NC STATE VS. TEXAS
- Friday, January 26, 2024
- Casey Aquatic Center, Raleigh, NC
- SCY
- Dual Meet Format
- Livestream Link (required ACC+ subscription)
- Results on Meet Mobile as “NC State vs Texas”
NC State fifth-year Katharine Berkoff set a new pool record swimming a 49.82 in the 100 backstroke on Friday night. That swim makes her the 2nd fastest dual meet swimmer ever, sitting only behind Gretchen Walsh.
Last weekend, Walsh swam an NCAA-leading time of a 48.77 while leading off Virginia’s 400 medley relay. Walsh was unsuited. Tonight, Berkoff was suited up.
Berkoff is the former American Record holder in the event as she swam a 48.74 back at the 2022 Women’s NCAA Championships. Walsh broke Berkoff’s record last March swimming a 48.26 to win the 2023 NCAA title.
Prior to today, Berkoff’s fastest dual meet best time was a 50.83 which she swam earlier this season in October in a dual meet against NC State. Today’s swim was also a season best for Berkoff as she swam a 50.03 in the event at midseason.
So far this season, only Walsh and Berkoff have gone under the 50-second mark in the event.
Berkoff competed in a total of four events tonight, swimming on both the team’s 200 medley and freestyle relays, both of which events came before the 100 backstroke. She also anchored NC State’s 400 freestyle relay.
That’s cute
You spelled “badass” wrong
Berkoff anchored the medley not lead off. Anchored in 20.70 BTW!
It wouldn’t surprise me if Berkoff beats Walsh at NCAAs. Berkoff loves to race.
Daughter like father
Suzuki???
I would be. Assuming Walsh swims it, there’s a good chance she goes 47, and I doubt Berkoff can do that.
Tech suits and a taper really don’t help Walsh. I wouldn’t expect her to be much faster at the end of the season.
Maybe only 50 free (though I suspect she had a not so great race when Maggie beat her). But otherwise, not true. Last year she was never sub-50 in a dual meet. I think her 100 back SB was 49.2 from a lead off at ACC. And then was a second faster at NCs.
She dropped 2 seconds in both the 100 free from her best in-season times in both the 100 free and 100 back last year.
I could see it going either way, honestly. Not sure if it’s really possible for Walsh to get faster than her 48.2 last year and Berkoff could match that. Berkoff will def have to be at her best to win but it’s not out of the realm of possibility.
Gretchen just went 48.7 in a tri-meet in a practice suit, she’s been faster in everything she’s swim this year, but you’re not really sure if she can be faster than 48.2. Okay.
tech suits and tapers don’t do as much for Walsh as they do others, she’s just consistently really fast. “Not really sure” literally means I don’t know; I never said it’s not gonna happen. It very likely could. Chill.
Maybe if you “don’t know”, you shouldn’t be posting ignorant nonsense. Walsh dropped over 2 seconds from her duel meet PB-> NCAAs last year in the 100 free (she didn’t really swim the 100 back last year in duel meets but was also 2 seconds faster than her in-season times). You really don’t think that she can’t go faster than 48.2 when she has already been 48.7 this year? Just stop.
Yeah at some point there is just not much to drop when your technique and fundamentals are already amazing. Like she’s not gonna drop time at the same rate and in the same proportions as her in-season swims infinitely lol. All I meant by that was that if she’s off in that race day-of and Berkoff is having the best day of her life, maybe she can win. It’s definitely still Walsh’s race to lose, and I definitely didn’t say she can’t go faster than 48.2.
not a chance
I would be surprised if Walsh loses a single individual, but I do think people are underestimating Berkoff. She’s obviously had a big LCM breakthrough the past summer and this dual meet shows that she’s still in it in SCY
Yeah, I think Walsh is definitely favored but the only person who stands a chance at beating her in anything is Berkoff in this race. As I said, she’ll have to be at her absolute best to win, but she’s got a shot.