NC State Cruises to Wins Over Duke Saturday; Suited Time Trial Occured Friday

NC State Wolfpack Def. Duke Blue Devils

• North Carolina State and Duke
• Casey Aquatic Center, Raleigh, NC
• SCY (25 Yards)
• Meet Mobile: NCSU vs Duke 2022
• Meet Results (pdf)

North Carolina State University hosted Duke University on Saturday, January 15th. Neither team suited up today. This was NC State’s first meet since their mid-season invitational. Duke competed in a tri-meet with Queens University of Charlotte and Tennessee on January 8th. 

NC State came away with victories on both sides. The NC State men won 177-112 and the women won 174-126. The NC State men exhibitioned their races after the 200 breaststroke. 

Men

The NC State men dominated the meet, winning every event up until they began to exhibition races. Freshman Sam Hoover led the way as he captured individual victories in the 200 freestyle (1:36.25) and the 100 freestyle (43.84). Senior Rafal Kusto also won two individual events. Those wins included the 100 (53.84) and 200 (1:58.00) breaststrokes. 

The Duke men were led by freshman Michael Jiang who won the 200 IM in a time of 1:49.79. That time would still have won even if NC State did not exhibition the event. Jiang out touched NC State’s Noah Bowers who swam a time of 1:49.83. Jiang also earned a second place finish in the 500 freestyle (4:34.80) finishing behind fellow teammate Brendan Driscoll who won in a time of 4:33.88.

NC State’s Bayne Bennett won both diving events. He scored a 343.73 in the 1 meter and a 362.03 in the 3 meter.

Other first place finishes include:

• 400 medley relay: NC State (3:11.32)
• 1000 freestyle: Will Gallant, NC State (9:00.89)
• 100 backstroke: Noah Bowers, NC State (49.45)
• 200 butterfly: Noah Henderson, NC State (1:46.01)
• 50 freestyle: David Curtiss, NC State (19.63)
• 200 backstroke: Mikey Moore, NC State (1:45.26)
• 100 butterfly: Charlie Gingrich, Duke (48.97)
• 200 free relay: Duke, 1:21.35

Women

The NC State women were led by junior Katharine Berkoff. Individually, Berkoff won the 100 backstroke in a time of 52.45 as well as the 200 backstroke in a time of 1:55.13. She also led off the winning 400 medley relay (3:37.36) in a time of 52.17. She finished the meet leading off the 200 freestyle relay (1:32.23) in a time of 22.84. Berkoff currently holds the #5 time in the 100 backstroke and the #7 time in the 200 backstroke in the NCAA this season.

Sophomores Abby Arens and Abbey Webb each captured individual victories for NC State as well. Individually, Arens won the 200 butterfly (1:58.18) and the 100 butterfly (53.93). She also was on the winning medley relay with Berkoff as well, splitting a 52.98 on the butterfly leg. Webb captured individual victories in the 200 (1:48.43), 50 (23.45), and 100 (49.85) freestyles. She also was on the 200 freestyle relay with Berkoff splitting a 22.83 on the second leg.

The Duke women were led by sophomore Sarah Foley, freshman diver Margo O’Meara, and freshman Yi Xuan Chang as they each captured individual victories. O’Meara won both the 1 meter in a score of 325.35 and the 3 meter in a score of 340.65. Chang won both the 500 freestyle (4:53.64) and the 200 IM (2:02.08). Foley won the 200 breaststroke in a time of 2:12.82.

Other first-place finishes include:

• 1000 freestyle: Brooke Travis, NC State (10:05.44)
• 100 breaststroke: Andrea Podmanikova, NC State (1:01.97)

Friday Exhibition

• Results (pdf)

Before the scheduled dual meet, NC State also hosted Duke for exhibition races on Friday, January 14th. Duke suited their swimmers, and almost all of the NC State swimmers suited. 

The highlight of the exhibition for Duke was sophomore Sarah Foley earning a school record in the 400 IM with a time of 4:08.97. That time also places her 23rd in the NCAA this season. Foley also swam to a time of 1:45.94 in the 200 freestyle placing her 28th in the NCAA this season. 

NC State also made some waves with times that could make the cut for NCAAs. Graduate student Kate Moore swam just faster than Duke’s Foley did in the 400 IM as she out touched Foley in a time of 4:08.92. That time ranks her at 22nd in the NCAA this season. Sophomore Luke Miller swam a time of 1:43.25 in the 200 butterfly ranking him 21st this season. Junior Nyls Korstanje swam a time of 42.62 in the 100 freestyle ranking him 22nd in the NCAA this season. 

NC State will be back in action on January 22nd at Virginia, and Duke has their next meet scheduled for January 28th at home against North Carolina.