Katharine Berkoff Opens ACCS With 4th Fastest 50 Back In History: 23.37

by Ben Dornan 1

February 17th, 2021 ACC, College, National, News, Previews & Recaps

2021 ACC WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIPS

  • When: Wednesday, February 17th – Saturday, February 20th | Prelims: 11:00 am | Finals: 7:00 pm (EST) (Except Wednesday’s timed finals, which begin at 5:15 EST)
  • Where: Greensboro Aquatic Center, Greensboro, NC
  • Defending Champion: University of Virginia (x1) (results)
  • Format: 25 Yards/Short Course Yards (SCY)
  • Championship Central: Here
  • Championship Manual
  • Live Results
  • Psych Sheets (uncut)
  • Day 1 Final Live Recap

NC State Sophmore Katharine Berkoff threw down a 23.37 backstroke leg as a part of her team’s 4×50 medley relay on the first night of the ACC Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships.

Berkoff was easily the fastest in the field and her 23.37 is now the fourth-fastest performance in the event in history.

Women’s 4×50 Medley Backstroke Leadoffs – TOP PERFORMERS ALL-TIME

  1. Maggie MacNeil – 23.05
  2. Rhyan White – 23.35
  3. Rachel Bootsma – 23.36
  4. Katharine Berkoff – 23.37
  5. Cindy Tran – 23.44

*This list includes the fastest-ever medley relay leadoffs. Natalie Coughlin swam a 23.40 en route to her 50.01 swim at the 2002 NCAA Championships.

Rhyan White’s now second-ranked swim of 23.35 occurred within minutes of Berkoff’s at the 2021 SEC Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships. White hit the time leading off Alabama’s 1:34.68 4×50 medley relay which was quick enough to win the SEC title. Michigan’s Maggie MacNeil currently holds the NCAA record in the event, having hit a 23.05 at last year’s Big Ten Championships.

That swim for Berkoff is a decent best time, improving upon her 23.60 from her swim in December 2020 at the Janice Hope Dowd Invitational. Berkoff was followed by Sophie Hansson‘s 26.31 breast leg, Sirena Rowe‘s 23.02 butterfly leg, and Kylee Alons‘ 20.82 freestyle. Together that made for a 1:33.52 from NC State which the 3rd fastest swim in NCAA history. Virginia won the heat with a 1:32.93 which was quick enough to set a new NCAA record, beating Stanford’s previous mark of 1:33.11 from 2018:

NC STATE 2021 VIRGINIA 2021 STANFORD 2018
Third Fastest in NCAA History New NCAA Record
Old NCAA Record
Back Katharine Berkoff – 23.37 Caroline Gmelich – 23.70
Ally Howe – 23.54
Breast Sophie Hansson – 26.31 Alexis Wenger – 26.03
Kim Williams – 26.50
Fly Sirena Rowe – 23.02 Alexa Cuomo – 22.58
Janet Hu – 22.62
Free Kylee Alons – 20.82 Kate Douglass – 20.62
Simone Manuel – 20.45
1:33.52 1:32.93 1:33.11

2021 Women’s ACC Swimming & Diving Championships 4×50 Medley

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Snarky
3 years ago

What a great race.