2019 ACC Championships: Day 2 Prelims Live Recap

2019 ACC WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Wednesday-Sauturday, February 20-23rd
• Greensboro Aquatic Center, Greensboro, NC (Eastern Time Zone)
• Defending Champion: Virginia (1x) (results)
• Psych sheets
• SwimSwam Fan Guide
• Live Results
• Live Video: Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4
• Championship Central

After scoring three divers in the top 7, Florida State leads the women’s ACC after one day. But day 2 should see defending champs Virginia charge, along with top threats NC State and Louisville.

Virginia’s Paige Madden is the top seed in the 500 free at 4:39.19, though she’ll have to face defending champ Mallory Comerford of Louisville. Comerford won the 500 free last year in 4:36.09. She was the top 50 free seed as well, but scratched that event in favor of the 500.

NC State’s Julia Poole is the top returner in the 200 IM. She was third last year behind Leah Goldman (graduated) and Rachael Bradford-Feldman (no longer swimming). But the top seed is currently Louisville’s Grace Oglesby at 1:56.85.

In the 50 free, three of the top four were seniors last year, leaving Louisville’s Casey Fanz as the top returner. But 2017 ACC champ Ky-Lee Perry is healthy again after an injury-riddled 2018 postseason, and held the #2 seed behind the scratched Comerford. Virginia’s Morgan Hill should also be in the hunt.

Keep refreshing this page for live, event-by-event updates of all the swimming from Greensboro.

Women’s 500 Free – Prelims

Top 8 qualifiers:

1. Madden (UVA) – 4:39.08
2. Jahns (NCSU) – 4:39.98
3. Holub (NCSU) – 4:40.92
4. Moore (NCSU) – 4:41.66
5. Comerford (LOU) – 4:42.25
6. Gyorgy (VT) – 4:43.23
7. Dolan (ND) – 4:43.96
8. Lee (DUKE) – 4:44.21

Virginia’s Paige Madden held up as the top 500 freestyler through the morning, cutting about a tenth from her lifetime-best.

NC State is primed to make a points run in this event, stacking three of the top four qualifiers. Anna Jahns was 4:39.98, dropping a full second from her previous best. Sophomore Tamila Holub is third (4:40.92) and Kathleen Moore (4:41.66) sits fourth.

Last year’s champ Mallory Comerford is fifth for Louisville in 4:42.25. Last year, Comerford cut about four seconds from prelims to finals, so watch for her to challenge Madden and the leaders tonight.

There were a few high-profile misses, as well. #3 seed Sophie Cattermole of Louisville added about three seconds to her seed, going 4:45.90 and missing the A final.

We’re expecting the team battle to come down to Virginia, NC State and Louisville. The 500 was undoubtedly a win for NC State, with 3 A finalists and one more scorer in the C final. Louisville put one into the A, one to the B and two in the C, while Virginia will have only one in the A and one in the B.

Women’s 200 IM – Prelims

Top 8 qualifiers:

1. Poole (NCSU) – 1:56.00
2. Hansson (NCSU) – 1:56.61
3. Oglesby (LOU) – 1:56.99
4. Richter (UVA) – 1:57.38
5. Kendzior (LOU) – 1:58.25
6. Morrow (NCSU) – 1:58.54
7. Hauder (UNC) – 1:58.75
8. Horomanski (NCSU) – 1:59.10

NC State sophomore Julia Poole kept the momentum rolling with the morning’s top time in the 200 IM. Poole qualified #1 overall, going 1:56.00. That’s not far off her 1:55.76 that took third last year – and last year, Poole, dropped almost a full second between prelims and finals.

It was another great event for the Wolfpack, with 4 A finalists including the top two qualifiers. Freshman Sophie Hansson was 1:56.61 to take second, ahead of top-seeded Grace Oglesby of Louisville (1:56.99).

NC State also has senior Lindsay Morrow (6th) and Jessica Horomanski (8th) into the A final with drops of more than a second from seed. Louisville will also have senior Alina Kendzior in 5th, and Virginia put sophomore Abigail Richter in fourth with a 1:57.38. Further down the line, NC State adds one C finalist to their four championship finalists. Louisville has two A finalists and a B finalist, while Virginia has one in the A, one in the B and two in the C.

Women’s 50 Free – Prelims

Top 8 qualifiers:

1. Perry (NCSU) – 21.59
2. Alons (NCSU) – 21.90
3. Hill (UVA) – 21.93
4. Marsh (DUKE) – 22.07
5. Braunecker (LOU) – 22.28
6. Visscher (LOU) – 22.30
7. Countie (UNC) – 22.31
8. Rowe (NCSU) – 22.38

The morning has gone about as well as it possibly could for the NC State women. A pair of Ky(-)lees led another 1-2 finish for the Wolfpack, both breaking 22 seconds this morning. Junior Ky-Lee Perry looks back on the warpath after missing this meet last year with injury. Perry was 21.59 this morning, cutting more than two tenths off her lifetime-best and rattling the ACC meet record. On alert tonight: ACC meet record (21.54 from Caitlin Cooper in 2018), ACC record (21.48 from Caroline Baldwin in 2017) and perhaps even the pool record (21.32 from Simone Manuel in 2017).

Perry won this event in 21.80 back in 2017. Her freshman teammate Kylee Alons went 21.90 this morning for the #2 spot. That’s Alons’ first time under 22 seconds.

Virginia’s Morgan Hill went 21.93 to be the last swimmer under 22 this morning. Hill was 6th last year as a sophomore in 22.21. More women have already broken 22 this year than did between prelims and finals in 2017.

Duke’s Alyssa Marsh is close, going 22.07 this morning. Louisville put two into the A final with Avery Braunecker and Jillian Visscher. Meanwhile UNC got Grace Countie into 7th, and NC State put a third A finalist up with Sirena Rowe‘s 22.38.

Last year’s third-place finisher (and top returner) Casey Fanz of Louisville tied for 9th with Duke’s Maddie Hess, each going 22.45.

As we continue to track the team battle, NC State has set themselves up beautifully with 3 A finalists and 1 B finalist, while sneaking in with swimmers in both 8th and 16th. Louisville has 2 As, a B and a C, while Virginia holds 1 A, 1 B and 2 Cs.

We’ll have a more full scoring analysis coming later today. But for now, rough math indicates that NC State has double the A finalists (10) of Louisville (5) tonight, and more than three times as many as UVA (3). Louisville and Virginia should be set up pretty similarly, with 3 B finalists apiece. Virginia has 4 C finalists and Louisville only 3, but Louisville does have that 5-3 edge in A finalists.