2019 Women’s ACC Championships: Day 2 Finals 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

The Wolfpack women were out in force this morning, as they earned 13 evening swims, with Julia Poole taking the top seed in the 200 IM, and Ky-Lee Perry posting the fastest time in the 50 free. UVA’s Paige Madden led the heats of the 500, but she’ll be surrounded by NC State swimmers in tonight’s final.

We’ll all see the finals of the 200 free relay tonight. NC State probably should be the favorites, after putting three women in the 50 free A-final and crushing the ACC record in the 200 medley relay last night, but Louisville and UVA could give them a run for their money.

500 Free Final

1. Mallory Comerford (Louisville) – 4:34.63
2. Paige Madden (Virginia) – 4:38.13
3. Kathleen Moore (NC State) – 4:39.10

Mallory Comerford claimed in the post-race interview that she just did her last 500 ever, and if that’s the case, she went out in style, blasting a 4:34.63 to win by over three seconds, pick up a NCAA ‘A’ cut, and put up the fastest time in the country. That’s also a best time for Comerford, whose previous best of 4:35.79 came from the 2017 Winter Nationals.

If Comerford and Louisville head coach Arthur Albiero stick with the apparent decision that Comerford is done with this event, then Comerford almost certainly go after the 50 free, where she’s likely to at least make the A-final, while being able to save some more energy for the 200 free and 400 medley relays that same session.

UVA’s Paige Madden continues to whittle away at her personal best time, dropping almost a second from her prelim time to grab 2nd for the Cavaliers in 4:38.13.

NC State’s Kathleen Moore was the final woman to break 4:40, taking 3rd in 4:39.10. The Wolfpack also got 5th and 6th place finishes from Tamila Holub and Anna Jahns, meaning that they slipped a bit from the projected score based on prelims finishes, but not by much.

200 IM Final

1. Julia Poole (NC State) – 1:55.13
2. Abby Richter (Virginia) – 1:55.92
3. Grace Oglesby (Louisville) – 1:56.33

Julia Poole swam this race almost exactly the same way she did this morning — laying back a bit during the first half of the race, and then dropping the hammer during the back half — but swam that back half almost a second faster and took the win tonight in 1:55.13. She was one of four Wolfpack swimmers in the event, with the other three coming in 4th, 6th, and 7th.

UVA got some help from Abby Richter, who moved up from 4th this morning to 2nd tonight with 1:55.92. 3rd place went to Louisville’s Grace Oglesby, who finished in 1:56.33.

Each of those top three swimmers had returned from last year’s A-final, and each improved on their time and place. Last year, Poole was 3rd in 1:55.76, Richter was 5th in 1:56.31, and Oglesby was 7th in 1:56.77.

The B-final was a much closer race: the top five women were all within half a second of each other, and Miami’s Zorryonna Mason and Notre Dame’s Luciana Thomas tied for the win, both touching in 1:58.79.

50 Free Final

1. Morgan Hill (Virginia) – 21.68
2. Ky-Lee Perry (NC State) – 21.69
3. Kylee Alons (NC State) – 21.81

It was something of an upset here, as NC State’s Ky-Lee Perry looked to be the favorite after putting up a 21.59 this morning, the fastest time by 0.31s. But tonight, Perry couldn’t quite match that time, and UVA’s Morgan Hill dropped a quarter second off her prelims time of 21.93 (also her previous personal best time), touching just ahead of Perry, 21.68 to 21.69.

While that may have been a small blow to NC State, the Wolfpack still big points in this event: freshman Kylee Alons finished 3rd in 21.81, and sophomore Sirena Rowe took 7th in 22.20.

Scores Through Event 6:

1. North Carolina State University 390
2. Louisville, University of 353
3. Virginia, University of 325
4. Notre Dame, University of 272.5
5. Duke University 248.5
6. North Carolina, University of, 227.5
7. Florida State University 219
8. VA Tech 141
9. Georgia Institute of Technolog 115
10. University of Miami (Florida) 112.5
11. Pittsburgh, University of 82
12. Boston College 62

NC State has a sizable lead, and, with three of the top eight in the 50 free, you have to figure they have a good chance to extend their lead by winning the 200 free relay. But, UVA and Louisville are still wishing striking distance, especially if they can get some more points out of their divers.

200 Free Relay Final

1. NC State – 1:26.15
2. Louisville – 1:27.47
3. Virginia – 1:28.60

Like we said, after putting three women in the top eight in the 50 free, NC State had to be the prohibitive favorite here. Sure enough, the Wolfpack quarter rocketed out early and never looked back, setting a new meet and ACC record en route to a 1:26.16 finish.

Perry led off in 21.58, 0.01s faster than her time this morning, and a time that would have won the individual 50 free. Alons put up a scorching 21.19 that gave NC State almost a one second lead halfway through the race, and Rowe (21.42) and Hansson (21.96) easily held off the rest of the field. That’s now the fastest time in the country this season, surpassing Tennessee’s 1:26.51 from the SEC Championships.

Louisville took 2nd in 1:27.47 behind Comerford’s 21.17 split on the 2nd leg, and UVA, who won this event last year by setting the meet and ACC records that NC State broke tonight, took 3rd in 1:28.60, with the entire time, including Hill on the leadoff leg, clocking between 22.0 and 22.2.

Women – Team Rankings – Through Event 7

1. North Carolina State Universit 454
2. Louisville, University of 409
3. Virginia, University of 379
4. Notre Dame, University of 320.5
5. Duke University 300.5
6. North Carolina, University of, 277.5
7. Florida State University 265 8.
VA Tech 181
9. Georgia Institute of Technolog 147
10. University of Miami (Florida) 146.5
11. Pittsburgh, University of 126
12. Boston College 92