Berecz Makes FSU Debut; Noles Beat FAU, Miami

FLORIDA STATE vs. MIAMI vs. FLORIDA ATLANTIC

  • Jan. 26, 2020
  • Hosted by FSU
  • Short Course Yards
  • Full Results

TEAM SCORES

WOMEN

  • FSU 230, Miami 64
  • FSU 234, FAU 62
  • Miami 163, FAU 130

MEN

  • FSU 247, FAU 53

The Florida State men and women picked up wins at home on Sunday. The women won two, beating ACC rival Miami and in-state rival FAU. The men also took victory over the Owls. The young talent was on display with many freshman and sophomores earning wins for the Seminoles on both sides.

Balazs Berecz earned a winning double in his debut for FSU. He was 2 seconds ahead of the field in the 200 breast, winning in 2:04.04. Berecz was even more dominant in the 200 IM, touching in 1:51.83 to win by 5 seconds. In his other event, the 200 free, he took 2nd (1:39.97) as teammate Peter Varjasi took off on the back half to win in 1:38.90.

Aziz Ghaffari swept the distance freestyles for the Noles. His 9:22.21 in the 1000 free was a win by 5 seconds. He returned with a 4:31.17 in the 500 free. On the women’s side, Elizabeth Harris picked up a pair of freestyle wins. She took the lead up front in the 200 free, holding off  Miami’s Carmen Martinez on the back half to win it 1:51.75 to 1:52.23. Her next win came in the 500 free with a 5:03.98.

Breaststroker Nina Kucheran was another FSU multi-event winner. She was 3 seconds ahead of the field in the 100 breast to win it in 1:01.75. In the 200 IM, Kucheran was over a second behind Miami’s Zorry Mason (2:04.68) after the back leg, but took the lead by nearly half a second through the breast leg before ultimately winning in 2:02.59.

PRESS RELEASE – FLORIDA STATE

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. –  The No.15/25 Florida State swimming and diving teams picked up three wins on Saturday, in front of a packed crowd on Senior Day at the Morcom Aquatics Center.

The Seminoles won all but two events on the day as the 25th-ranked women defeated Miami 230-64 and Florida Atlantic 234-62 in order to finish the season 7-5, 2-2 ACC. The No. 15 men defeated the Owls 247-53 for an overall record of 6-3, 2-1 ACC.

“Overall, today was a great day,” FSU head coach Neal Studd said. “It was a fantastic celebration of our seniors. They swam well, some of them won events in front of their friends and family and it was a really great atmosphere.”

Freshman Balazs Berecz made his debut in the Garnet and Gold by winning the 200 breast (2:04.04) and 200 IM (1:51.83). Rookie Aziz Ghaffari also contributed a pair of wins, taking the 1000 free at 9:22.21 and 500 free at 4:31.17.

The men started the day off with a victory in the 200 medley relay by the all-senior squad of John Maxatas, Rudo Loock, Max Polianski and Vladimir Stefanik with a time of 1:29.69.

Freshman Peter Varjasi (1:38.90), Berecz (1:39.97) along with junior Gavin Jones (1:41.31) followed with a sweep of the 200 free.

Sophomore Jackson Lucas (50.80), freshman Ryland Sun (21.12) and rookie Nick Vance (51.25) finished first, second and third in the 100 back before sophomore Jackson Seith (56.43) freshman Nevada Wood (57.48) and junior Chad McGuire (58.47) swept the 100 breast.

Polianski won the 200 fly with a time of 1:50.09 ahead of freshman Maurice Ingenrieth (1:51.62) in second place.

The Seminoles finished the break with the sweep of the 50 free led by freshman Ian Cooper (20.53) in first, Jones (20.54) in second and freshman Domen Demsar (21.05) in third.

Loock (45.20), and sophomores Max McCusker (45.61) and Jakub Ksiazek (45.79) swept the 100 free, before Vance (1:50.78) and sophomore Riley DaFoe (1:56.51) placed first and second in the 200 back.

Stefanik led the first, second and third place showing in the 100 fly with a time of 48.19, followed by Demsar (49.77) and Mataxas (50.11).

Florida State controlled 200 free relay with a sweep to end the meet, led by the top team of Loock, Varjasi, Polianski and Stefanik at 1:21.18.

On the boards, senior Cam Thatcher dominated 3-meter, with a score of 401.35 and his classmate Aidan Faminoff took third (336.25). However, Joshua Davidson was the winner on 1-meter with a total of 365.85, ahead of Thatcher in second at 351.50.

Sophomore Nina Kucheran won a pair of races, touching first in the 100 breast (1:01.75) and 200 IM (2:02.59) and was a part of the winning 200 medley relay team to start the meet along with sophomores Maddie McDonald, Aryanna Fernandes and Kertu Alnek.

Freshman Elizabeth Harris was also the winner in two events, taking the 200 free (1:51.75) and 500 free (5:03.98).

Sophomore Stephanie Holmes led the way in the 1000 free with a time of 10:16.70 for the win.

Senior Dorothy Halmy came from behind to win the 200 fly with a mark of 2:02.67, out-touching sophomore Hannah Womer (2:02.92) in second place.

Junior Rebecca Moynihan led the sweep of the 50 free with at time of 23.49 ahead of Alnek in second at 23.73 and junior Emma Terebo in the third (23.82).

Out of the break, Alnek won the 100 free (51.26) ahead of Moynihan (51.38) and McDonald claimed the 200 back win at 2:02.24.

Freshman Sydney VanOvermeiren placed first in the 200 breast (2:21.16) ahead of juniors Kile Carriger (2:22.02) and Bella English (2:2293) in second and third.

Fernandes (55.47), senior Paige Schendelaar-Kemp (56.42) and Womer (56.99) added a sweep in the 100 fly just before the break.

Senior Molly Carlson led the Noles in diving, winning 3-meter with a total of 332.80 ahead of her classmate Ayla Bonniwell (316.00) in second. Carlson took second on 1-meter with a tally of 298.15 and Bonniwell was third at 290.75.

The Seminoles finished the meet with a win in the 200 free relay behind Fernandes, Alnek, Terebo and Moynihan (1:34.08).

“Today we wanted to focus on fine-tuning some things before we enter the post season,” Studd added. “I think we had a great meet and now we’ll shift gears and start training for championships season.”

Florida State will next compete at the Auburn Invite, which runs from Feb. 7-9.

For more information on FSU Swimming and diving visit Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

PRESS RELEASE – MIAMI

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The University of Miami women’s swimming & diving team split a tri-meet with Florida State and FAU Saturday afternoon at the Morcom Aquatics Center.

The Hurricanes topped the Owls, 163-130, but fell to the host Seminoles, 230-64.

Senior co-captain Claire McGinnis scored early points for Miami with a second-place finish in the 1,000-yard freestyle (10:25.18) while junior Carmen San Nicolas did the same in the 200-yard freestyle (1:52.23).

Freshman diver Mia Vallee was among Miami’s top performers on the boards, taking first in the 1-meter (299.95), just edging out Florida State’s Molly Carlson (298.15). Vallee added a fourth-place finish in the 3-meter (283.90), behind teammate Millie Haffety, who was third (294.00).

Freshman Isabel Traba took third in the 200-yard butterfly (2:03.31) while San Nicolas added a third-place finish in the 100-yard freestyle (51.49).

McGinnis finished the 500-yard freestyle in third place (5:07.56) and Traba was fourth in the 100-yard butterfly (57.37).

Sophomore Zorry Mason touched the wall in 2:04.68 in the 200-yard IM before the Hurricanes’ top entry in the 200-yard freestyle relay – comprised of San Nicolas, senior Manon Viguier, freshman Nicole Sowell and junior Sydney Knapp – took third with a time of 1:37.43 to close the day’s action.

The Hurricanes divers return to action at the South Florida Diving Invitational on Feb. 7, while swimmers return to the pool for the First Chance Meet at the Whitten Pool on Feb. 15.

PRESS RELEASE – FLORIDA ATLANTIC

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Florida Atlantic University men’s and women’s swimming & diving team competed in a Sunshine State tri-meet Saturday afternoon. Both sides came away with five top-three finishes against No. 15/25 Florida State and the Miami women’s team.

QUICK HITS – WOMEN

  • The 200 medley relay team of Abby MarshallFatimah WestbrookHailee Trotter and Mackenzie Brown got the day going with a fourth place finish in the 200 medley relay (1:45.80)
  • Marshall claimed the Owls’ first individual win of the day after touching the wall first in the 100 back (56.41). The junior later tallied second in the 200 back (2:03.78)
  • Spence Atkins finished with three fourth place showings in each of her events, which included the 1000 free (10:30.46), 200 fly (2:05.66) and 500 free (5:10.65)
  • Westbrook took fourth in the 100 breast (1:06.17)
  • Brown came up with fourth in the 50 free (24.22)
  • Marshall, Westbrook, Dominique Sauger and Brown finished out the swimming events with fourth in the 200 free relay with a time of 1:37.95
  • The reigning Conference USA Diver of the Week Malvina Catalano finished fourth in the 1-meter (273.95)
QUICK HITS – MEN
  • Will Smith tallied third in the 100 free with a time of 9:36.45
  • Connor Smoak finished his first individual race of the day with fourth place in the 200 free (1:44.40). The senior later tied for fourth in the 50 free (21.52)
  • Kyle Douglas captured third in the 200 back (1:58.06) with Calvin Lillo following in fourth (2:00.49). Douglas also finished fourth in the 100 back (53.45) and 200 IM (1:58.57)
  • Rateb Hussein recorded third in the 200 fly with a time of 1:52.05. Smith followed in fourth (1:56.82)
  • Hussein would later finish fourth in the 100 fly with a time of 50.17
  • Logan Downey captured fourth in the 1-meter (299.70)
ON DECK
The women’s team will take the short drive to Miami to face in-state foe FIU with the meet being set for Saturday at 10 a.m. On the men’s side, the team will prepare for the CCSA Championships commencing on Wednesday, Feb. 19 in Knoxville, Tenn. For complete coverage of FAU swimming & diving, follow along on Twitter (@fauswimdive), Instagram (@fauswimdive) and Facebook.

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About Lauren Neidigh

Lauren Neidigh

Lauren Neidigh is a former NCAA swimmer at the University of Arizona (2013-2015) and the University of Florida (2011-2013). While her college swimming career left a bit to be desired, her Snapchat chin selfies and hot takes on Twitter do not disappoint. She's also a high school graduate of The …

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