and Boston College all swam meets of their own.

Louisville Second, Miami Sixth at SMU Classic

In a rematch from their tripleheader dual meet a week earlier, the Michigan women again got the better of Louisville, winning the SMU classic by a single point, 245 to 244. Nine women (eight swimmers and one diver) from six schools participated in the two-day event. Donning fast suits for the first time this season, the Cardinal women threw down some impressive swims, led by senior Andrea Cottrell and sophomore Mallory Comerford.

Cottrell won the 100 breast in 59.58 and then overtook USC’s Kristen Vose on the last 50 to win the 200 breast, 2:08.74 to 2:08.94. Comerford won the 100 free in 47.89 and then finished a close second in both the 200 free (1:43.13, 0.09 behind USC’s Louise Hansson) and 500 free (4:37.62, 0.02 behind Michigan’s Rose Bi).

Louisville’s Casey Fanz won the 50 free in 22.64, and the Cardinals were first in three of four relays. Alina Kendzior, Cottrell, Grace Oglesby and Comerford won the 400 medley relay in 3:33.44, and then Kendzior, Cottrell, Oglesby and Fanz won the 200 medley relay in 1:38.09. Comerford, Abbie Houck, Oglesby and Fanz then won the 200 free relay in 1:30.05.

Miami, meanwhile, finished in sixth place in the team race in Dallas. Angela Algee led the way for the Hurricanes with a fourth-place finish in the 200 fly (2:00.76) and a fifth-place finish in the 100 fly (53.95). Christina Leander and Julie Suarez were both multi-event finalists as well, and diver Marcela Maric finished fourth on the one-meter with 258.25 points.

Virginia Tech Hokies Sweep Visitors from Penn State

Virginia Tech was dominant in their first home meet of the season Saturday. The men beat Penn State 175-117, and the women’s margin of victory was almost as large in a 174-121 triumph.

The usual names were productive point-scorers for the VT men: reigning ACC Swimmer of the Week Robert Owen won the 200 back in 1:48.48, Brandon Fiala won the 100 breast in 55.20, and Norbert Szabo won three different events: the 200 free, 100 fly and 200 fly. Just as he did at the Florida Gulf Coast Invite a week earlier, Ian Ho won the 50 free (20.40), and Nathan Pawlowicz beat the field in the 1000 free by 20 seconds, coming in at 9:29.87.

On the women’s side, Kelly Henry swept the breaststroke events, Jessica Hespeler won the 200, 500 and 1000 frees, and Fiona Donnely and Klaudio Nazieblo finished one-two in the 100 back with impressive times of 54.55 and 54.84, respectively.

Boston College Cleans Up at Northeast Catholic Invite

The Eagles easily won their home invite this weekend on both the women’s side and the men’s. Boston College out-scored the other six women’s teams in attendance and two other men’s teams. The women won with 1179.5 points, ahead of second-place St. Francis with 859, and the men scored 1762 to wallop Providence (616) and Holy Cross (536).

BC women only won two individual events—Emily Smith in the 200 fly (2:09.97) and Erika Freeman in the 200 IM (2:12.75)—but their counterparts on the men’s side finished almost exclusively atop the podium. Anthony Richardson swept the 200 (1:44.80), 500 (4:44.98) and 1000 frees (9:57.16), and teammates Josh Williams won both the 100 (52.38) and 200 back (1:56.80). In a diving session held Saturday at Holy Cross, BC’s Cole Malatesta won both the one-meter (341.75) and three-meter events (344.95).

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