Versatile Stars Give ACC Coaches Choices to Make Next Week (Psych Sheets)

2021 Women’s ACC Swimming & Diving Championships

• February 17-20, 2021
• Greensboro Aquatic Center, Greensboro, NC
• Defending Champion: Virginia (1x) (results)
• Live results
• Live Video – ACCNX
• Championship Central
• Psych Sheets

Report originally posted Feb 11th, 2021

Pre-cut psych sheets for the 2021 Women’s ACC Swimming & Diving Championships (along with the men’s diving) are out. As we saw the other day with the SEC psych sheets, teams have not yet been forced to cut their rosters down to the allowable 18 swimmers and 3 divers, and many swimmers are listed on the psych sheet in more than the maximum of three individual evens they’ll be allowed to swim. Those caveats aside, the pre-cut psych sheets do start to give a few clues about where coaches are pointing their swimmers for the meet.

While the coaches certainly value versatility, the Virginia Cavaliers’ staff has an almost-dizzying array of choices to make in regards to event lineup, especially when it comes to maximizing team points. Sophomore Kate Douglass is currently entered in seven events: she’s the top seed in the 200 IM, 50 free, 100 fly, 100 free, and 200 breast, and she’s also entered in the 200 free and 100 back. It seems logical to assume that she’ll swim the 100 fly on Day 3, as that’s the only event on that day in which she holds the top seed. But Day 2 will force a choice between the 200 IM, where she’s only a quarter of a second away from the U.S. Open Record, but where UVA has two other women seeded in the top 5, and the 50 free, where UVA only has one other woman seeded in the top 16. A similar choice looms between the 100 free and the 200 breast on the final day.

Likewise, the initial psych sheets don’t provide a lot of clarity as to what UVA freshman Alex Walsh will be swimming, as she’s entered in six events. On Day 2, she’s only entered in the 200 IM, where she’s the #2 seed behind Douglass, but she’s entered in three events on Day 3: she’s #4 in 200 free, #2 in 100 breast, and #2 in 100 back.  She’s also seeded #5 in 200 back and  #2 in 200 breast for Day 4.

NC State, the team that seems most likely to push the defending champion Cavaliers, has a pair of stars entered in five events each. Sprinter Kylee Alons would probably love to have a little insight into Douglass’ schedule, as the Wolfpack junior is seeded 2nd behind Douglass in the 50 free, 100 fly, and 100 free. She’s also entered as the #2 seed in the 100 back and #11 in the 200 back. Teammate Katharine Berkoff is also entered in five events. She’s likely a lock to swim the 100 back and 200 back, in which she’s the defending champion and runner-up, respectively, but she’s also entered in the 200 IM with the 9th seed, the 50 free with the 3rd seed, and the 100 free with the 3rd seed.

One impact swimmer who has narrowed down her schedule a little bit is UNC junior Sophie Lindner. Although she has the 8th-fastest time in the Conference this year in the 200 free and the 6th-fastest time in the 200 free, she’s going to repeat her 100 fly, 100 back, and 200 back schedule from last year, which netted her 56.5 points for the Tar Heels.

Unlike the SEC, the ACC has been able to stick to its traditional schedule this year. The women’s swimming and diving and men’s diving will all take place next week, with the men’s swimming competition happening the following week. The biggest, although unsurprising, change, is that no spectators will be allowed, and the teams will stage in the large seating area, instead of directly on the pool deck.