2024 ACC Championships: Day 5 Prelims Live Recap

2024 ACC SWIMMING AND DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Tuesday, February 20 to Saturday, February 24, 2023
• Greensboro Aquatic Center, Greensboro, North Carolina
• Defending Champions: NC State men / Virginia women
• Full Event Schedule
• Championship Central
• Live Results
• Live Streaming
• Day 1 Finals Recap
• Day 2 Prelims Recap | Day 2 Finals Recap
• Day 3 Prelims Recap | Day 3 Finals Recap
• Day 4 Prelims Recap | Day 4 Finals Recap

Day 5 Prelims Heat Sheet

Day 5 Prelims Scratch Report

It’s the fifth and final day of the 2024 ACC Championships and we have three events to cover this morning. We’ll see heats of the 200 backstroke, 100 freestyle, and 200 breaststroke, with the 1650 freestyle, 400 freestyle relay, and men’s platform diving taking place later today.

The women’s 200 backstroke will be missing NC State’s Katharine Berkoff, who won her fifth straight 100 back title a night ago. She entered the meet as the #1 seed, but has scratched in favor of the 100 free, where she’s seeded 3rd. Virginia Tech’s Caroline Bentz has elevated to the top seed, but defending champion Kennedy Noble (NCST) will also compete. Louisville’s Jackson Millard is the only sub-1:40 entrant for the men’s 200 back.

After eclipsing NCAA records in the 50 free, 100 fly, and 100 back at this meet already, UVA’s Gretchen Walsh will line-up for today’s 100 free. Jasmine Nocentini, her teammate and 100 breast winner from yesterday, is the only other swimmer seeded under 47 seconds. Notre Dame’s Chris Guiliano is the top seeded for the men, and split 40.17 anchoring the medley relay last night.

Alex Walsh (UVA) and Denis Petrashov (LOU) are ranked 1st in the 200 breaststroke, and both are the defending champions. Virginia Tech’s Carles Coll Marti, who holds the ACC record, is another name to watch for in the men’s event.

WOMEN’S 200 BACKSTROKE –PRELIMS

• NCAA Record: 1:47.24, Beata Nelson (WISC) – 2019 NCAA Championships
• ACC Record: 1:49.09, Alexia Zevnik (NCST) – 2017 NCAA Championships
• ACC Championship Record: 1:49.61, Alexia Zevnik (NCST) – 2017 ACC Championships
• 2024 NCAA ‘A’ Standard: 1:50.50
• 2023 NCAA Invited Time: 1:53.34

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Reilly Tiltmann (UVA) – 1:51.77
2. Helen Noble (NCST) – 1:52.00
3. Caroline Bentz (VT) – 1:52.61
4. Madelyn Christman (ND) – 1:53.06
5. Carmen Weiler Sastre (VT) – 1:53.52
6. Emma Karam (UNC) – 1:53.76
7. Paige Hetrick (LOU) – 1:53.81
8. Tess Howley (UVA) – 1:54.17

Louisville’s Paige Hetrick grabbed the lead early during the first circle-seeded heat, flipping through the first 50 in 26.34 before UVA’s Reilly Tiltmann hit the 100 wall ahead of her at 54.63. Tiltmann would never relinquish her lead from there, winning the heat in 1:51.77. Hetrick finished 2nd in 1:53.81, while Tiltmann’s freshman teammate, Tess Howley (1:54.17), was 3rd in the heat.

Kennedy Noble of NC State, the defending champion, put her underwater skills on display in the penultimate heat. She secured the lead early and only continued to build upon it, securing victory in 1:52.00. Her best time rests at 1:50.24, which she clocked at this meet a year ago. Notre Dame’s Madelyn Christman (1:53.06) and Virginia Tech’s Carmen Weiler Sastre (1:53.52) checked-in for 2nd and 3rd in the heat.

The final heat was taken out by the top seed, Caroline Bentz of Virginia Tech. She touched in 1:52.61, which registers as the 3rd fastest time of the morning. North Carolina’s Emma Karam (1:53.76) took 2nd in the heat, while Bentz’s teammate, Emma Atkinson (1:54.50) hit the wall 3rd.

The 1:54.17 swim from Howley is the cut-off for the A-final, with Atkinson’s 1:54.50 earning her lane four in the B-final. A time of 1:56.38 earned a spot in that B-final, while it took a time of 1:57.54 to earn a second swim in the C-final.

MEN’S 200 BACKSTROKE – PRELIMS

• NCAA Record: 1:35.73, Ryan Murphy (CAL) – 2016 NCAA Championships
• ACC Record: 1:37.31, Coleman Stewart (NCST) – 2020 ACC Championships
• ACC Championship Record: 1:37.31, Coleman Stewart (NCST) – 2020 ACC Championships
• 2024 NCAA ‘A’ Standard: 1:39.13
• 2023 NCAA Invited Time: 1:40.62

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Daniel Diehl (NCST) – 1:39.58
2. Tommy Janton (ND) – 1:39.97
3. Kacper Stokowski (NCST) – 1:40.61
4. James Ewing (NCST) – 1:40.78
5. Hunter Tapp (NCST) – 1:41.16
6. Nicolas Garcia (VT) – 1:41.39
7. Tanner Filion (ND) – 1:41.50
8. Marcus Gentry (ND) – 1:41.77

Heat three of five was a great race between NC State’s Daniel Diehl and Notre Dame’s Tommy Janton. Diehl (1:39.58) pulled away over the final 25 to touch 1st, with Janton also dipping under the 1:40-barrier in 1:39.97. Kacper Stokowski, Diehl’s teammate who won the 100 back last night, grabbed 3rd in the heat with a time of 1:40.61. The time from Diehl is a new best time, bettering his previous mark of 1:39.62 by 0.04 from December of 2022.

NC State posted a 1-2 finish in heat four, putting their backstroke depth on full display. James Ewing (1:40.78) led the way over Hunter Tapp (1:41.16), with Virginia Tech’s Nicolas Garcia (1:41.39) also posting an A-final worthy swim. This heat had a slightly slower pace compared to the prior one, with the top three times in heat three all faster than the winning time here.

Notre Dame took control of the last heat during the final 50. They claimed a 1-2 punch at the end, with Tanner Filion (1:41.50) touching ahead of Marcus Gentry (1:41.53). With their swims, they advance to the A-final in 7th and 8th, respectively. The top seeded entrant coming into the event, Louisville’s Jackson Millard, missed out on the championship final in 9th position.

Four NC State swimmers and three Notre Dame athletes will appear in tonight’s final, with one swimmer from Virginia Tech. NC State and Notre Dame are currently 1st and 2nd in the overall team standings.

WOMEN’S 100 FREESTYLE – PRELIMS

• NCAA Record: 45.56, Simone Manuel (STAN) – 2017 NCAA Championships
• ACC Record: 45.61, Gretchen Walsh (UVA) – 2023 NCAA Championships
• ACC Championship Record: 45.86, Kate Douglass (UVA) – 2023 ACC Championships
• 2024 NCAA ‘A’ Standard: 47.18
• 2023 NCAA Invited Time: 48.37

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Gretchen Walsh (UVA) – 46.28
2. Jasmine Nocentini (UVA) – 47.22
3. Katharine Berkoff (NCST) – 47.31
4. Gabi Albiero (LOU) – 47.39
5. Christiana Regenauer (LOU) – 47.75
6. Julia Dennis (LOU) – 48.03
7. Maxine Parker (UVA) – 48.11
8. Lucy Mehraban (LOU) – 48.61

Katharine Berkoff had a great start in heat five, leading from start to finish. She flipped through the first 50 in 22.88 before winning the heat in a final time of 47.31. Louisville’s Lucy Mehraban (48.61) was 2nd in the heat and would hold up for the 8th seed and a spot in the championship final.

Heat six was very competitive for 2nd behind UVA’s Jasmine Nocentini. Nocentini dominated the heat, hitting the first half in 22.35 before touching in 47.22. Christiana Regenauer (47.75) of Louisville would finish ahead of Virginia’s Maxine Parker (48.11), with both advancing to the A-final.

Gretchen Walsh led from the very first stroke in the final heat, splitting 22.04/24.24 en route to posting the top qualifying time (46.28). After breaking three individual NCAA records this week already, keep an eye on Simone Manuel’s 2017 mark of 45.56 tonight.

Louisville put four swimmers in tonight’s final, which will secure them much needed points, given their big battle with NC State for 2nd in the team standings. Virginia advanced three swimmers to the final, with NC State advancing one.

MEN’S 100 FREESTYLE – PRELIMS

• NCAA Record: 39.90, Caeleb Dressel (FLOR) – 2018 NCAA Championships
• ACC Record: 41.05, Ryan Held (NCST) – 2018 NCAA Championships
• ACC Championship Record: 41.41, Ryan Held (NCST) – 2018 ACC Championships
• 2024 NCAA ‘A’ Standard: 41.50
• 2023 NCAA Invited Time: 42.32

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Chris Guiliano (ND) – 40.84 *ACC Record*
2. Luke Miller (NCST) – 41.78
3. Youssef Ramadan (VT) – 41.86
4. Brendan Whitfield (VT) – 42.06
5. Matthew Brownstead (UVA) – 42.07
6. Quintin McCarty (NCST) – 42.16
7. Jerry Fox (NCST) – 42.18
8. Sam Hoover (NCST) – 42.21

After winning the 50 and 200 freestyles earlier in the week, Notre Dame’s Chris Guiliano posted a new ACC record in the 100 free. He stopped the clock in 40.84 to win the final heat, representing the first swimmer in the ACC to dip under 41 seconds. He opened in a strong 19.51 before closing in 21.33, and is the top seed for tonight by almost a full second.

The Wolfpack advanced four athletes to the championship final, with Luke Miller (2nd, 41.78) leading the way ahead of teammates Quintin McCarty (6th, 42.16), Jerry Fox (7th, 42.18), and Sam Hoover (8th, 42.21). NC State’s 100 free depth bodes quite well for tonight’s 400 free relay.

Virginia Tech will have two representatives in the A-final, with 100 fly champion Youssef Ramadan (41.86) qualifying 3rd and Brendan Whitfield (42.06) sitting 4th. Virginia’s Matt Brownstead will also feature, as he touched in 42.07 to earn himself lane two.

WOMEN’S 200 BREASTSTROKE – PRELIMS

• NCAA Record: 2:01.29, Kate Douglass (UVA) – 2023 NCAA Championships
• ACC Record: 2:01.29, Kate Douglass (UVA) – 2023 NCAA Championships
• ACC Championship Record: 2:03.02, Alex Walsh (UVA) – 2022 ACC Championships
• 2024 NCAA ‘A’ Standard: 2:05.73
• 2023 NCAA Invited Time: 2:09.68

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Ella Nelson (UVA) – 2:06.04
2. Alex Walsh (UVA) – 2:06.07
3. Aimee Canny (UVA) – 2:08.25
4. Anna Keating (UVA) – 2:08.50
5. Kaelyn Gridley (DUKE) – 2:08.75
6. Kim Herkle (LOU) – 2:09.04
7. Sarah Foley (DUKE) – 2:09.29
8. Emma Weber (UVA) – 2:09.34

Cavalier breaststroke was simply on fire this morning.

The UVA women will comprise five of tonight’s eight finalists, and they are also the top four qualifiers. Ella Nelson (2:06.04) advances 1st ahead of Alex Walsh (2:06.07), Aimee Canny (2:08.25), and Anna Keating (2:08.50). Emma Weber (2:09.34) checked-in at 8th.

Duke put two representatives in the final: Kaelyn Gridley and Sarah Foley. Gridley clocked a time of 2:08.75 to advance 5th overall, while Foley touched in 2:09.29 to sit 7th. Duke currently sits 5th in the team standings, just 6 points behind UNC, so these two advancements are key in the race for 4th overall.

Louisville’s Kim Herkle will also line-up for tonight’s final, as she touched in 6th place this morning. She placed 2nd in the fourth heat, taking 0.78 off her entry time, finishing in 2:09.04.

It required a sub-2:12 effort to earn a lane in the B-final, with 2:11.65 being the cut-off there. Abigail Arens of NC State, who won the 200 fly last year, touched 9th this morning in 2:09.46. She was the lone sub-2:10 swimmer to not earn a spot in the A-final.

MEN’S 200 BREASTSTROKE – PRELIMS

• NCAA Record: 1:46.91, Leon Marchand (ASU) – 2023 NCAA Championships
• ACC Record: 1:49.69, Carles Coll Marti (VT) – 2022 NCAA Championships
• ACC Championship Record: 1:50.51, Denis Petrashov (UL) – 2023 ACC Championships
• 2024 NCAA ‘A’ Standard: 1:51.09
• 2023 NCAA Invited Time: 1:52.94

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. AJ Pouch (VT) – 1:51.86
2. Carles Coll Marti (VT) – 1:52.44
3. Arsenio Bustos (NCST) – 1:53.44
4. Noah Nichols (UVA) – 1:53.57
5. Denis Petrashov (LOU) – 1:53.79
6. Tommaso Baravelli (FSU) – 1:54.14
7. Max Iida (UVA) – 1:54.28
8. Benjamin Delmar (UNC) – 1:54.82

A great race is shaping up for tonight’s 200 breast final, and both the defending champion (Louisville’s Denis Petrashov) and ACC record holder (Virginia Tech’s Carles Coll Marti) will be present.

The top qualifying spot belongs to AJ Pouch of Virginia Tech. Hitting the wall in 1:51.86, he was the only swimmer to crack the 1:52 mark. His teammate, Coll Marti (1:52.44), was the only other person to dip under 1:53. Those two teammates were followed by a trio of 1:53s, with Arsenio Bustos (NCST) leading the way ahead of Noah Nichols (UVA), and Petrashov. Bustos won the 200 IM earlier in the meet and Nichols won the 100 breast.

Tommaso Baravelli of FSU earned his spot in the A-final, finishing 6th this morning at 1:54.14. Max Iida of UVA and Benjamin Delmar of UNC also posted 1:54 swims, and will feature tonight too.