2022 NC State/GAC Invite: Day 1 Finals Live Recap

2022 NC STATE/GAC INVITATIONAL

  • November 17-19, 2022
  • Greensboro Aquatic Center, Greensboro, NC
  • SCY (25 yards)
  • Live Results on MeetMobile
  • Live Results

TEAMS

  • NC State
  • Stanford
  • Arizona State
  • Duke
  • Penn State
  • Army
  • George Washington (diving only)
  • UNC Asheville (diving only)

The first finals session of the Wolfpack Invite will feature a loaded field including Arizona State star Leon Marchand as well as Stanford’s Olympic duo of Torri Huske and Claire Curzan.

The evening gets underway with a pair of 200 free relay finals before the 500 free, 200 IM, and 50 free. The session will wrap up with the 400 medley relays. Marchand might have his eye on a pool record in the men’s 200 IM after coming within a couple seconds during prelims, while Huske and Curzan will battle it out in the women’s 50 free, where they were separated by just .12 seconds this morning.

Stay tuned for live updates below:

Women’s 200 Free Relay – Finals

  • NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:28.43
  • Pool Record: 1:25.78, Cal (2021)

Top 3:

  1. Stanford – 1:25.90
  2. NC State – 1:27.88
  3. Penn State – 1:30.31

Torri Huske ripped a 21.54 leadoff to power the Stanford women to a win in the 200 free relay final, just missing the pool record in the process. Both Stanford (1:25.90) and NC State (1:27.88) finished under the NCAA ‘A’ cut of 1:28.43, with the Cardinal just .12 seconds behind Cal’s pool record from last year.

Huske’s opening leg was slightly slower than her personal-best 21.39 from last March. Taylor Ruck followed with a 21.40 split, Emma Wheal kept the sub-22 streak going with a 21.81, and Claire Curzan closed it out with a 21.15.

Katharine Berkoff (22.23), Kylee Alons (21.54), Heather MacCausland (22.23), and Abby Arens (21.88) carried the Wolfpack to a runner-up finish in their home pool. Penn State placed third thanks to Mary Brinker (22.80), Emma Harvey (22.56), Ellie Tiskus (22.56), and Liv Jack (22.39).

Men’s 200 Free Relay – Finals

  • NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:17.07
  • Pool Record: 1:14.36, Cal (2021)

Top 3:

  1. Arizona State – 1:15.30
  2. Stanford – 1:17.68
  3. Arizona State – 1:18.09

Jack Dolan threw down a personal-best 18.92 on the leadoff leg of the 200 free relay to set the tone for Arizona State’s victory in 1:15.30, nearly two seconds under the NCAA ‘A’ cut. Before this week, no swimmers had broken the 19-second barrier, but Dolan is now the fourth to accomplish the feat in the past 24 hours.

Grant House (18.96), Leon Marchand (18.92), and Max McCusker (18.50) all joined Dolan under the 19-second mark as ASU beat Stanford by more than two seconds. Stanford’s relay team comprised of Luke Maurer (19.54), Jonny Affeld (19.50), Leon MacAllister (19.44), and Rafael Gu (19.20).

NC State’s second unit still clocked a 1:18.09, edging both Penn State (1:18.63) and NC State (1:19.02).

Women’s 500 Free – Finals

  • NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 4:35.76
  • Pool Record: 4:29.54, Katie Ledecky (2014)

Top 8:

  1. Lindsay Looney (ASU), 4:40.71
  2. Morgan Tankersley (STAN), 4:41.87
  3. Aurora Roghair (STAN), 4:41.91
  4. Natalie Mannion (STAN), 4:42.96
  5. Lillie Nordmann (STAN), 4:44.10
  6. Yara Hierath (NCS) – 4:44.38
  7. Emma Hastings (NCS) – 4:45.27
  8. Catherine Purnell (DUKE) – 4:45.65

After qualifying fourth this morning, Arizona State junior Lindsay Looney shaved nearly five seconds off her prelims time with a 4:40.71 to claim the women’s 500 free crown. She dropped more than three seconds off her previous best of 4:43.88 from February of 2020.

Looney reached the wall more than a second ahead of Stanford’s Morgan Tankersley, who led a group of four consecutive Cardinal swimmers who touched behind Looney. After posting a huge personal best this morning (4:42.95), Stanford freshman Natalie Mannion put up a nearly identical performance (4:42.96) en route to a fourth-place finish behind sophomore teammate Aurora Roghair.

Men’s 500 Free – Finals

  • NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 4:11.40
  • Pool Record: 4:07.97, Jake Magahey (2021)

Top 8:

  1. Julian Hill (ASU) – 4:13.69
  2. Ross Dant (NCS) – 4:14.29
  3. Andrew Gray (ASU) – 4:15.15
  4. Preston Forst (STAN) – 4:17.42
  5. Ron Polonsky (STAN) – 4:17.73
  6. Daniel Matheson (ASU) – 4:17.99
  7. James Plage (NCS) – 4:19.02
  8. Will Gallant (NCS) – 4:19.24

Julian Hill saved a little something extra in the tank for tonight. After qualifying third in 4:18.44 this morning, the Arizona State junior went nearly five seconds faster in the final and edged top qualifier Ross Dant for first place in 4:13.69.

Hill was just off his personal best of 4:13.18 from March. Dant, an NC State senior, was four seconds off his personal best of 4:10.35 from February. Arizona State junior Andrew Gray placed third in 4:15.15, less than a second slower than his personal best of 4:14.51 from March.

Women’s 200 IM – Finals

  • NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:53.66
  • Pool Record: 1:51.36, Kate Douglass (2020)

Top 8:

  1. Torri Huske (STAN) – 1:53.37
  2. Sarah Foley (DUKE) – 1:54.74
  3. Grace Sheble (NCS) – 1:57.37
  4. Charli Brown (ASU) – 1:57.43
  5. Lucy Bell (STAN) – 1:57.45
  6. Kennedy Noble (NCS) – 1:58.31
  7. Ieva Maluka (ASU) – 1:58.55
  8. Catherine Belyakov (DUKE) – 1:58.84

Torri Huske was the second qualifier this morning behind Sarah Foley, but the Stanford sophomore prevailed this evening with a 1:53.37, more than a second clear of Foley’s 1:54.74. Huske split 23.69 on the opening fly leg, 28.24 on her back, 33.52 on her breast, and 27.92 on her freestyle anchor.

Huske snuck under the NCAA ‘A’ cut of 1:53.66, less than two seconds off her personal best of 1:51.81 from March. Foley was less than half a second slower than her personal-best 1:54.38, also from March. NC State’s Grace Sheble edged Arizona State’s Charli Brown by just .06 seconds for third place. Brown shaved another second off her previous best from prelims this morning.

Men’s 200 IM – Finals

  • NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:41.22
  • Pool Record: 1:39.53, Shaine Casas (2021)

Top 8:

  1. Leon Marchand (ASU) – 1:39.28
  2. Grant House (ASU) – 1:42.27
  3. Arsenio Bustos (NCS) – 1:44.45
  4. Jonny Affeld (STAN) – 1:44.67
  5. Alexander Colson (ASU) – 1:44.77
  6. Zhier Fan (STAN) – 1:44.96
  7. Luke Maurer (STAN) – 1:46.36
  8. Mikey Moore (NCS) – 1:52.33

Arizona State sophomore Leon Marchand set a new pool record with his 200 IM victory in 1:39.28, comfortably ahead of fifth-year Sun Devil teammate Grant House. The French prodigy was less than two seconds off his NCAA-record 1:37.69 from March, taking down Shaine Casas‘ previous pool record of 1:39.53 and earning an NCAA ‘A’ cut in the process.

Marchand split 21.66 on the opening fly portion, 24.64 on the backstroke leg, 28.71 on the breaststroke leg, and 24.27 on his freestyle anchor.

Women’s 50 Free – Finals

  • NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 21.66
  • Pool Record: 21.09, Kate Douglass (2021)

Top 8:

  1. Claire Curzan (STAN) – 21.55
  2. Torri Huske (STAN) – 21.63
  3. Taylor Ruck (STAN) – 21.93
  4. Kylee Alons (NCS) – 22.01
  5. Abby Arens (NCS) – 22.34
  6. Katharine Berkoff (NCS) – 22.36
  7. Emma Wheal (STAN) – 22.47
  8. Amy Tang (STAN) – 22.82

Not long after teaming up for Stanford’s 200 free relay win, Claire Curzan and Torri Huske faced off against each other in the 50 free individually, and the showdown did not disappoint.

After touching .12 seconds behind Huske in prelims, Curzan crushed a 21.55 to snatch the title from her sophomore teammate. Curzan dropped .23 seconds from prelims while Huske shaved off .03 seconds. Notably, Huske’s leadoff from the 200 free relay (21.54) would have edged Curzan by one-hundredth of a second. Both swimmers were under the NCAA ‘A’ cut of 21.66.

Taylor Ruck took third place in 21.93, rounding out a Stanford sweep of the podium in which the whole trio finished sub-22.

Men’s 50 Free – Finals

  • NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 18.88
  • Pool Record: 18.33, Ryan Hoffer (2021)

Top 8:

  1. David Curtiss (NCS) – 18.95
  2. Jack Dolan (ASU) – 18.99
  3. Max McCusker (ASU) – 19.31
  4. Victor Baganha (PSU) – 19.38
  5. Quintin McCarty (NCS) – 19.50
  6. Noah Henderson (NCS) – 19.65
  7. Luke Maurer (STAN) – 19.65
  8. Jonny Kulow (ASU) – 19.68

The midseason sub-19 club just keeps growing.

After seven seasons in a row of only one swimmer breaking the 19-second barrier before the calendar year turns, there’s now been (at least) six new members of the sub-19 club in the past day thanks to the 18.95 that NC State sophomore David Curtiss posted to edge Arizona State senior Jack Dolan (18.99). Curtiss is creeping up on his personal-best 18.74 that he swam at the ACC Championships last season.

Dolan himself went under 19 seconds for the first time this season earlier in the evening with a 18.92 to lead off ASU’s victorious 200 free relay team. He was slightly slower here, but still a few tenths ahead of senior teammate Max McCusker (19.31) for third place. Along with Dolan and Curtiss, Jordan Crooks (18.27), Josh Liendo (18.83), Gui Caribe (18.91) Brooks Curry (18.94) have also gone sub-19 so far this season.

NC State freshman Quintin McCarty was .15 seconds off his PB with a 19.50, just behind Penn State’s Victor Baganha, who captured fourth place just a couple tenths off his PB.

Stanford junior Luke Maurer placed seventh in the 50 free (19.65) after also placing seventh in the 200 IM (1:46.36) earlier in the session.

Women’s 400 Medley Relay – Finals

  • NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 3:31.66
  • Pool Record: 3:24.59, NC State (2021)

Top 3:

  1. Stanford – 3:26.97
  2. NC State – 3:29.85
  3. Duke – 3:33.03

Stanford freshman Claire Curzan (50.32) out-split reigning 100 backstroke NCAA champion Katharine Berkoff (51.32) by a whole second on the opening leg of the 400 medley relay to lead the Cardinal to the victory. Stanford also got clutch swims courtesy of Sam Tadder (1:00.25), Torri Huske (49.38), and Taylor Ruck (47.02).

Berkoff was followed by Andrea Podmanikova (58.54), Kylee Alons (51.82), and Abby Arens (48.17) as the Wolfpack also finished under the NCAA ‘A’ cut of 3:31.66. Duke was nearly four second behind NC State with a final time of 3:33.03. The Blue Devils’ relay team was made up of Emma Shuppert (52.80 back), Kaelyn Gridley (58.81), Aleyna Ozkan (53.07), and Sarah Foley (48.35).

Men’s 400 Medley Relay – Finals

  • NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 3:05.47
  • Pool Record: 3:00.23, Texas (2021)
  1. Arizona State – 3:02.85
  2. Arizona State – 3:05.91
  3. Stanford – 3:06.38

Arizona State swept the top two spots on the podium, led by a first team featuring Jack Dolan (45.26), Leon Marchand (50.85), Max McCusker (44.88), and Grant House (41.86). Dolan set a new personal best on his opening split, going slightly faster than his previous-best 45.35 from March.

Team Scores

Men

  1. Arizona State, 647.5
  2. Stanford, 469.5
  3. NC State, 437
  4. Penn State, 230.5
  5. Duke, 199

Women

  1. Stanford, 639
  2. NC State, 509.5
  3. Arizona State, 329
  4. Duke, 315
  5. Penn State, 261.5

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Hurb
1 year ago

NC state get some good sleep tonight

dscott
1 year ago

On the men’s side, pretty decent ASU day.

4×50 Free relay 1:15.30 (:18.92 Dolan Leadoff) I think relay is #1 in country (.02 ahead of Tennessee).
500 1st, 3rd, 6th (Julian Hill won at 4:13.69)
200 IM 1st (Marchand, 1:39.28, #1 in country, 10th best ever), 2nd, 5th and a 9th place (3rd fastest on day)
50 Free 2nd and 3rd, 8th, 9th, 12th, 13th, 16th (7 guys sub 20 in either am or pm); Dolan twice under 19, with his
relay leadoff faster than Curtiss’ winning time in the event
4×100 Medley Relay 1st and 2nd (A-3:02.85[#1]; B-3:05.91; last year’s NCAA relay flyer on the C at :45.29)

Fastest time in meet in every… Read more »

dscott
1 year ago
2 ASU-AZ  'B'                         3:11.81    3:05.91  
     1) McDonald, Owen W FR           2) Heaphy, John P SR            
     3) Colson, Alexander L SR        4) Sammon, Patrick W FR         
                 22.47        46.20 (46.20)
        1:10.02 (23.82)     1:38.46 (52.26)
        1:59.61 (21.15)     2:23.93 (45.47)
        2:43.56 (19.63)     3:05.91 (41.98)
  3 Stanford-PC  'A'                    3:07.99    3:06.38  
     1) MacAlister, Leon T SR         2) Fan, Zhier FR                
     3) Hu, Ethan JR                  4) Maurer, Luke L JR            
                 22.06        45.58 (45.58)
        1:10.08 (24.50)     1:38.30 (52.72)
        1:59.31 (21.01)     2:24.12 (45.82)
        2:44.24 (20.12)     3:06.38 (42.26)
Fork em
1 year ago

ASU proving why they’re the best mens team in the nation. Don’t be surprised if they win a chip this year

AULVR
1 year ago

“Marchand’s time is the fastest relay split in the nation this season by nearly half a second.”
Reid Mikuta from Auburn Split 50.80

SAMUEL HUNTINGTON
1 year ago

Curzan, Huske, and Ruck all looking very strong.

And Marchand…

Spectatorn
Reply to  SAMUEL HUNTINGTON
1 year ago

Excellent swims from Huske – she was in 4 out of 5 events with back to back finals of 200IM, 50Free and 400MR.

Andrew
1 year ago

Still mind boggling that Curtiss was not on NCS 2 free relay at NCs. Real head scratcher there, especially considering he anchored the 2 medley.

ArtVanDeLegh10
Reply to  Andrew
1 year ago

Even though he had their fastest 50 time of the year, he wasn’t at his best at NCAAs. You go with who you believe you’re 4 fastest will be at that time.

CTswimfan
Reply to  Andrew
1 year ago

He was at the 200 free relay.

dscott
1 year ago

4:42.30 to win the C Final, time would have been 4th in the A Final.

Molly Batchelor, an ASU Senior out of Australia, was 0.78 faster than the NCAA invited time from last year, though not quite as fast as the invited times for 2019 and 2020. Big seasonal drop but not a real surprise for those paying attention; she was 4:44.2 at last year’s fall invitational and 4:44.0 at Pac-12s last year. Good but not previousy at NCAA invite level. For her sake, hopefully this year, either with this swim or from the whatever comes at the conference meet, she will get her entree’.

About Riley Overend

Riley is an associate editor interested in the stories taking place outside of the pool just as much as the drama between the lane lines. A 2019 graduate of Boston College, he arrived at SwimSwam in April of 2022 after three years as a sports reporter and sports editor at newspapers …

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