2023 ACC Championships: Day 3 Prelims Live Recap

2023 ACC SWIMMING AND DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Tuesday, February 14 to Saturday, February 18, 2023
• Greensboro Aquatic Center, Greensboro, North Carolina
• Defending Champions:
  • Women: Virginia (3x)
  • Men: NC State (results)
• Full Event Schedule
• Championship Central
• Psych Sheets
• Live Results
• Live Streaming

Thursday Morning Prelims Heat Sheets

Day 3 from the 2023 ACC Championships in Greensboro will kick off with preliminary heats in the men’s and women’s 400 IM, 100 fly and 200 free, plus the men’s 3-meter diving.

Two-time defending champion Ella Nelson of UVA and 2021 champion Jack Hoalgand of Notre Dame hold the top seeds in the 400 IM. In the 100 fly, American Record holder Kate Douglass will be swimming for her fourth ACC title, while Virginia Tech’s Youssef Ramadan is aiming for his third-straight title.

In the 200 free, UVA’s Aimee Canny holds the top seed, but defending champion Alex Walsh opted for this event over the 400 IM, and she’ll be swimming in heat 7. On the men’s side, all four previous ACC 200 free champions will swim this morning, with 2022 champ Luke Miller of NC State swimming in lane 4 in heat 7, the final heat.

Women’s 400 IM – Prelims

• NCAA Record: 3:54.60, Ella Eastin (STAN) – 2018 NCAA Championships
• ACC Record: 3:57.25, Alex Walsh (UVA) – 2022 ACC Championships
• ACC Championship Record: 4:02.11, Ella Nelson (UVA) – 2022
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 4:03.62
• 2022 NCAA Invite Time: 4:11.60

Top 8:

1. Ella Nelson (Virginia) – 4:07.03
2. Abby Hay (Louisville) – 4:07.34
3. Sally Foley (Duke) – 4:09.47
4. Grace Sheble (NC State) – 4:09.93
5. Sophia Wilson (Virginia) – 4:11.43
6. Ella Bathurst (Virginia) – 4:11.54
7. Catherine Purnell (Duke) – 4:12.31
8. Deniz Ertan (Georgia Tech) – 4:12.83

Duke’s Sally Foley had a big swim in heat 3, popping a 4:09.47 that puts her well under last year’s invite time of 4:11.60 and within half a second of her lifetime best of 4:08.97. Foley didn’t swim this event last year. Instead, she went with the 200 free, where she finished 2nd behind Alex Walsh. Georgia Tech’s Deniz Ertan, who tied with Nelson for the 500 free title last night, touched 2nd in the heat in 4:12.83, qualifying 8th overall for tonight.

Louisville’s Abby Hay won heat 4 with a 4:07.34, within a second of her lifetime best from last year’s NCAA Championships. NC State’s Grace Sheble (4:09.93), UVA swimmers Sophia Wilson (4:11.43) and Ella Bathurst (4:11.54) also qualified for the A-final from the same heat.

Swimming the final heat, Nelson won her heat easily with a 4:07.03. That’s about half a second off what she went last year in prelims, when swam a 4:06.48 in the morning before winning in a meet-record time of 4:02.11. Catherine Purnell of Duke was the only other swimmer from the final heat to qualify for the A-final, going 4:12.31 to finish 7th overall.

Nelson, Sheble, and Hay all return from last year’s A-final, while Wilson and Purnell moved up from the B-final last year to the A-final today. Louisville’s Rye Ulett, who finished 6th overall last year, slipped to the B-final with a 4:16.67 swim this morning.

Men’s 400 IM – Prelims

• NCAA Record: 3:31.84, Leon Marchand (ASU) – 2023 ASU vs Cal
• ACC Record: 3:38.00, Gal Nevo (GT) – 2009 NCAA Championships
• ACC Championship Record: 3:38.43, Robert Owen (VT) – 2017
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 3:39.16
• 2022 NCAA Invite Time: 3:43.50

Top 8:

1. Jack Hoagland (Notre Dame) – 3:42.50
2. Keith Myburgh (Virginia Tech) – 3:43.61
3. Owen Lloyd (NC State) – 3:44.10
4. Nico Garcia (Virginia Tech) – 3:44.56
5. Tommy Bried (Louisville) – 3:45.54
6. Kyle Ponsler (NC State) – 3:45.78
7. Patrick Hussey (UNC) – 3:46.49
8. Sean Faikish (Notre Dame) – 3:46.74

Will Gallant of NC State won heat 3 in a time of 3:47.52, a new personal best by half a second. Last year, Gallant went 3:48.52 in prelims to qualify 10th overall and end up in the B-final.

Heat 4 shaped put to be a great battle, but Louisville’s Tommy Bried crushed a huge personal best to get his hand on the wall first in 3:45.54 which held up as the #5 time of the morning. Coming into today, Bried’s previous best was a 3:50.51 from just last month. Bried didn’t compete for Louisville at all in what should’ve been his freshman season last year, but seems to be thriving this year. UNC’s Patrick Hussey also qualified for the A-final with a 3:46.49.

Last year, it took a 3:48.09 to make the A-final. With two heats two go, five men are already under that mark.

NC State’s Owen Lloyd took over the top time of the morning with a personal best time of 3:44.10 to win heat 4. Teammate Kyle Ponsler took 2nd in the heat with a time of  3:45.78, moving him to #3 this morning with one heat to go. Lloyd and Owen ultimately finished 3rd and 6th overall. UVA’s Sean Conway, who finished 8th last year, was DQ’d this morning.

Half of the A-finalist came from the final heat. 2021 champion Jack Hoagland led the way with a 3:42.50. Virginia Tech’s Keith Myburgh touched in 3:43.61, good for 2nd in the heat and overall. The Hokies got another A-finalist with a 3:44.56 from Nico Garcia, and Notre Dame’s Sean Faikish qualified 8th overall with a time of 3:46.74.

Women’s 100 Butterfly – Prelims

• NCAA Record: 48.89, Maggie MacNeil (MICH) – 2021 NCAA Championships
• ACC Record: 49.04, Kate Douglass (UVA) – 2022 NCAA Championships
• ACC Championship Record: 49.86, Kate Douglass (UVA) – 2022
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 50.92
• 2022 NCAA Invite Time: 52.35

Top 8:

1. Gabi Albiero (Louisville) – 50.72
2. Kate Douglass (Virginia) – 50.96
3. Gretchen Walsh (Virginia) / Christiana Regenauer (Louisville) – 51.07
4.  (tie)
5. Abby Arens (NC State) – 51.10
6. Kylee Alons (NC State) – 51.13
7. Lexi Cuomo (Virginia) – 51.47
8. Tristen Ulett (Louisville) – 51.63

Tonight’s race will be a showdown between the major ACC powers, as only three schools put women into the A-final.

Louisville’s Gabi Albiero led the way this morning with a 50.72, setting a new personal best by about a tenth of a second. Christiana Regenauer (51.07) tied for the # seed, while Tristen Ulett rounded out the top 8 with a a 51.63.

American and ACC record holder Kate Douglass posted the #2 time of the morning with a 50.96. Teammate Gretchen Walsh touched just behind at 51.07, tying with Regenauer. Lexi Cuomo also made the A-final with a 51.47.

NC State picked up the other two spots as Abby Arens (51.10) and Kylee Alons (51.13) qualified 5th and 6th overall.

Men’s 100 Butterfly – Prelims

• NCAA Record: 42.80, Caeleb Dressel (FLOR) – 2018 NCAA Championships
• ACC Record: 43.90, Youssef Ramadan (VT) – 2022 NCAA Championships
• ACC Championship Record: 44.08, Youssef Ramadan (VT) – 2022
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 44.82
• 2022 NCAA Invite Time: 45.57

Top 8:

1. Youssef Ramadan (Virginia Tech) – 44.15
2. Aiden Hayes (NC State) – 44.81
3. Tim Connery (Virginia) – 45.38
4. Nyls Korstanje (NC State) / Mario Molla Yanes (Virginia Tech) – 45.44
5. (tie)
6. Noah Henderson (NC State) – 45.57
7. Dalton Lowe (Louisville) – 45.65
8. Kacper Stokowski (NC State) – 45.80

Conference record holder Youssef Ramadan rattled his own meet record with an impressive 44.15. Ramadan already had the fastest time in the nation coming into this meet with a 44.42 from the Virginia Tech Invite. Last year, Ramadan went 45.39 in prelims before setting the meet record with a 44.08 in finals.

Virginia Tech has developed one the better fly programs in college swimming, and Mario Molla Yanes will join Ramadan in the A-final after a 45.44 prelims swim. The Hokies also put a pair of freshmen, Will Hayon (45.92) and Landon Gentry (46.55) into the B-final.

But NC State led the way morning in terms of A-finalists, as four members of the Wolfpack finished in the top 8. Aiden Hayes led the way with a 44.81, followed by Nyls Korstanje (45.44), Noah Henderson (45.75) and Kacper Stokowski (45.80). All except Stokowski swam in the A-final last year as well.

Tim Connery has been a huge transfer for the Virginia Cavaliers, especially in the wake of some absences this week, and appears to have set a new UVA record with a 45.38. Louisville’s Dalton Lowe also qualified for the A-final with a 45.65.

Last night’s 50 free champion, Abdelrahman Elarby, who finished 6th in this event last year, ended up 21st this morning with a 46.76 swim.

Women’s 200 Freestyle – Prelims

• NCAA Record: 1:39.10, Missy Franklin (CAL) – 2015 NCAA Championships
• ACC Record: 1:39.80, Mallory Comerford (UL) – 2018 NCAA Championships
• ACC Championship Record: 1:41.60, Mallory Comerford (UL) – 2019
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:42.84
• 2022 NCAA Invite Time: 1:45.42

Top 8:

1. Alex Walsh (Virginia) – 1:44.11
2. Emma Atkinson (Virginia Tech) – 1:44.83
3. Abbey Webb (NC State) – 1:44.86
4. Aimee Canny (Virginia) – 1:44.88
5. Reilly Tiltmann (Virginia) – 1:45.20
6. Paige Hetrick (Louisville) – 1:45.39
7. Carmen Weiler Sastre (Virginia Tech) – 1:45.53
8. Annabel Crush (NC State) – 1:45.67

Tonight’s A-final will look very familiar, as six women who swam in last year’s A-final made it into the top eight today.

Defending champion Alex Walsh of UVA led the way this morning with a 1:44.11, 0.43s faster than last morning swim last year. She’ll be joined by teammates Reilly Tiltmann, who finished 4th last year and qualified 5th this morning in 1:45.20, and freshman Aimee Canny, who finished 4th today with a 1:44.88.

Virginia Tech put two women into the A-final. Emma Atkinson, last year’s 3rd-place finisher, posted the 2nd-fastest time of the morning with a 1:44.83. Freshman Carmen Weiler Sastre also qualified after going 1:45.53 this morning.

Abbey Webb (1:44.86) and Annabel Crush (1:45.67) will both represent NC State again in the A-final as well. Louisville’s Paige Hetrick made it back as well, qualifying 6th this morning with a 1:45.39.

Men’s 200 Freestyle – Prelims

• NCAA Record: 1:29.15, Dean Farris (HARV) – 2019 NCAA Championships
• ACC Record: 1:31.16, Luke Miller (NCST) – 2022 NCAA Championships
• ACC Championship Record: 1:31.32, Andreas Vazaios (NCST) – 2018
• NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:31.98
• 2022 NCAA Invite Time: 1:33.08

Top 8:

1. Michael Eastman (Louisville) – 1:33.45
2. Bartosz Piszczorowicz (NC State) – 1:33.51
3. Baturalp Unlu (Georgia Tech) / Luis Dominguez (Virginia Tech) – 1:33.60
4. (tie)
5. Luke Miller (NC State) – 1:33.84
6. Chris Guiliano (Notre Dame) – 1:33.85
7. Murilo Sartori (Louisville) – 1:33.86
8. Noah Bowers (NC State) – 1:33.99

Michael Eastman has had some big 800 free relay splits for the Louisville Cardinals, including a 1:33.43 anchor leg at last year’s NCAAs, but until today, he’d never been under 1:35 individually. That changed in a big way, as he skipped right past 1:34 and brought his lifetime best to 1:33.45 to win heat 6. In doing so, Eastman came out on top this morning amidst a field that included the last four conference champions in this event.

NC State’s Bartosz Piszczorowicz qualified 2nd overall with a 1:33.51. That’s the exact same time he swam to win this event as a freshman with Louisville back in 2019. 2021 champion Baturalp Unlu of Georgia Tech tied with Virginia Tech’s Luis Dominguez to qualify 3rd overall at 1:33.60.

Defending champion Luke Miller of NC State qualified 6th with a a 1:33.84. It was a very tight competition for the top eight, as Notre Dame’s Chris Guiliano touched just 0.01s behind Miller, and Louisville’s Murilo Sartori was just another hundredth behind at 1:33.86. NC State’s Noah Bowers rounded out the top eight with a 1:33.99.

Louisville ended up with four of the top ten overall, as Denis Loktev (1:34.01) and Guy Brooks (1:34.37) just missed the A-final.

The 2020 champion, Colton Paulson, finished 33rd this morning at 1:37.53. Paulson won his title while swimming for Louisville, and finished 8th last year before taking advantage of the fifth year of eligibilty to swim for Notre Dame this year as a grad student.

Miller, Sartori, Bowers, Unlu, and Piszczorowicz all swam in the A-final last year. Hunter Tapp of NC State, who finished 2nd overall last year, slipped to the B-final today with a 1:35.13 morning swim.

Men’s 3-Meter Diving – Prelims

• ACC Record: 531.00, Nick McCrory (DUKE) – 2014 ACC Championships
• ACC Championship Record: 531.00, Nick McCrory (DUKE) – 2014 ACC Championships