Atlantic Coast Conference Championships (Men), Day Three

CHRISTIANSBURG, Virginia, February 24. WITH just one day and six events remaining, the top three teams at the 2012 ACC Men’s Swimming & Diving Championship sit within 18.5 points of each other. Virginia, the four-time defending champion, leads with 406 points, ahead of North Carolina’s 394. Host Virginia Tech is in third with 387.5 points. The Cavaliers entered the day 20.5 points behind the Tar Heels, and overcame it through the course of Friday’s races.

Florida State’s 353 points puts the Seminoles in third, ahead of NC State (254.5), Duke (190.5), and Georgia Tech (183). Clemson (181.5), Maryland (148), Boston College (64), and Miami (27) round out the field.

NC State opened the night with its first 400-yard medley relay title since 1992. The team of Ivan Kopas, Ian Bishop, Barrett Miesfeld, and Jonathan Boffa touched the wall in 3:10.90 to grab the victory and 40 points for the Wolfpack. Virgingia Tech posted a NCAA conditional time of 3:11.08, and Duke finished in 3:12.02 to earn the bronze. Georgia Tech and Virginia were disqualified in the event after early take-offs.

North Carolina Junior Tom Luchsinger took home the 400-yard individual medley title with a time of 3:46.91. He was joined on the podium by two Seminoles: senior Mateo De Angulo (3:47.53) and freshman Juan Sequera (3:49.09).

Virginia Tech’s Greg Mahon held off Virginia’s Peter Geissinger, the defending champion in the event, to claim the 100-yard butterfly title. Mahon touched the wall in 46.55, ahead of Geissinger’s 46.81. Another Hokie, junior Karl Botha, earned the bronze with a time of 46.93.

The Cavaliers scored 53 points in the 200-yard freestyle, sweeping the podium spots and winning the fifth-straight title for a Virginia swimmer in the event. Senior David Karasek led the trio with the gold medal, his second of the meet after previously winning the 200-yard individual medley on Thursday.

Piotr Safronczyk became the first Duke Blue Devil to win the 100-yard breaststroke since 1980. The graduate student finished in 53.61, and was joined on the podium by Virginia Tech’s Nathan Hoisington and Nevin Cook.

In the 100-yard backstroke, the last event of the night, Virginia Tech won another race and had two swimmers on the podium again. Junior Zach McGinnis finished in 46.79 to beat Clemson’s Chris Dart (47.02), and Hokie teammate Charlie Higgins touched in 47.08.

Virginia, having trailed all day, retook the lead after the 100-yard backstroke. Cavalier swimmers Matthew Murray and Brady Fox finished in fourth and fifth place to give Virginia the lead going into Saturday.

The last day of the championship starts on Saturday at 11 a.m. with the preliminaries of the 200-yard backstroke, 100-yard freestyle, 200-yard breaststroke, 200-yard butterfly, and 1650-yard freestyle. The finals in those events and the 400-yard freestyle relay will start at 7 p.m.

The above article is a press release submitted to Swimming World Magazine. It has been posted in its entirety without editing. Swimming World offers all outlets the chance to reach our audience by contacting us at Newsmaster@swimmingworldmagazine.com. However, Swimming World reserves the right to choose what material is posted.

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