2016 ACC MEN’S CHAMPIONSHIPS
- When: Wednesday, Feb. 24 – Saturday, Feb. 27; Prelims 10AM/Finals 6PM (Eastern Time)
- Where: Greensboro Aquatic Center, Greensboro, NC
- Defending Champion: NC State (results)
- Streaming: watchESPN
- Championship Central
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NC State leads the ACC Championship meet headed into tonight’s finals and yesterday’s 50 freestyle race helped contribute to the Wolfpack’s wrath. Ryan Held scored the win in a time of 18.92, just .02 of a second ahead of teammate Simonas Bilis in 18.94.
Additional NC State swimmers Andreas Schiellerup and Joe Bonk also appeared in the 50 freestyle A-final, finishing in 4th and 6th positions, respectively.
As originally reported by Jared Anderson:
50 FREE – FINALS
- Ryan Held, NCSU – 18.92
- Simonas Bilis, NCSU – 18.94
- Sam Lewis, UNC – 19.49
It was Simonas Bilis who was the defending champ, but his sophomore teammate Ryan Held ended the streak of repeat winners, going 18.92 for the first new ACC champ of the 2016 meet.
Held just touched out Bilis, who was 18.94 – that gives the Wolfpack a pair of sub-19 sprinters that should mean their 200 free relay won’t have to deal with the traditional question of whether to lead off with your top sprinter or use him as your anchor. NC State has the firepower to do both.
UNC senior Sam Lewis snuck in for third at 19.49, taking a little more than a tenth off his prelims time and touching out Andreas Schiellerup (19.52) to break up the Wolfpack sweep.
Duke’s James Peek was just behind in 19.54, with the final NC State championship finalist, Joe Bonk taking sixth in 19.57.