Katharine Berkoff Breaks Bartholomew’s 100 Back ACC Meet Record: 50.56

2021 ACC WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIPS

• When: Wednesday, February 17th – Saturday, February 20th | Prelims: 11:00 am | Finals: 7:00 pm (EST) (Except Wednesday’s timed finals, which begin at 5:15 EST)
• Where: Greensboro Aquatic Center, Greensboro, NC
• Defending Champion: University of Virginia (x1) (results)
• Format: 25 Yards/Short Course Yards (SCY)
• Championship Central: Here
• Championship Manual
• Psych Sheets (uncut)
• Live Results
• Day 3 Prelims Results

NC State’s Katharine Berkoff notched a new ACC Championships meet record this morning in the prelims of the 100 backstroke, hitting a 50.56. Her time improved upon Courtney Bartholomew’s 50.74 from the 2016 version of the meet.

Berkoff’s swim was nearly a full second faster than the second-fastest qualifier to the heats as UNC’s Grace Countie swam a 51.46. Additionally, Berkoff was more than a second faster than the 51.64 that she swam in the event to win the 2020 ACC title in the event.

WOMEN’S 100 BACK PRELIMS

• ACC Record: 50.01, Courtney Bartholomew (UVA), 2014
• ACC Meet Record: 50.56, Katharine Berkoff (50.56), 2021
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 50.93
• 2020 Champion: Katharine Berkoff (NCS), 51.64

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Katharine Berkoff (NCS)- 50.56 *ACC Meet Record
2. Grace Countie (UNC)- 51.46
3. Reilly Tiltmann (UVA)- 52.12
4. Caroline Gmelich (UVA)- 52.13
5. Emma Atkinson (VT)- 52.15
6. Danika Huizinga (NCS)- 52.90
7. Caroline Bentz (VT)- 52.93
8. Tania Quaglieri (FSU)- 52.97

While she hit a new ACC meet record, it’s not actually her fastest-ever time in the 100 backstroke, nor is it the ACC conference record. In December 2020, Berkoff hit a 50.40 best time at the Janice Hope Dowd Invitational. The ACC record meanwhile is a 50.01 from Bartholomew in 2014.

Berkoff has yet to crack the top-10 swims all-time list in the 100 backstroke with Maggie MacNeil and Olivia Smoliga sharing the 9th fastest swim of 50.04 from 2020 and 2017, respectively.

This 100 back is Berkoff’s second big swim of the meet, having opened up ACCs with a 23.37 backstroke split on the medley relay, making her the 4th fastest in the event ever.