2021 NC State Invitational: Day 2 Finals Live Recap

2021 NC State Fall Invitational

• November 18-20, 2021
• 9:30 AM Prelims / 5:30 PM Finals
• Greensboro Aquatic Center
• SCY (25y)
• Live Results
• Meet Mobile: 2021 NC State GAC Fall Invitational
• Teams: NC State, Arizona State, Army West Point, Duke, North Carolina, Penn State, Stanford, James Madison (diving only), and UNC-Wilmington (diving only)

2021 NCAA Cut Lines

Women’s 200 Medley Relay – Timed Finals

• NCAA A cut: 1:36.40

1. NC State – 1:34.31
2. Stanford – 1:36.20
3. Duke – 1:37.43

Defending NCAA champions NC State crushed the 200 medley relay field, beating second-place Stanford by 1.9 seconds and third-place Duke by 3.1 with 1:34.31. Katharine Berkoff led off with 23.52, handing over to Sophie Hansson who split 25.96. That’s .04 off her finals time at NCAAs last year. Kylee Alons swam the fly in 22.98 (she was the freestyler on the NCAA-winning relay) and Heather MacCausland brought them home with 21.85.

Runner-up Stanford earned an NCAA A cut, too, with a 1:36.20 effort from Regan Smith (23.74), Zoe Bartel (28.06), Torri Huske (22.63), and Taylor Ruck (21.77).

Men’s 200 Medley Relay – Timed Finals

• NCAA A cut: 1:24.22

1. NC State – 1:23.40
2. Arizona State – 1:23.98
3. NC State B – 1:25.20

It was a tight battle between NC State’s A squad and Arizona State’s A team for the men’s 200 medley relay title. Both made it under the NCAA A standard but in the end, the Wolfpack touched out the Sun Devils, 1:23.40 to 1:23.98.

NC State led off with Kacper Stokowski (21.34), who was followed by Rafal Kusto (23.68), Nyls Korstanje (19.69), and Noah Henderson (18.69).

Arizona State went with Jack Dolan (21.34), John Heaphy (23.84), Cody Bybee (20.15), and Grant House (18.65).

NC State’s B relay beat Stanford’s A, 1:25.20 to 1:25.26 for third place.

Women’s 400 Individual Medley – Finals

• NCAA A cut: 4:03.62

1. Brooke Forde, Stanford – 4:03.72
2. Grace Sheble, NC State – 4:08.91
3. Sally Foley, Duke – 4:09.97

Defending NCAA champion Brooke Forde of Stanford won the 400 IM in 4:03.72, coming to the wall nearly half a pool length ahead of runner-up Grace Sheble of NC State. Forde was all alone from the beginning, splitting 55/1:03/1:08/56, the four fastest 100s of each stroke.

NC State first-year Sheble went 4:08.91, about 3 seconds off her PB but with a time that would have made the B final at 2021 NCAAs. Duke’s Sally Foley, who had the second-fastest breaststroke after Forde, came in a second behind Sheble with 4:09.97.

Men’s 400 Individual Medley – Finals

• NCAA A cut: 3:39.16

1. Leon Marchand, ASU – 3:35.62
2. David Schlicht, ASU – 3:40.60
3. Mikey Moore, NC State – 3:43.84

Leon Marchand, the French national record-holder in the event, dropped a casual 3:35.62 to win the 400 IM by five seconds over teammate and training partner David Schlicht (3:40.60). Marchand made the NCAA A cut by 3.5 seconds. In fact, his time would have won 2021 NCAAs with a pool record. He is only 2.2 seconds off Chase Kalisz’s NCAA record of 3:33.42. And it’s only the second time he has swum the event in yards.

Marchand split his race as follows:

• 49.24 fly
• 55.35 back
• 1:00.61 breast
• 50.42 free

NC State’s Mikey Moore came in third with 3:43.85, while another member of the Arizona State IM training group, Jarod Arroyo, finished fourth with 3:45.39.

Women’s 100 Butterfly – Finals

• NCAA A cut: 50.92

1. Torri Huske, Stanford – 50.30
2. Kylee Alons, NC State – 51.64
3. Ellie Vannote, North Carolina – 52.54

In another head-to-head matchup between Stanford’s Torri Huske and Kylee Alons of NC State, it was the first-year who got her hand to the wall for the win. Huske has now won the 200 IM, the 50 free, and the 100 fly here in Greensboro. Huske was only .60 off her lifetime best (49.70) with an NCAA A cut of 50.30. She went out in a blistering 22.96 and up by over a body length at the halfway mark; her second half of 27.34 was also the fastest in the field.

Alons went 51.64 (24.21/27.43) for second place. She was third at NCAAs last year with 50.35. North Carolina’s Ellie Vannote led the next wave of finishers with 52.54.

Men’s 100 Butterfly – Finals

• NCAA A cut: 44.96

1. Andrei Minakov, Stanford – 44.78
2. Cody Bybee, ASU – 45.51
3. Luke Miller, NC State – 45.59

It was another Stanford first-year atop the podium in the men’s race, as Andrei Minakov swam under the NCAA A standard with 44.78. That would have landed him squarely in last year’s A final at NCAAs. Minakov, like Huske, left everyone in his wake at the 50 wall, turning in 20.65. He came home in 24.13 to hold off Cody Bybee of Arizona State and Luke Miller of NC State.

Bybee split 21.18/24.33 to Miller’s 21.53/24.06. Miller’s teammate Nyls Korstanje was actually in second place at the 50 with 21.11, but Bybee and Miller passed him on the second half and Korstanje finished fourth with 45.73.

Women’s 200 Freestyle – Finals

• NCAA A cut: 1:42.98

1. Emma Nordin, ASU – 1:43.76
2. Taylor Ruck, Stanford – 1:44.53
3. Erica Laning, ASU – 1:45.57

Arizona State’s Emma Nordin earned her second win of the meet with a 1:42.98 in the 200 free. She and Taylor Ruck of Stanford traded stroke for stroke over the first half of the race. Ruck was first at the 50 wall (24.3 to 24.5) but they both flipped in 50.7 at the 100. Nordin came home with a pair of 26.5s, while Ruck went 26.7/27.0.

Nordin’s teammate Erica Laning came in third with 1:45.95 (51.9/53.5). Nordin and Laning went 1-3 in the 500 free on Thursday, as well.

Men’s 200 Freestyle – Finals

• NCAA A cut: 1:32.05

1. Grant House, ASU – 1:31.80
2. Ron Polonsky, Stanford – 1:34.29
3. Carter Swift, ASU – 1:34.43

The Tempe freestyle crew continued its winning streak with a 1:31.80 A cut from Grant House in the 200 free. (On Thursday, ASU’s Julian Hill won the 500 with 4:13.23 and Jack Dolan won the 50 with 19.16.) Stanford first-year Ron Polonsky edged ASU’s Carter Swift, 1:34.92 to 1:34.43, for second place.

House took .16 off his previous best time, going a time that would easily have scored in the A final at 2021 NCAAs. His splits were 21.2/22.9/23.6/23.9.

The next five finishers behind House, Polonsky and Preston Forst from Stanford and Swift, Julian Hill and Kacper Stokowski from NC State, touched with .30 of each other: Polonsky (1:34.29), Swift (1:34.43), Hill (1:34.49), Forst (1:34.55), and Stokowski (1:34.59).

Women’s 100 Breaststroke – Finals

• NCAA A cut: 58.46

1. Sophie Hansson, NC State – 57.51
2. Andrea Podmanikova, NC State – 58.06
3. Heather MacCausland, NC State – 59.27

The Wolfpack swept the podium in the women’s 100 breast, garnering two NCAA A cuts in the process. Defending national champion Sophie Hansson cracked a 57.51 (27.29/30.22) for the win, going within .28 of her NCAA-winning time last year.

Teammate Andrea Podmanikova was runner-up in 58.06, half a second faster than her 2021 NCAA performance in which she finished seventh. Heather MacCausland was the only other sub-minute breaststroker in the final tonight. She broke a minute for the first time, and by more than .7, going 59.27.

Men’s 100 Breaststroke – Finals

• NCAA A cut: 51.59

1. John Heaphy, ASU – 52.39
2. Daniel Raisanen, Penn State – 52.73
3. Daniel Roy, Stanford – 52.98

Arizona State’s John Heaphy took it out fast and was able to hang on to get the win in the men’s 100 breast, going 52.39, a best time by .6. Heaphy went out in 24.4 and came home in 27.9, maintaining a lead of 3/10 throughout the race.

Daniel Raisanen of Penn State, who had led the prelims this morning with 52.86, dropped another one-tenth to finish second in 52.73. He was able to hold off Stanford’s Daniel Roy, who was in fifth place at the 50 wall (25.1) but came home with the fastest second half (27.8). Roy passed Rafal Kusto of NC State (53.02) and Jacob Rauch of North Carolina (53.62) on the back half.

Women’s 100 Backstroke – Finals

• NCAA A cut: 50.93

1. Regan Smith, Stanford – 49.97
2. Katharine Berkoff, NC State – 50.45
3. Lucie Nordmann, Stanford – 52.25

Stanford first-year Regan Smith took the 100 back in 49.97, beating defending NCAA champion Katharine Berkoff of NC State by half a second. Smith led wire-to-wire, getting out in 24.22 and coming home in 25.75, a quarter of a second faster than Berkoff on both 50s.

Both Smith and Berkoff were faster than the NCAA A cut.

Lucie Nordmann edged Stanford teammate Taylor Ruck, 52.25 to 52.74, for third place.

Men’s 100 Backstroke – Finals

• NCAA A cut: 44.94

1. Leon MacAlister, Stanford – 46.15
2. Giovanni Izzo, NC State – 46.32
3. Aiden Hayes, NC State – 46.85

Leon MacAlister of Stanford picked up a win in the men’s 100 back over NC State’s Giovanni Izzo and Aiden Hayes. The trio were the only sub-47 swims in the final, with MacAlister edging Izzo 46.15 to 46.32 and Hayes coming in with 46.85 for third.

Women’s 1 Meter – Finals

1. Margo O’Meara, Duke – 306.00
2. Maddison Pullinger, Duke – 294.45
3. Helene Synnott, NC State – 289.60

All six Duke divers scored points on the one-meter board for the Blue Devils, with five in the A final and one in the B. Margo O’Meara won with 306.00 points, with teammate Maddison Pullinger finishing second (294.45). NC State had two divers in the A final, including Helene Synnott who place third with 289.60 points.

Pullinger finished 15th in one-meter diving at 2021 NCAA Championships.

Men’s 3 Meter – Finals

1. Jonah Cagley, Duke – 349.65
2. Bayne Bennett, NC State – 348.35
3. Seamus Harding, Duke – 346.30

The Blue Devils had four divers in the top-8 of the men’s 3-meter diving event, too. Jonah Cagley took first place with 349.65 points. NC State’s Bayne Bennett finished second (348.35) ahead of Duke’s Seamus Harding (346.30).

Women’s 800 Freestyle Relay – Timed Finals

• NCAA A cut: 7:00.86

1. Stanford – 6:56.99
2. NC State – 7:03.72
3. Arizona State – 7:08.03

Torri Huske (1:42.59), Regan Smith (1:44.95), Lillie Nordmann (1:45.56), and Brooke Forde (1:43.89) crushed the NCAA A standard and gave Stanford a win in the 800 free relay with 6:56.99. That is over 4 seconds faster than they were at NCAAs last year.

NC State took second with 7:03.72, with swims from Annabel Crush (1:45.00), Abbey Webb (1:46.09), Julia Poole (1:47.17), and Kate Moore (1:45.46).

Third-place Arizona State used Emma Nordin (1:46.09), Molly Batchelor (1:47.42), Lindsay Looney (1:49.01), and Erica Laning (1:45.51).

Men’s 800 Freestyle Relay – Timed Finals

• NCAA A cut: 6:16.80

1. Arizona State – 6:10.86
2. NC State – 6:13.95
3. Stanford – 6:19.83

Arizona State came in way under the NCAA A cut, going 6:10.86 to win the 800 free relay by more than 3 seconds. Their time would have scored 4th at NCAAs last year, just ahead of Florida.

Leadoff Grant House (1:31.73) was just a touch faster than he’d been earlier in the session when he won the 200 free individual event. Carter Swift (1:34.02), Julian Hill (1:32.70), and Leon Marchand (1:32.41) kept the Sun Devils outside of reach of NC State.

The Wolfpack went with Luke Miller (1:32.60), Sam Hoover (1:33.34), Bartosz Piszczorowicz (1:34.71), and Hunter Tapp (1:33.30), who combined for 6:13.95.

Stanford (Leon MacAlister, Ron Polonsky, Luke Maurer, and Grant Shoults) finished .05 ahead of Arizona State’s B squad (Andrew Gray, Patrick Sammon, Tiago Behar, and Liam Bresette).

Women’s Team Scores Through Day 2

1. North Carolina State University – 1,320. 50
2. Stanford University – 1,160
3. Duke University – 985
4. University of North Carolina – 719. 50
5. Arizona State University – 670
6. Pennsylvania State University – 605
7. Army West Point – 221
8. University of NC Wilmington – 96
9. George Washington University – 86
10. James Madison University – 37

Men’s Scores Through Day 2

1. North Carolina State University – 1,423
2. Arizona State University – 1,159
3. Stanford University – 989.50
4. Duke University – 711
5. Pennsylvania State University – 632.50
6. University of North Carolina – 586
7. Army West Point – 371
8. University of NC Wilmington – 48
9. George Washington University – 38