Berkoff Drops 55.23 Lifetime Best 100 Meter Free at Greensboro Sectionals Day 4

ESSZ Summer Sectional Long Course Championships

  • July 15-18, 2021
  • Greensboro Aquatic Center, Greensboro, NC
  • Long Course Meters
  • Results on Meet Mobile: “2021 ESSZ Summer Long Course Championships”

College swimmers returned home for the summer and recent U.S. Olympic Trials competitors highlighted Sunday’s short finals session at the Greensboro Sectionals.

Wolfpack Elite’s Katharine Berkoff won the 100 free (55.23) with a .77 lead over the field. NC State rising junior Berkoff demolished her best time going into this meet which was a 56.84 from 2018 Summer Nationals. While she did not contest this event at the U.S. Olympic Trials Wave II, she is coming off a couple of impressive backstroke swims there where she placed 4th in the 100 back final and 8th in the 200 back final.

In 2nd place was Louisville rising sophomore Gabriela Albiero of Unattached-Kentucky (56.00) who was within .15 of her lifetime best from the May Pro Swim Series.

On the men’s side, Berkoff’s Wolfpack Elite teammate Noah Henderson won the 100 free with a huge lifetime best time of 50.07. The NC State rising junior took more than 2 seconds off his best time going into the meet to out touch 2nd place finisher Luke Miller of Unattached-Wolf (50.14) who is entering his sophomore year at NC State.

This time was close to the lifetime best Miller dropped at the U.S. Olympic Trials Wave II, a 49.88.

Kentucky rising junior Gillian Davey won the 200 breast and set a new school record with a time of 2:26.63. She lowered her own record and won with a 5.5 second lead over the field.

Her previous best time was 2:26.80 from 2019 Summer Nationals.

Louisville rising sophomore Aidan Kreiley won the 200 breast on the men’s side with a time of 2:16.53, about a second off his best time.

Sophie Sorenson kept Kentucky’s momentum going by winning the 200 back (2:12.25), about 1.5 seconds off her best time from the U.S. Olympic Trials Wave II. She fended off three Wolfpack Elite swimmers Faith Hefner (2:13.43), Katey Lewicki (2:15.28), and Maddy Flickinger (2:16.99) who racked up points with a 2-3-4 finish.

Wolfpack Elite’s Hunter Tapp won the 200 back with a time of 1:57.57. Only him and 2nd place finisher Michael Moore,a rising sophomore at NC State, who touched the wall at 1:59.77 cracked 2:00.00. NC State rising junior Tapp was within a second of his lifetime best from the U.S. Olympic Trials Wave II

16-year-old Will Scholtz of Lakeside Swim Team placed 2nd (2:17.34), while his best time 2:16.43 from Olympic Trials Wave I ranks him #23 out of the all-time fastest swimmers in his age group.

SwimMAC Carolina ended the meet with the most combined team points.

Final Team Scores (Top 5)

  1. SwimMAC Carolina – 819
  2. Kentucky Aquatics – 776
  3. Wolfpack Elite – 619
  4. Unattached University of Louisville – 603
  5. Gamecock Aquatics – 380

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Ol' Longhorn
2 years ago

Could see the first 48 100 SCY back from her this NCAA season.

Dude
Reply to  Ol' Longhorn
2 years ago

I believe that’s what Dave went to win the 100 back at NCAAs in 86 or something

Dude
Reply to  Dude
2 years ago
ACC fan
2 years ago

Katharine is just getting faster and faster at State. Three more years with Holloway and she could be like her Dad. Congrats Katharine!

Last edited 2 years ago by ACC fan
Snarky
Reply to  ACC fan
2 years ago

Sorry. But who downvotes this comment? She’s dropped from 50.7 to 49.7 in the 100 back and from 22.8 to 21.8, 48.7 to 47.9, and 1:46.1 to 1:43.7 in the frees since she’s been there and didn’t shave and taper her sophomore year b/c of covid. So where’s the lack of truth? Jealousy? Sad.

About Annika Johnson

Annika Johnson

Annika came into the sport competitively at age eight, following in the footsteps of her twin sister and older brother. The sibling rivalry was further fueled when all three began focusing on distance freestyle, forcing the family to buy two lap counters. Annika is a three-time Futures finalist in the 200 …

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