Big Swims, High Drama As Virginia Wins ACCs

Emma Reaney places second in the prelims of the 200 breaststroke.

GREENSBORO, North Carolina, February 22. ABOUT the only thing that wasn’t dramatic tonight at the Atlantic Coast Conference Women’s Championships was the team title race as the Virginia Cavaliers handily won the crown in Greensboro.

Virginia won its seventh straight women’s title and 12th overall at this meet with 1433 points. North Carolina took second with 1205 points with Florida State (972), NC State (950) and Virginia Tech (914.5) making up the top five. Notre Dame (802), Duke (592), Pittsburgh (474.5), Miami (470.5), Georgia Tech (311.5), Boston College (162) and Clemson (66) also scored at the meet.

She’s been on the cusp of being one of the elite women’s breaststrokers in the world, and she’s finally starting to realize that potential during her junior year at Notre Dame as Emma Reaney just took down the U.S. Open, NCAA and American records in the 200-yard breaststroke at the ACC Women’s Championships.

Reaney obliterated the conference and meet records in the women’s 200-yard breaststroke with a stunning U.S. Open, American and NCAA record of 2:04.34. She split the race 28.01, 31.34, 32.30, 32.69 en route to her record. That performance eclipsed the 2:04.48 record set by Texas A&M’s Breeja Larson (28.70,31.54, 31.83, 32.41) during prelims of the Phill Hansel Invitational in Nov. 2012.

Great work on comparative splits by USASwimStats on Twitter!

Notably, Reaney’s also smashed her own conference record of 2:05.85 from last November, and demolished Laura Simon’s meet record of 2:08.65 set this morning in prelims. Meanwhile, Simon took second in 2:07.68, while Virginia Tech’s Weronika Paluszek threw down a third-place time of 2:07.81. The 1650 free opened the night with North Carolina’s Stephanie Peacock blasting a 9:28.76 at the 1000-yard mark to break the NCAA and ACC record in that event. She held the previous mark with a 9:28.92 from Dec. 2012. Virginia’s Leah Smith, however, stayed within striking distance and then overhauled Peacock down the final 100 yards. Peacock led Smith by nearly 10 seconds 1:46.63 to 14:54.30 heading into the last splits. Smith then threw down a 27.76, 25.93 compared to Peacock’s 31.65, 33.50, as she couldn’t hang on for the win. Florida State’s Madison Jacobi rounded out the top three in 16:02.92, while Virginia’s Alison Haulsee took fourth out of the slower seeded heats with a 16:09.36. That’s Virginia’s second straight win in the event, and first back-to-back since Virginia won the event from 2000-04. North Carolina later explained via Twitter that Peacock fell ill during the 1650-yard freestyle, hence her rough finish.

 

Peacock wound up being taken away from the meet on a stretcher following the swim. North Carolina will not comment on the issue, citing confidentiality laws. This is the second straight year that Peacock has had to deal with a health issue as an unknown medical situation also forced her out of the NCAA Championships last year shortly after pulling out of ACCs altogether.

Virginia picked up another crown when defending champion Courtney Bartholomew threw down a 1:52.37 to win the women’s 200-yard backstroke. That swim nearly eclipsed Mei Christensen’s 2009 meet record of 1:52.22. It’s obvious that Bartholomew is saving up for NCAAs, however, as she dropped a ridiculous conference mark of 1:50.55 just last November and could be vying for a national title next month. North Carolina’s Annie Harrison checked in with a second-place time of 1:54.55, while Virginia’s Caroline Kenney claimed third overall in 1:55.09.

Another champion defending their title when Florida State’s Tiffany Oliver raced her way to a 48.54 to win the women’s 100-yard free. She had to put it into high gear down the stretch with a 25.05 as she turned in the middle of the pack. She’s the first Seminole to ever defend a conference sprint title for the women. North Carolina’s Lauren Earp captured second overall in 48.67, while Virginia’s Emily Lloyd snared third in 48.82.

North Carolina followed the stunning swim by Reaney with a 1-2 in the women’s 200-yard fly. Meredith Hoover took home the title in 1:55.01, while Cari Blalock claimed second-place honors in 1:55.42. Florida State’s Chelsea Britt dropped a third-place time of 1:55.51 in an incredibly close finale.

Women’s platform diving provided a break before the final 400-yard freestyle relay of the night. Florida State’s Katrina Young won the title with 364.70 points, while Miami’s Cheyenne Cousineau finished second with 311.85. Virginia Tech’s Kaylea Arnett wound up third with 311.75 points.

North Carolina’s Lauren Earp, Hannah Lincoln, Allyn Hardesty and Danielle Siverling won the 400-yard free relay to close the night with a 3:14.39. NC State’s Natalie Labonge, Alexia Zevnik, Lotta Nevalainen and Riki Bonnema placed second in 3:14.96, while Florida State’s Tiffany Oliver, McKayla Lightbourn, Julia Henkel and Kaitlyn Dressel picked up third in 3:15.76.

In men’s diving, where points will transition to next week’s men’s ACC Championships, Duke’s Nick McCrory completed a sweep in his final ACC meet with 492.95 points to top the platform event. This after taking home the one meter and three meter the previous two days. Miami’s Tanner Wilfong stood second with 466.10 points, while Virginia Tech’s Ryan Hawkins placed third with 451.65 points.

Heading into ACCs next weekend, Virginia Tech’s divers spotted their swimmers 205 points with Florida State second with 169 points. Miami (156), Duke (125) and Virginia (102) rounded out the top five. North Carolina (98), Notre Dame (78), Pittsburgh (75), Georgia Tech (55) and NC State (23) also scored points from the boards.

Results For: Atlantic Coast Conference Women’s: Day Four

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