2023 ACC Championships: Day 5 Finals Live Recap

2023 ACC SWIMMING AND DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Tuesday, February 14 to Saturday, February 18, 2023
• Greensboro Aquatic Center, Greensboro, North Carolina
• Defending Champions:
  • Women: Virginia (3x)
  • Men: NC State (results)
• Full Event Schedule
• Championship Central
• Psych Sheets
• Live Results
• Live Streaming

DAY 5 FINALS HEAT SHEETS

On day 5 of the 2023 ACC Championships, we’ve got exciting matchups in the 1650 free, 200 back, 100 free, 200 breast, and 400 free relay. As competition comes to a close, the UVA women and NC state men are almost guaranteed to run away with conference titles, and both teams could potentially break the record for most points ever scored at this meet.

Individually, the matchup of the night looks to be the women’s 100 free. Sprint teammates and rivals Kate Douglass and Gretchen Walsh are the top two seeds, while Aimee Canny and Lexi Cuomo will be in the ‘A’ final as well—whoever wins between the two will likely be on the 400 free relay with Douglass and the Walsh sisters. On the men’s side of the 100 free, Youssef Ramadan enters as the top seed and looks to defend his title, while Notre Dame’s Chris Guiliano, who has been having a big breakout meet, enters as the second seed.

The women’s 200 breast is headlined by stars like Alex Walsh and Ella Nelson, who finished just 0.08 seconds apart from each other in prelims. Walsh’s championship record time of 2:03.02 could be in danger tonight, and if she manages to get under 2:03, she will be the third woman in history to do so. Carles Coll Marti is the top seed in the men’s 200 breast, with 100 breast champ and newly-minted ACC record holder Noah Nichols in second.

In the men’s 200 back, Nico Garcia and Jack Aikins were separated by just 0.08 in prelims, while the women’s 200 back will be a race between top seed Kennedy Noble, defending champ Reilly Tiltmann, Emma Muzzy, and Emma Atkinson. We’ve also got some of our distance stars like Will Gallant, Ross Dant, and Liberty Williams competing in the 1650 free to open up the night.

The 400 free relay will be final race, where the UVA  women and the NC State men are heavily favored to win. In addition, the UVA women will be on NCAA record watch once more.

WOMEN’S 1650 FREE

• NCAA Record: 15:03.31, Katie Ledecky (STAN) — 2017 Art Adamson Invite
• ACC Record: 15:25.30, Leah Smith (UVA) — 2016 ACC Championships
• ACC Championship Record: 15:25.30, Leah Smith (UVA) — 2017
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 15:52.51
• 2022 NCAA Invite Time: 16:16.47

Top 8:

1. Deniz Ertan, Georgia Tech — 15;55.77
2. Maddie Donohoe, UVA — 15:59.54
3. Liberty Williams, Louisville — 16:03.60
4. Emma Hastings, NC State — 16:08.90
5. Chase Travis, Virginia Tech — 16:13.69
6. Maggie Graves, Notre Dame — 16:14.95
7. Claire Tuggle, UVA — 16:15.91
8. Sophia Knapp, UVA — 16:18.14

After winning the 500 free earlier this week, Deniz Ertan won a second ACC title in the mile, placing first by over a second in a time of 15:55.77. This race was her first time ever getting under 16 minutes, beating out her school record time of 16:04.82 from midseasons.

In second was UVA’s Maddie Donohoe who also dipped under 16 minutes for the first time this season, while defending champion Liberty Williams finished third.

NC State freshman Emma Hastings had a huge drop to place fourth in a time of 16:08.90, as her best time before ACCs was a 16:24.22.

MEN’S 1650 FREE:

• NCAA Record: 14:12.08, Bobby Finke (FLOR) — 2020 SEC Championships
• ACC Record: 14:24.43, Anton Ipsen (NCST) — 2018 NCAA Championships
• ACC Championships Record: 14:27.93, Zachary Yeadon (ND) — 2020
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 14:37.31
• 2022 NCAA Invite Time: 14:55.21

Top 8:

1. Will Gallant, NC State — 14:34.82
2. Mert Kilavuz, Georgia Tech — 14:41.50
3. Ross Dant, NC State — 14:45.57
4. Jack Hoagland, Notre Dame — 14:48.82
5. Owen Lloyd, NC State — 14:50.21
6. Ilia Sibirtsev, Louisville — 14:58.70
7. James Plage, NC State — 15:03.57
8. Yordan Yanchev, Florida State — 15:08.13

Will Gallant successfully defended his ACC title in the mile, clocking a 14:34.82 t0 beat out Victor Johansson’s 14:39.63 as the top time in the nation this season. He was just a second off of his winning time of 14;33.40 from last year.

Update: Gallant’s time is now #2 in the nation, behind Levi Sandidge’s 14:31.47.

Gallant dominated this race from start to finish, though Ross Dant was close behind him for the first 500 yards of the race. Dant eventually faded to third and finished nearly ten seconds after Gallant in a tjme of 14:45.57 (he went 14:36.71 at this meet last year). During the race, ESPN commentator Amy Van Dyken mentioned that Dant has been sick throughout this meet, which should explain why he’s been off his best times at this meet.

Georgia Tech’s Mert Kilavuz ended up in second with a 14:41.50, less than a second off his best time of 14:40.99 from 2022 NCAAs. 2021 ACC Champ Jack Hoagland found himself in the top four after being out all season last year with an injury, clocking a 14:48.82.

The highest finisher from the early heats was Owen Lloyd, who placed fifth overall. He dropped 0.04 seconds from his best time.

WOMEN’S 200 BACKSTROKE

• NCAA Record: 1:47.24, Beata Nelson (WISC) – 2019 NCAA Championships
• ACC Record: 1:49.09, Alexia Zevnik (NCST) – 2017 NCAA Championships
• ACC Championship Record: 1:49.61, Alexia Zevnik (NCST) – 2017
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:50.50
• 2022 NCAA Invite Time: 1:53.97

Top 8:

1. Kennedy Noble, NC State — 1:50.24
2. Emma Muzzy, NC State — 1:50.96
3. Reilly Tiltmann, UVA — 1:51.05
4. Paige Hetrick, Louisville — 1:51.70
5. Rye Ulett, Louisville — 1:52.24
6. Emma Atkinson, Virginia Tech — 1:52.68
7. Ella Bathurst, UVA — 1:53.37
8. Sophie Lindner, UNC — 1:54.95

NC State freshman Kennedy Noble and senior Emma Muzzy were engaged in a tight battle for the first half of this race, with Muzzy touching 0.05 seconds ahead of Noble at the 100-yard mark. However, Noble had a massive final 50, where she outsplit Muzzy 28.19 to 28.70 to take the win in a time of 1:50.24 while Muzzy placed second.

This race was Noble’s first time ever getting under 1:51, a drop from her best time of 1:51.39 from prelims. Prior to ACCs, her best time in the 200 back was a 1:51.91.

Reilly Tiltmann, last year’s ACC champion, placed third in a season-best time of 1:51.05, while Paige Hetrick swam sub-1:52 for the first time in her career to place fourth.

MEN’S 200 BACKSTROKE

• NCAA Record: 1:35.73, Ryan Murphy (CAL) – 2016 NCAA Championships
• ACC Record: 1:37.31, Coleman Stewart (NCST) – 2020 ACC Championships
• ACC Championship Record: 1:37.31, Coleman Stewart (NCST) – 2020
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:39.13
• 2022 NCAA Invite Time: 1:40.92

Top 8:

1. Nico Garcia, Virginia Tech — 1;39.49
2. Kacper Stokowski, NC State — 1:39.94
3. Jack Aikins, UVA — 1:40.11
4. Hunter Tapp, NC State — 1:40.44
5. Berke Saka, Georgia Tech — 1:40.50
6. Forest Webb, Virginia Tech — 1:41.40
7. Tommy Janton, Notre Dame — 1:41.44
8. Mikey Moore, NC State — 1:42.68

For 175 yards of the men’s 200 back, it seemed as if Jack Aikins was going to win his first ACC title—he was in control of the race and leading by over a second at the 150 mark. However, Nico Garcia exploded on the final turn, outsplitting Aikins 25.11 to 26.93 and taking the win. This was a massive comeback for Garcia, who was in fifth place at the halfway mark.

Garcia’s time of 1:39.49 was a massive personal best for him, beating the 1:40.42 time he swam in prelims. Coming into this meet, his PB was a 1:41.00.

The swimmer with the fastest closing speed in the field was actually Kacper Stokowski, who took second out of lane eight with a 25.03-second final lap.

This year marks Aikins’ second year in a row getting run down by a Virginia Tech swimmer in the 200 back, as last year, he was leading by half a second at the 100-yard mark but ended up finishing second to the now-graduated Sam Tornqvist.

WOMEN’S 100 FREESTYLE

• NCAA Record: 45.56, Simone Manuel (STAN) – 2017 NCAA Championships
• ACC Record: 46.05, Gretchen Walsh (UVA) – 2022 NCAA Championships
• ACC Championship Record: 46.57, Mallory Comerford (UL) – 2019
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 47.18
• 2022 NCAA Invite Time: 48.44

Top 8:

1. Kate Douglass, UVA — 45.86
2. Gretchen Walsh, VUVA — 46.32
3. Katharine Berkoff, NC State — 47.02
4. Gabi Albiero, Louisville — 47.06
5. Christiana Regenauer, Louisville — 47.47
6. Lexi Cuomo, UVA — 47.72
7. Aimee Canny, UVA — 48.16
8. Abbey Webb, NC State — 48.17

Kate Douglass became the third woman in history to break the 46-second barrier tonight, clocking a 45.86 to take the win. The only two swimmers who have been faster than her include Simone Manuel (45.56) and Erika Brown (45.83).

Gretchen Walsh, largely powered by underwaters, was leading Douglass by 0.14 seconds after the first 25. However, Douglass was better on her turns and faster on the surface. and gained the lead at the 100—she opened in 22.07 compared to Walsh’s 22.12. Douglass then extended her lead on her last 50, while Walsh finished second.

Walsh’s time of 46.32 was her second-fastest performance ever, just behind the 46.05 she swam to win NCAAs last year. Douglass dropped a significant amount off her own best time of 46.30.

In third was Katharine Berkoff, while Gabi Albiero dropped from her best time of 46.32 to go 47.06 and place fourth.

Notably, Lexi Cuomo beat Aimee Canny by 0.44 seconds, which means that the fourth spot on UVA’s 400 free relay might go to her. Cuomo added 0.01 seconds from her prelims time, while Canny added 0.11.

MEN’S 100 FREESTYLE

• NCAA Record: 39.90, Caeleb Dressel (FLOR) – 2018 NCAA Championships
• ACC Record: 41.05, Ryan Held (NCST) – 2018 NCAA Championships
• ACC Championship Record: 41.41, Ryan Held (NCST) – 2018
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 41.64
• 2022 NCAA Invite Time: 42.34

Top 8:

1. Youssef Ramadan, Virginia Tech — 41.33
2. Matt Brownstead, UVA — 41.72
3. Chris Guiliano, Notre Dame — 41.85
4. Luke Miller, NC State — 41.87
5. Michael Eastman, Louisville — 42.23
6. David Curtiss/Noah Henderson, NC State — 42.44
8. Tim Connery, UVA — 42.51

Youssef Ramadan repeated his finish from last year in the 100 free, winning in a time of 41.33. This is a new personal best for him, beating the 41.69 he swam in prelims and the 41.72 he swam at NCAAs last year. In addition, he also broke Ryan Held’s ACC meet record by 0.08 seconds.

Ramadan led for the majority of this race, opening in 19.72 as the only swimmer in the field sub-20 on the first 50. He then closed with a 21.61 split.

Finishing second was Matt Brownstead, who clocked a 41.72 to go sub-42 for the first time this season. Chris Guiliano continues to drop time at this meet, taking 0.09 seconds off his best time from prelims to place third.

NC State’s Bartosz Piszczorowicz won the ‘B’ final in a time of 41.98, which would have placed fifth in the ‘A’ final.

David Curtiss, a swimmer known for being substantially better in the 50 free than the 100 free, continues to drop in the latter event—he tied for sixth with a new personal best of 42.44. He came into this meet with a 42.70 PB.

WOMEN’S 200 BREASTSTROKE

• NCAA Record: 2:01.87, Kate Douglass (UVA) – 2022 Tennessee Invitational
• Note that Douglass’ time of 2:01.43 is a U.S. Open Record but not the official NCAA Record since it was done in a time trial.
• ACC Record: 2:01.87, Kate Douglass (UVA) – 2022 Tennessee Invitational
• ACC Championship Record: 2:03.02, Alex Walsh (UVA) – 2022
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 2:06.18
• 2022 NCAA Invite Time: 2:09.15

Top 8:

1. Alex Walsh, UVA — 2:03.68
2. Kaelyn Gridley, Duke — 2:06.74
3. Andrea Podmanikova, NC State — 2:06.77
4. Sally Foley, Duke — 2:06.81
5. Anna Keating, UVA — 2:08.04
6. Emma Weber, UVA — 2:10.64
7. Heather MacCausland, NC State — 2:12.22

Though Andrea Podmanikova was first by 0.03 seconds at the 50 mark, Alex Walsh had control over the rest of the race, doubling her lead from the 100 to the 200-yard mark. She set a time of 2:03.68, which beats out her season-best of 2:03.93 and is her #2 performance ever behind the 2:03.03 she swam at last year’s ACCs.

Ella Nelson had touched the wall second with a 2:04.79, but was DQed for a false start. That moved up Duke’s Kaelyn Gridley to third. Gridley dropped over a second in her swim, clocking a 2:06.74 to beat her personal best of 2:07.82 from midseasons. Podmanikova was third with a 2:06.77, while Sarah Folley placed fourth to give Duke a 2-4 finish in this race.

MEN’S 200 BREASTSTROKE

• NCAA Record: 1:47.91, Will Licon (TEX) – 2017 NCAA Championships
• ACC Record: 1:49.69, Carles Coll Marti (VT) – 2022 NCAA Championships
• ACC Championship Record: 1:51.26, Evgenii Somov (UL) – 2021
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:51.54
• 2022 NCAA Invite Time: 1:53.23

Top 8:

1. Denis Petrashov, Louisville — 1:50.51
2. Carles Coll Marti, Virginia Tech — 1:50.90
3. Noah Nichols, UVA — 1:51.97
4. AJ Pouch, Virginia Tech — 1:52.37
5. Max Iida, UVA — 1:53.26
6. Cooper Van Der Laan, Pitt — 1:53.50
7. Keith Myburgh, Virginia Tech — 1:53.77
8. Jerry Chen, Pitt — 1:55.41

In the men’s 200 breast, Denis Petrashov did what Noah Nichols did to Carles Coll Marti in the 100 breast—run Coll Marti down on the final 50.

Defending champ Coll Marti and Nichols were ahead of Petrashov at the 100-yard mark, clocking splits of 53.10 and 53.42 respectivley compared to Petrashov’s 53.68. Coll Marti was still winning by 0.45 seconds at the 150, but Petrashov outsplit Coll Marti 28.52 to 29.36 to take the win.

Petrashov swam a time of 1:50.51, which is over a second improvement from his personal bet of 1:51.89 set last year at ACCs and also takes down Evgenii Somov‘s ACC record. Coll Marti finished second, while Nichols swam under 1:52 for the first time ever to take third. Coming into the meet, Nichols’s best time was a 1:52.62.

Arsenio Bustos, who has been dropping time like crazy at this meet, won the ‘B’ final with a 1:52.34. That time would have finished fourth in the ‘A’ final, and is over a second better than his PB of 1:53.44 coming into this meet.

MEN’S PLATFORM DIVING

• ACC Record: 548.90, Nick McRory, Duke — 2011
• ACC Championships Record: 523.95, Nick McRory, Duke — 2010

Top 8:

1. Max Flory, Miami — 395.60
2. Farouk Farouk, Miami — 390.45
3. Noah Zawadzki, Virginia Tech — 384.45
4. Cameron Cash, Pitt — 373.20
5. Seamus Harding, Duke — 367.50
6. Patrick O’Brien, NC State — 336.20
7. Elijah Klier, Georgia Tech — 316.55
8. Ben Nguyen, Notre Dame — 306.05

Miami showed their diving prowess in this men’s platform competition, as teammates Max Flory and Farouk Farouk finished 1-2. In third was Virginia Tech’s Noah Zawadzki.

WOMEN’S 400 FREE RELAY

• NCAA Record: 3:06.91, Virginia — 2022 NCAA Championships
• ACC Record: 3:06.91, Virginia — 2022 NCAA Championships
• ACC Championships Record: 3:08.22, Virginia — 2022
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 3:14.10

Top 8:

1. Virginia — 3:06.83
2. Louisville — 3:08.92
3. NC State — 3:10.04
4. Virginia Tech — 3:13.62
5. UNC — 3:14.97
6. Duke — 3:15.86
7. Florida State — 3:17.34
8. Notre Dame — 3:18.00

At this point we sound like a broken record, but Gretchen Walsh (46.41), Kate Douglass (46.35), Lexi Cuomo (47.00), and Alex Walsh (47.07) took down yet another US Open, NCAA, and American record, this time in the 400 free relay. Their final time of 3:06.83 clipped their former record time set at NCAAs last year by 0.08 seconds.

Cuomo, who was put on this relay over Aimee Canny, split 0.15 seconds slower than Canny’s 46.85 from last night—but it’s not really a big deal considering how marginal the difference between the two swimmers is. That being said, the fact that UVA nearly has five swimmers capable of splitting 46 shows just how good they are.

Louisville’s Gabi Albiero (46.95), Christiana Regenauer (47.11), Julia Dennis (47.87), and Ella Welch (46.99) placed second in a time of 3:08.92. Albiero’s leadoff leg was 0.08 seconds faster than his individual 100 free time of 47.03, and it marked her first time ever swimming sub-47. Welch, a freshman, also had a big sub-47 split. Louisville is now the third-fastest team ever in this relay, behind Virginia and Stanford.

Rounding out the podium was NC State’s Katharine Berkoff (47.04), Abbey Webb (48.31), Kylee Alons (47.28), and Abby Arens (47.41), who finished third in a time of 3:10.04.

MEN’S 400 FREE RELAY

• NCAA Record: 2:44.31, NC State — 2018 NCAA Championships
• ACC Record: 2:44.31, NC State — 2018 NCAA Championships
• ACC Championships Record: 2:45.69, NC State — 2018
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 2:50.52

Top 8:

1. NC State — 2:47.32
2. Virginia Tech — 2:48.06
3. Louisville — 2:48.94
4. Virginia — 2:49.15
5. Notre Dame — 2:50.14
6. Florida Sate — 2:50.71
7. Pitt — 2:51.81
8. Georgia Tech — 2:52.72

The NC State men closed off their ACC-title winning run with another relay victory, as Bartosz Piczczrowicz (42.04), Luke Miller (41.61), David Curtiss (42.09), and Noah Henderson (41.58) combined for a time of 2:47.32 to give the Wolfpack a full relay sweep at this meet.

The Pack were challenged early on by Virginia Tech, Louisville, and Virginai, but Henderson’s 41.5 anchor widened the gap by a significant margin on the final 100.

Virginia Tech’s Youssef Ramadan (42.00), Carles Coll Marti (42.33), Luis Dominguez Calonge (41.81), and Mario Molla Yanes (41.92) finished second, Louisville’s Michael Eastman (42.21), Guy Brooks (42.35), Dalton Lowe (42.53), and Abdelrahman Elaraby (41.85) were third, while Virginia’s Matt Brownstead (42.48), Tim Connery (41.96), August Lamb (42.32), and Jack Aikins (42.39) were fourth.

The only sub-42 leadoff leg came from Notre Dame’s Chris Guiliano, who went 41.99.

Final Scores

Women:

1. Virginia — 1536
2. NC State — 1272
3. Louisville — 1077.5
4. UNC — 813
5. Duke — 718.5
6. Virginia Tech — 654
7. Florida State — 586
8. Notre Dame — 539
9. Georgia Tech — 388
10. Miami — 332
11. Pitt — 315
12. Boston College — 179

Men:

1. NC State — 1615
2. Virginia Tech — 1008
3. Louisville — 981.5
4. Virginia — 946
5. Notre Dame — 799.5
6. Florida State — 661
7. Pitt — 660.5
8. UNC — 514
9. Georgia Tech — 484.5
10. Duke — 321
11. Miami — 210
12. Boston College — 158

As expected, the UVA women and the NC State women took home the ACC titles, with both teams scoring the highest point totals in ACC conference championships history. UVA’s Kate Douglass was named the most valuable female swimmer, while Youssef Ramadan of Virginia Tech won the award on the men’s side.