{"id":501314,"date":"2022-03-25T16:20:30","date_gmt":"2022-03-25T23:20:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=501314"},"modified":"2022-03-25T19:35:08","modified_gmt":"2022-03-26T02:35:08","slug":"2022-ncaa-mens-championships-nc-states-kacper-stokowski-stuns-field-with-late-charge-to-win-100-back","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/2022-ncaa-mens-championships-nc-states-kacper-stokowski-stuns-field-with-late-charge-to-win-100-back\/","title":{"rendered":"2022 NCAA Men’s Championships: Kacper Stokowski on Sweeping 100 Backstroke Wins with Berkoff ‘NC State Knows How to Coach Backstroke’"},"content":{"rendered":"

The 2022 NCAA Men\u2019s Division I Swimming and Diving Championships continued with the 100-yard backstroke finals from McAuley Aquatic Center on the campus of Georgia Tech in Atlanta.<\/p>\n

The prelims saw the entire field within four tenths of a second apart form each other.<\/p>\n

But it was a late charge from Kacper Stokowski<\/strong> that got him to the wall in 44.04 for the victory for the NC State Wolfpack. Extra sweet after taking second last year.<\/p>\n

“Last year gave me a lot of motivation. Shaine (Casas)<\/strong> wasn\u2019t here, so I Was a little bit lucky. Going to this meet, I just wanted to improve my time from last year. I had a great 50 back, dropped a half-second from my time last year. I knew I could improve my time in the 100 back, and I did. That was a great swim for me, and I\u2019m really happy,” Stokowski said. “The strategy was very simple. I\u2019m a back-halfer. After going pretty damn half on the 50 back , I knew I had the front speed. I was a little worried early in the season when Braden put me in the 200 back group twice a week. I didn\u2019t want to lose my front speed, and I didn\u2019t. I was hoping the practice would work, and it did.”<\/p>\n

Stokowski erupted in the water after looking at the scoreboard, basking in his first NCAA victory.<\/p>\n

“It was all natural. I told my teammates and the coaches, when I touched the wall, it was like I woke up from a long dream. I told myself I want to be a national champ, and today, it happened, so I\u2019m very happy,” he said.<\/p>\n

Stokowski said he wanted to follow what Katharine Berkoff did when she won the same event in the women’s meet last week.<\/p>\n

“We have a great team. I was dreaming about being a national champ with a team that has my back. The team is great. Freshmen stood up, and I\u2019m glad seeing freshman Aidan Hayes<\/strong> going really fast on the 100 fly. David is up there, and Sam Hoover is up there. We have a lot of potential in that class, and I love to train with them, even if they kick my ass sometimes,” he said. “She motivated me a lot, and her boyfriend, Noah Henderson<\/strong>, was laughing, \u2018You have to join her now.\u2019 She motivated me, she texted me. She also got seeded third after prelims going into finals, just like I did. We train together, she motivates me, and I think NC State knows how to coach backstroke.”<\/p>\n

Fresh off of the first part of his double in the 100 butterfly, Indiana\u2019s Brendan Burns<\/strong> was the top seed coming into the race at 44.36, about a second behind Ryan<\/strong> Murphy<\/strong>\u2019s NCAA record that stood until the 400 medley relay<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Florida\u2019s Adam Chaney<\/strong> was 21.02 at the 50 to take the early narrow lead.<\/p>\n

Indiana\u2019s Brendan Burns<\/strong>, doing the second of his double, took second in 44.15, followed by Chaney, who touched the wall in 44.35.<\/p>\n

Cal\u2019s Destin Lasco<\/strong> took fourth in 44.36.<\/p>\n