Peter Varjasi Posts Strong Freestyle Times as Florida State Sweeps Georgia Tech

Peter Varjasi -- Photo Courtesy: NCAA Media

Peter Varjasi Posts Strong Freestyle Times as Florida State Sweeps Georgia Tech

In a matchup of Atlantic Coast Conference teams Friday afternoon in Tallahassee, Fla., the host Florida State Seminoles easily defeated the Georgia Tech women and men. After falling to the Georgia Bulldogs last week, FSU won the women’s meet 235 to 65, while the men came out on top 221-78. Florida State had a host of multi-event winners in the effort.

Noles senior Peter Varjasi swam a pair of quick marks in the 200 freestyle (1:34.54) and 100 free (42.83), with both marks ranking among the top-six times in the country this season, and Varjasi also swam on a pair of winning relay efforts (200 medley relay and 400 free relay). Freshman Tommaso Baravelli was a triple-winner as he claimed the 100 breaststroke (53.79), 200 breast (1:55.42) and 200 IM (1:46.96). Mason Herbet won the 100 back (46.25) and 100 butterfly (46.90).

On the women’s side, Edith Jernstedt took first in the 200 fly (1:56.72), 100 fly (53.14) and 200 IM (1:59.44), while Maddie McDonald swept the 100 back (54.24) and 200 back (1:57.02) and Zsofia Kurdi was the dominant sprint freestyler with wins in the 50 free (22.98) and 100 free (50.00). Samantha Vear won 1-meter and 3-meter diving.

Full Results

Read the full press release from Florida State below:

The No. 21/NR Florida State swimming and diving teams won its first ACC dual meets of the season, defeating Georgia Tech on Friday at the Morcom Aquatics Center.

Both teams donned pink caps to ‘Paint it Pink’, as the 21st-ranked men (2-1, 1-0 ACC) defeated the Yellow Jackets 221-78 and the women (4-1, 1-0 ACC) won 235-65.

The Seminoles accounted for seven Morcom Aquatics Center pool records and 30 total event wins.

“Today was a great day for us,” FSU head coach Neal Studd said. “We had a lot of pool records, had some best times and season bests. The team atmosphere was incredible. I am really proud of the work we did today.”

Peter Varjasi swam two pool records, first setting a new mark in the 200 free, touching at 1:34.54, taking down Conor Dwyer’s (Florida) standard of 1:34.70 that was set back on Nov. 23, 2010. Varjasi later lowered his own record in the 100 free, touching at 42.83 after establishing a new mark last week at 43.60.

Rookie Tommasso Baravelli also accounted for two records. The Italian first broke the 200 breast record touching at 1:55.42. He bested the 1:56.32 that was set by Rob Holderness back on Nov. 23, 2010.

Baravelli later clipped the mark set by Mason Herbet (1:47.35) in January in the 200 IM, touching at 1:46.96. His 200 breast is the fourth-fastest in FSU history, while his 200 IM time ties for 10th.

Arijus Pavlidi set a new pool record in the 200 back, touching at 1:43.37, erasing Ian Crum’s (Georgia) mark of 1:44.71 that was established last week.

After lowering her own Morcom Aquatics Center Pool Record against No. 15 Georgia, Edith Jernstedt swam faster in the 200 fly, finishing first at 1:56.72.

Julia Mansson swam a personal best in the 200 breast, touching at 2:09.68 setting a new pool record. Mansson bested the mark of 2:12.58 that was set by Nina Kucheran on Oct. 15, 2021. Her swim is also the third-fastest in FSU history.

The women’s team started off with a one-two finish in the 200 medley relay. The top team of Sarah Evans, Mansson, Jenny Halden and Gloria Muztio touched at 1:38.88 for first ahead of Tania Quaglieri, Maddy Huggins, Aryanna Fernandes and Zsofia Kurdi (1:39.40) in second.

Georgia Tech won the 1000 free, but the Seminoles answered by winning the next five races before the break, starting with a first and second place showing in the 200 free, led by Anna Metzler (1:49.13) in first and Muzito (1:49.76).

The Noles swept the 100 back as Maddie McDonald touched first at 54.24 followed by Quaglieri (54.35) and Evans (54.87). McDonald was later victorious in the 200 back leading the sweep, ahead of Metzler (1:59.96) and Sydney Cole (2:00.28).

Mansson (1:00.84) and Huggins (1:01.21) went one-two in the 100 breast behind season-best swims. Mansson’s mark ties her for ninth all-time with FSU Hall of Fame member Emma Dutton.

Kurdi won the 50 free (22.98) followed by Alexandra Dicks (23.11) in second, and Fernandes (23.51) in third.

Following the break, Kurdi came back to win the 100 free (50.00) ahead of Muzito (50.36) in second and Brooke Arnold (50.77) in third.

Huggins paced the 200 breast with Mansson, touching in second at 2:10.31, which was her personal best by two seconds. She now holds the fourth-fastest time in school history.

Phoebe Griffiths led the sweep of the 500 free, clocking a 4:54.33 ahead of Ella Dyjak (4:57.01) and Julia Brzozowski (4:57.57).

Jernstedt added another win in the 100 fly (53.14), and Sophie Freeman (54.42) followed in second place. Following the second break, Jernstedt led the way in the 200 IM (1:59.44), just missing the pool record (1:59.31). Metzler followed in second (2:00.33) and Sydney VanOvermeiren (2:03.16) took third.

On the boards, Darwin Nolasco and Jesco Helling split the men’s victories. Nolasco was the winner on 1-meter, scoring 315.83 ahead of Helling in second (310.80). Helling outscored his teammate by almost three points on 3-meter, winning with a score of 356.85 ahead of Nolasco at 353.63.

Samantha Vear stepped up and won both women’s diving events, winning 1-meter with a score of 278.48 and 3-meter at 329.40. Izzy Gregersen turned in the second-highest score for the Noles in both events, tallying 256.20 for third on 1-meter and 283.80 for second on 3-meter.

“We had a good day today,” FSU head diving coach John Proctor said. “Sammy dove a big list today and Darwin has been stepping up and has been diving really well.”

The men swept the 200 medley relay to start the meet, as Herbet, Jaydon Cunningham, Domen Demsar and Varjasi clocked a 1:25.97.

Herbet (46.25), Pavlidi (47.88) and Max Wilson (48.33) put together a sweep of the 100 back, and Baravelli was the winner in the 100 breast at 53.79.

FSU swept the 200 fly, led by Brennan Hammond (1:46.73), followed by Carlos Vanquez (1:47.36) and Zach Smith (1:48.32).

Ian Cooper (20.14), Jokubas Keblys (20.24), Demsar (20.33) and Eli Butter (20.57) clocked the four-fastest times in the 50 free.

Yordan Yanchev won by almost four second in the 500 free (4:20.15), and Herbet picked up his third win of the day, touching first in the 100 fly (46.90) ahead of Adrian Aguilar (47.63) in second and Hammond (47.63) in third.

The Noles grabbed the win in the 400 free relay behind Varjasi, Yanchev, Pavlidi and Keblys at 2:54.40.

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