Backstrokers Katharine Berkoff, Kacper Stokowski Help NC State Finish Off Sweep of Tennessee

Katharine Berkoff -- Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

Backstrokers Katharine Berkoff, Kacper Stokowski Help NC State Finish Off Sweep of Tennessee

The NC State Wolfpack women’s and men’s swim teams completed a successful two-day dual meet against Tennessee Saturday. After both NC State squads took the lead Friday, the meet concluded with NC State winning the women’s meet 207.5 to 140.5, while the Wolfpack men defeated the Volunteers 198-155.

NC State’s women won every event Saturday, and they got started with a comfortable win in the 200 medley relay. Katharine Berkoff led off in 24.48, and she was followed by Andrea Podmanikova, Kylee Alons and Abby Arens on the way to a final time of 1:38.11. NC State placed second in the event at last year’s NCAA Championships, and this relay saw Podmanikova replaced Sophie Hansson on breaststroke and Alons and Arens switching spots. Immediately after that, Abbey Webb dominated the 200 freestyle by more than two seconds, finishing in 1:47.05, and Grace Sheble crushed the field in the 400 IM (4:19.05).

In the 100 butterfly, Alons (52.53) and Arens (53.71) went 1-2, and Berkoff followed up with a 52.45 triumph in the 100 backstroke, an event where she is the only woman in history to break 49. Brooke Travis swam to a mark of 4:51.50 to win the 500 free, following up on her 1000 free victory Friday, and in the 100 breaststroke, NC State barely kept the winning streak alive as Podmanikova touched out Mona McSharry by just six hundredths, 1:00.45 to 1:00.51. Even diving went the Wolfpack’s way as Helene Synnott won the 1-meter event (284.03). Webb, Arens, Alons and Berkoff won the 400 free relay for the Wolfpack in 3:20.37.

The NC State men got off to a rough start when their top team in the 200 medley relay was disqualified, but the “B” squad was able to pick up the slack and earn the win in a thrilling finish. Aidan Hayes, Hunter Mason, Luke Miller and Quintin McCarty beat the top Tennessee squad by four hundredths, 1:26.04 to 1:26.08, with McCarty anchoring in 19.11 to get in ahead of the Volunteers. Next up, freshman Michael Cotter picked up his second individual win of the meet with a 1:36.47 in the 200 free, but Tennessee struck back in the 400 IM, where Landon Driggers came in first at 3:52.41.

Nyls Korstanje went 46.39 for a strong win in the 100 fly before reigning NCAA 100 backstroke champion Kacper Stokowski crushed a 46.13 in his signature event, finishing more than a second clear of runnerup McCarty. The Wolfpack had essentially secured the win at that point, but Tennessee would string together some wins to make the meet a little more interesting.

The Vols’ run began in the 500 free as Joaquin Vargas pulled away from the elite NC State distance group to take the win (4:22.69). The team got another win in 3-meter diving, with Bryden Hattie scoring 424.65 to add to his 1-meter win from Friday. Next up, a trio of fifth-years combined to sweep the 100 breast: Jarel Dillard (53.22), Michael Houlie (53.62) and Lyubomir Epitropov (55.06). Finally, Tennessee earned a four-tenths win in the 400 free relay behind Jordan Crooks, Gui Caribe, Bjoern Kammann and Aleksey Tarasenko. Those four combined for a time of 2:53.38.

Full results (including Friday)

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