Marchand, Smith, Huske Impressive in Prelims on Day 2 of NC State Invite

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

It was a morning for the breaststrokers in Greensboro. On the men’s side, Penn State junior Daniel Raisanen took .8 off his previous lifetime best (53.61) to post the fastest 100 breast time of the morning, 52.86. On the women’s side, it was Sophie Hansson of NC State with a very fast 57.85.

NC State had three of the top four times in the women’s 100 breast, led by Hansson’s 57.85. For reference, she went 57.67 in prelims at NCAAs last year, before winning the event with a GAC pool record of 57.23. The Wolfpack’s Andrea Podmanikova (59.95) and Heather MacCausland (1:00.48) qualified second and fourth for the final, with Duke’s Sally Foley (1:00.41) coming in at third.

Foley took 2 seconds off her previous PB in the 400 IM, posting the morning’s #2 time of 4:11.23. Brooke Forde of Stanford went 4:08.95 to lead all qualifiers in prelims. She was the Cardinal’s only A finalist in the event. Stanford loaded up in the 100 backstroke, though, filling half the lanes in tonight’s final. Freshman Regan Smith (50.47) had the top time of the morning. She will be joined by Lucie Nordmann (51.93), Amy Tang (53.16) and Taylor Ruck (53.23). NC State’s Katharine Berkoff (50.54) and Kylee Alons (51.76) qualified second and third.

Alons cracked a 51.64 to lead the qualifiers in the 100 fly. Stanford freshman Torri Huske cruised to a 52.20 to qualify second, ahead of Ellie Vannote of North Carolina (52.62). That sets up another showdown between Alons and Huske; the two were seeded 1-2 in the 50 free on Thursday night, an event Huske won by .02 from lane 5.

NC State’s Abbey Webb (1:45.36) and Arizona State’s Emma Nordin (1:45.54) and Erica Laning (1:45.95) were the only three under 1:46 in the 200 free this morning. Nordin and Laning finished 1-3 in the 500 free last night.

ASU freshman Leon Marchand is continuing to make his mark in the NCAA this fall. After posting the leading time in the nation last night in the 200 IM (1:40.80), he went 3:43.82 in prelims of the 400 IM to qualify first by nearly two seconds. It was the first official SCY 400 IM for the French national record-holder, and ranks second in the NCAA so far this season. Mikey Moore of NC State went 3:45.70, while ASU’s David Schlicht and Jarod Arroyo came in with 3:47.33 and 3:47.45.

ASU also had three of the top four qualifying spots in the 100 fly with Nyls Korstanje (45.20), Luke Miller (45.94), and Noah Henderson (46.18). Stanford freshman Andrei Minakov was second (45.57).

The Wolfpack loaded up the 200 A final; Hunter Tapp tied his lifetime best (1:33.81) to land the top spot for the evening session. Bartosz Piszczorowicz (1:34.66), Sam Hoover (1:35.02), and Eric Knowles (1:35.17) also made top-8. ASU’s Grant House (1:34.03) and Carter Swift (1:34.98) and Stanford’s Preston Forst (1:34.75) and Ron Polonsky (1:34.94) will round out the final.

NC State earned four spots in the 100 back, too, with Giovanni Izzo (46.93), Aiden Hayes (47.59), John Healy (47.77), and Noah Bowers (47.86). Stanford’s Leon MacAlister swam the top time of the morning, 46.43.

In the 100 breast, Raisanen of Penn State was the only sub-53 of the session. Arizona State’s John Heaphy went 53.15, just .17 off his PB to qualify second for the final ahead of Stanford’s Daniel Roy (53.67) and Ethan Dang (53.83).