Virginia Men Clip 200 Free Relay American Record in Narrow Win Over NC State

Matt Brownstead -- Photo Courtesy: NCAA Media

Virginia Men Clip 200 Free Relay American Record in Narrow Win Over NC State

Minutes after the University of Virginia women swam beat the American record in the 200 freestyle relay, their counterparts on the Cavaliers’ men’s squad matched that feat. The team of Matt Brownstead (18.87), Matt King (18.49), Connor Boyle (18.63) and Augustus Lamb (18.48) swam a time of 1:14.47, three hundredths faster than NC State’s American record of 1:14.50 set in 2018. That team included standout sprinters Ryan Held and Justin Ress as well as Coleman Stewart, now the short course world-record holder in the 100-meter backstroke.

The Virginia men fell just short of the NCAA and U.S. Open records in the event, the 1:14.08 set by Auburn’s Jakob Andkjaer, Gideon Louw, Kohlton Norys and Matt Targett during the high-tech suit era of 2009. Virginia’s time was actually behind the 1:14.36 that Cal swam to win last year’s NCAA title. Neither team was eligible to set the American record because non-U.S. swimmers competed on both squads.

In Wednesday’s race, the Cavalier men needed every bit of that margin to hold off an impressive performance from NC State. David Curtiss led off in 18.79, moving him into the all-time top-20 in the 50 free, and he was followed by Noah Henderson (18.46), Nyls Korstanje (18.54) and Kacper Stokowski (18.80) as NC State finished in 1:14.59. The times by Virginia and NC State were by far the two fastest relays so far this season in college swimming.

Meanwhile, the Louisville team of Abdelrahman Elaraby, Dalton Lowe, Nick Albiero and Michael Eastman placed third in 1:15.98.

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