2024 Wolfpack Elite Invite: Day 1 Prelims Live Recap

2024 Wolfpack Elite Invite

• November 21-23, 2024
• Greensboro Aquatic Center – Greensboro, NC
• 9:30 am ET prelims/5:30 pm ET finals
• Participating teams: Arizona, Arizona State, Army, Duke, NC State (host), Northwestern, Virginia Tech
• Live Stream

Seven teams will go head-to-head today as the Wolfpack Elite Invite kicks off day one of competition in Greensboro, North Carolina. With powerhouses like ASU and NC State in the mix, there is sure to be plenty of fast swimming over the next few days, starting with three events on the schedule today.

Women’s 500 Free – Prelims

• NCAA Record: 4:24.06, Katie Ledecky (Stanford) – 2017
• 2025 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 4:37.89
• 2024 NCAA Cutline: 4:41.19

1. Deniz Ertan (ASU) – 4:43.88
2. Alexa Reyna (ASU) – 4:44.60
3. Chase Travis (NCS) – 4:45.48
4. Zoe Nordmann (NU) – 4:45.96
5. Charli Brown (ASU) – 4:46.47
6. Malia Rausch (ARIZ) – 4:47.88
7. Grace Monahan (NCS) – 4:47.95
8. Emma Hastings (NCS) – 4:49.08

ASU junior Deniz Ertan dropped the fastest time in the women’s 500 free this morning, cruising into the wall in a time of 4:43.88. Ertan’s performance was not far off of her season best time of 4:40.19, which she posted a few weeks ago.

With the quickest entry time in the field, Ertan is holding on to the top spot heading into finals, although teammate Alexa Reyna is not far behind her.

Reyna secured the 2nd spot heading into finals with a time of 4:44.60, shaving .3 off of her most recent performance in the event. The freshman Sun Devils just set a personal best in the 500 in October (4:41.40), which she could look to improve even further in finals tonight.

Northwestern’s Zoe Nordmann turned in a top performance, posting a time of 4:45.96 to take 4th overall and shave nearly two seconds off of her season best from just two weeks ago.

ASU’s Charli Brown also turned in a huge personal performance, as her time of 4:46.47 marked a lifetime best time by almost two full seconds.

The top finals heat this evening will almost be a rematch of the final prelims heat, as seven out of the eight top qualifiers competed in the same heat.

Men’s 500 Free – Prelims

• NCAA Record: 4:02.31, Leon Marchand (ASU) – 2024
• 2025 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 4:10.74
• 2024 NCAA Cutline: 4:14.90

1. Lance Norris (NCS) – 4:16.11
2. Will Gallant (NCS) – 4:17.26
3. Owen Lloyd (NCS) – 4:18.27
4. Jake Mason (ASU) – 4:20.24
5. Kyle Ponsler (NCS) – 4:20.90
6. Daniel Matheson (ASU) – 4:21.78
7. Matt Marsteiner (NCS) – 4:21.85
8. Reece Grady (ASU) – 4:21.92

NC State dominated the preliminaries of the men’s 500 free, putting five swimmers in the top eight. ASU landed three swimmers alongside them, setting the two teams up for a showdown in the top final tonight.

Lance Norris led a 1-2-3 charge for the Wolfpack, throwing down a time of 4:16.11 to land secure the top spot heading into finals. The performance marks a season best time for him and bumps him up a spot in the NCAA rankings in the event. Already the 7th-fastest this season, his time this morning would move him to the #6 spot in the ranking.

Not far behind Norris were teammates Will Gallant and Owen Lloyd, who posted times of 4:17.26 and 4:18.27, respectively.

Gallant’s performance marked a massive season best for him, dropping over seven seconds from his previous time and launching him up the NCAA rankings. Lloyd also posted a season best, managing to shave a few tenths off of his time from October.

The three NC State swimmers were the only athletes in the field to post sub-4:20 performances, sending them into finals with a decent lead over the competition.

ASU’s Jake Mason snuck into the middle of the Wolfpack with a new season best time of 4:20.24, just two weeks after posting a time of 4:21.21 against Cal and Stanford.

With the last three spots in the top eight separated by only .14, these top qualifiers promise some close races in finals tonight.

Women’s 200 IM – Prelims

• NCAA Record: 1:48.37, Kate Douglass (Virginia) – 2023
• 2025 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:53.66
• 2024 NCAA Cutline: 1:57.03

1. Kennedy Noble (NCS) – 1:56.41
2. Lisa Nystrand (NCS) – 1:57.17
3. Sophie Martin (NU) – 1:58.84
4. Sonia Vaishnani (ASU) – 1:59.45
5. Charli Brown (ASU) – 1:59.52
6. Zoe Summar (ASU) – 1:59.55
7. Katherine Helms (NCS) – 1:59.58
8. Ella Guilfoil (ASU) – 2:00.25

NC State junior Kennedy Noble secured the top spot heading into finals, posting a time of 1:56.41 to mark the only sub-1:57 performance of the morning. Currently ranked 8th in the NCAA, her time was just .19 off of her season best this year, which she posted against ASU in October.

Freshman teammate Lisa Nystrand took the runner-up spot behind her; she threw down a personal best time of 1:57.17, exactly .1 faster than her previous best that she just set in October.

Leading a series of swimmers posting 1:59s was ASU’s Sonia Vaishnani, who placed 4th overall heading into finals with a time of 1:59.45. Her performance marked a new lifetime best time by just over half a second.

Close behind her was Brown, who bounced back after the 500 to snag the 5th spot heading into finals with a season best time of 1:59.52. ASU teammate Zoe Summar trailed just .03 behind Brown, sliding into 6th with a new season best time of 1:59.55.

Another .03 behind and rounding out the 1:59s was NC State’s Katherine Helms, who is the 7th seed heading into finals with a time of 1:59.58.

Men’s 200 IM – Prelims

• NCAA Record: 1:36.34, Leon Marchand (ASU) – 2023
• 2025 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 1:41.03
• 2024 NCAA Cutline: 1:43.05

1. Daniel Diehl (NCS) – 1:41.68
2. Ilya Kharun (ASU) – 1:43.85
3. Charlie Bufton (NCS) – 1:45.32
4. Simon Bermudez (NCS) – 1:45.56
5. Carles Coll Marti (VT) – 1:45.74
6. Lucien Vergnes (ASU) – 1:45.85
7. Oscar Bilbao (ASU) – 1:45.86
8. Alexander Edwards (Army) – 1:45.88

NC State’s Daniel Diehl enjoyed a tremendous swim in the 200 IM this morning, throwing down a personal best time of 1:41.68 to shave .16 off of his previous best. His race also marked his best performance in the event this season by over 1.5 seconds and makes him the 3rd-fastest swimmer in NCAA so far this season.

Cruising into the runner-up spot behind Diehl was ASU’s Ilya Kharun, who turned in a season best time of 1:43.85. Nearly a second faster than the 1:44.57 he posted against UNLV earlier this season, Kharun’s performance bumps him from 13th to 9th on the NCAA ranking in the event.

NC State freshman Charlie Bufton also turned in a huge performance, dropping exactly a second to secure a new lifetime best time of 1:45.32 and take the #3 spot heading into finals. His teammate and fellow freshman Simon Bermudez was not far behind him, also landing a personal best by .3 with his time of 1:45.56.

With only a margin of .14 separating the 5th and 8th-place swimmers heading into finals, the top eight is shaping up to be a very close race tonight.

Women’s 50 Free – Prelims

• NCAA Record: 20.37, Gretchen Walsh (Virginia) – 2024
• 2025 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 21.63
• 2024 NCAA Cutline: 22.11

1. Caroline Bentz (ASU) – 21.93
2. Tatum Wall (Duke) – 21.94
3. Lilian Christianson (NCS) – 22.06
4. Carmen Weiler Sastre (VT) – 22.11
5. Erika Pelaez (NCS) – 22.22
6. Tyler Driscoll (NCS) – 22.35
7. Miriam Sheehan (ASU) – 22.44
8. Alison Praff (Duke) – 22.49

ASU’s Caroline Bentz held onto her position as one of the fastest 50 freestylers in the NCAA, claiming the top spot in prelims with a time of 21.93, just .05 off of her lifetime best which she set against Arizona State in October.

Bentz is currently tied for 4th on this season’s NCAA top times ranking with Tyler Driscoll, who placed 6th overall with a time of 22.35 coming out of prelims this morning.

Duke’s Tatum Wall enjoyed a lifetime best performance in her swim this morning, posting a time of 21.94 to mark her first time ever under the 22 mark. .13 faster than her previous season best, her time also bumps her from 13th to 8th on the NCAA rankings in the event.

NC State freshman Lilian Christianson posted a season best time in her race, racing into the wall in a time of 22.06 to shave .09 off of her time from October.

Close behind her was Virginia Tech’s Carmen Weiler Sastre, who turned in a personal best time of 22.11 to claim the 4th spot heading into finals. Her performance this morning lowered her lifetime best by .09 and marked a season best performance by .69.

Men’s 50 Free – Prelims

• NCAA Record: 17.63, Caeleb Dressel (Florida) – 2018
• 2025 NCAA ‘A’ Cut: 18.82
• 2024 NCAA Cutline: 19.13

1. Jonny Kulow (ASU) – 18.84
2. Drew Salls (NCS) – 19.14
3. Jerry Fox (NCS) – 19.23
4. Tommy Palmer (ASU) – 19.34
5. Youssef Ramadan (VT) – 19.39
6. Patrick Sammon (ASU) – 19.47
7. Kaii Winkler (NCS) – 19.48
8. Hudson Williams (NCS) – 19.49

ASU’s Jonny Kulow turned in the top performance of the morning, turning in a time of 18.84 to claim the top spot and become the only swimmer in the field to go sub-19. His time marked a season best for him, as it was .11 faster than the 18.95 he posted against NC State in October, and Kulow also now holds the 2nd-fastest 50 free time in the NCAA this season.

The runner-up behind Kulow, NC State’s Drew Salls also narrowly posted a season best time, managing to shave .04 off of his time with his performance of 19.14 today. That performance would bump him up one spot on the NCAA ranking to tie for 6th.

Not far behind was teammate Jerry Fox, whose time of 19.23 marked a significant season best performance by over a second, one of the biggest drops in the field.

Rounding out the top eight was ASU’s Patrick Sammon and NC State’s Kaii Winkler and Hudson Williams, each separated by only .01. Winkler’s time of 19.48 was just .04 off of his lifetime best, while Sammon and Williams both posted season best times to land themselves in the top eight.