2021 ACC Women’s Championships: Day 1 Timed Finals Live Recap

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
  • Live Results
  • Psych Sheets (uncut)
  • Day 1 Results

The 2021 ACC Women’s Championships kick off tonight at the Greensboro Aquatic Center with the timed finals of the 200 medley relay and 800 free relay. The Virginia (UVA) Cavalier women are expected to defend their 2020 team title at this meet. Looking at the psych sheets, NC State is seeded second to UVA in both relays. The Wolfpack women are seeded 0.51 seconds behind UVA in the 200 medley relay and just a second in the 800 free relay.

The women’s 3-meter diving and men’s 1-meter diving also took place today before the action in the competition pool.

Women’s 200 Medley Relay – Timed Finals

  • ACC Record: 1:33.91, UVA, 2019
  • ACC Meet Record: 1:34.27, UVA, 2019
  • NCAA “A” Cut: 1:36.40
  • 2020 Champion: UVA, 1:34.27
  1. UVA – 1:32.93 *NCAA Record
  2. NC State – 1:33.52
  3. Louisville – 1:36.15

Leading off the NC State relay with a No.4 50 back of all-time at 23.37 was sophomore Katharine Berkoff, followed by UVA’s Caroline Gmelich (23.70). NC State junior Sophie Hansson was next in the water with a 26.31 breast split, yet UVA’s Alexis Wenger caught up with a 26.03 to put the relay 0.05s behind NC State. Into the last two legs, Alexa Cuomo went a 22.58 fly while front-runner Kate Douglass anchored in a 20.62 free to give UVA the win in a new NCAA and ACC record time of 1:32.93.

UVA’s relay record tonight eclipsed their own 2019 and 2020 ACC meet records of 1:34.27 and the 2018 NCAA record of 1:33.11 by the Stanford Cardinals.

New NCAA 200 Medley Relay Record – UVA Splits

  • BK: 23.70 (Gmelich)
  • BR: 26.03 (Wenger)
  • FL: 22.58 (Cuomo)
  • FR: 20.62 (Douglass)

Anchoring NC State to second place at 1:33.52 were Sirena Rowe (23.02 fly) and Kylee Alons (20.82 free). That marks a new NC State program record and is now the 3rd-fastest 200 medley relay in history behind UVA’s 1:32.93 and the 2018 Stanford relay of 1:33.11.

Taking third place and tying the NCAA “A” cut time of 1:36.15 was the Louisville relay of Ashlyn Schoof (24.48), Kaylee Wheeler (26.40), Christiana Regenauer (23.65), and Gabi Albiero (21.62). Winning the second heat of three to finish in fourth overall was the Florida State relay at 1:36.97.

Women’s 800 Free Relay – Timed Finals

  • ACC Record: 6:53.75, Louisville, 2018
  • ACC Meet Record: 6:55.22, UVA, 2019
  • NCAA “A” Cut: 7:00.86
  • 2020 Champion: UVA, 6:55.66
  1. UVA – 6:54.31
  2. NC State – 6:58.48
  3. Virginia Tech – 7:03.50

Winning their second relay tonight was UVA, touching in at 6:54.31, taking down their own 2019 ACC meet record of 6:55.22. Contributing to the current No. 1 relay time in the NCAA thus far were senior Kyla Valls (1:44.67), freshman Alex Walsh (1:43.19), senior Paige Madden (1:42.96), and sophomore Ella Nelson (1:43.49). This now marks UVA’s 14th-straight ACC 800 free relay title.

Taking second place also with an NCAA “A” cut and sub-7:00 relay was NC State at 6:58.48, highlighted by Berkoff’s 1:43.72 split. Finishing in third place at 7:03.50 to get the NCAA “B” cut was Virginia Tech.

Men’s 1-Meter Diving Finals

  • ACC Record: 499.95, Nick McCrory (Duke), 2010
  • ACC Meet Record: 499.95, Nick McCrory (Duke), 2010
  • 2020 Champion: Joshua Davidson (Florida State), 382.95

In the prelims, UNC teammates Anton Down-Jenkins and Alexander Hart led the 1-meter event. In finals, UNC finished 1-2 with junior Down-Jenkins taking the ACC title with 425.85 points. Sophomore teammate Hart finished second with 384.45 points. Finishing in third place was Georgia Tech sophomore Ruben Lechuga at 375.45 points.

Another UNC diver, sophomore Fabian Stepinski, picked up points for 7th place in the final with 310.55 points.

Women’s 3-Meter Diving Finals

  • ACC Record: 439.70, Abby Johnston (Duke), 2010
  • ACC Meet Record: 439.70, Abby Johnston (Duke), 2010
  • 2020 Champion: Cami Hidalgo (Georgia Tech), 313.10

Giving UNC another win on the boards tonight was freshman Aranza Vazquez, wining the 3-meter event at 376.30 points. Taking second was Miami sophomore Mia Vallee (363.20 points) and rounding out the top 3 was last year’s champion Georgia Tech senior Cami Hidalgo (347.90 points).

Before UVA won the 200 medley and 800 free relays this evening, UVA senior Jocelyn Porter picked up 24 points for 6th place.

Women’s Team Scores

1. Virginia            165   
2. Duke                144
2. Notre Dame          144   
4. NC State            142
5. Virginia Tech       137   
6. Georgia Tech.       124
6. Louisville.         124   
6. Miami (Fl)          124
9. UNC                 112  
10. Florida State      96
11. Pittsburgh         90  
12. Boston College     60

Men’s Team Scores (After Diving)

1. UNC                 96
2. Virginia Tech       52
3. Florida State       48
4. Miami               45
5. Louisville          34
6. Georgia Tech        32
7. NC State            18
7. Duke                18
9. Pittsburgh          12
10. Notre Dame         7

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Mnswim
3 years ago

Great Swim from UVA!

However, I’m so impressed with NC State! Go pack 🙂

VFL
3 years ago

Would have been a shame, but that 2nd underwater from Gemlich is definitely passed 15m. 😬

Huh
Reply to  VFL
3 years ago

Yeah, who are we to believe? A random person looking at a video at an awkward angle on a computer or 2 officials who are literally standing on the spot with a direct view and have half the number of normal swimmers to look for? Tough decision!

https://swimswam.com/virginia-women-break-ncaa-record-in-200-medley-relay-to-open-acc-championships/#comment-867847

Last edited 3 years ago by Huh
Huhh
Reply to  Huh
3 years ago

The same refs that let uva get away with a -.14 reaction time last year

Huh
Reply to  Huhh
3 years ago

Imagine comparing a false start on a relay exchange vs seeing if someone’s head has come up before 15m. Imagine how much a clown you are to make that comparison.

Huhhh
Reply to  Huh
3 years ago

Because one of those involves human error and another one is with a computer and complex timing system… and the refs refusing to call it

Last edited 3 years ago by Huhhh
Samuli Hirsi
Reply to  Huh
3 years ago

Being official does not mean being immortal, also looking at video can produce ghost visions to see, but to comment idiotically is just stupid.

Ervin
3 years ago

Is the UVA record not an American record also? Are any of them international students?

NC Fan
Reply to  Ervin
3 years ago

The other article just about the record said it was American and US Open record as well

Snarky
Reply to  Ervin
3 years ago

Well, Douglass is from a different planet so who knows?

Yup
Reply to  Ervin
3 years ago

American record.

Gmelich = New Jersey
Whenger = Michigan
Cuomo = Virginia
Douglass = New York

Ervin
3 years ago

lol one of the UVA girls did not look happy/maybe was in shock after they won the medley

Ol' Longhorn
3 years ago

Ok. Berkoff came to play. That lead off back leg and then a 1:43+ relay leg.

Admin
Reply to  Ol' Longhorn
3 years ago

Yessss it’s going to be a big meet.

I think Virginia is going to win probably pretty comfortably, but there’s going to be a lot of fireworks.

PFA
3 years ago

Alex Walsh split 1:43.19 but was out in 23.0 49.0 pretty good split for the freshman.

swimmer22
3 years ago

Alex Walsh’s walls and distance per stroke are incredible

frustrated viewer
3 years ago

stop the close-up on the video

About Nick Pecoraro

Nick Pecoraro

Nick has had the passion for swimming since his first dive in the water in middle school, immediately falling for breaststroke. Nick had expanded to IM events in his late teens, helping foster a short, but memorable NCAA Div III swim experience at Calvin University. While working on his B.A. …

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