Watch NC State’s History-Making 200 Free Final At ACC Championships

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
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For the 2nd consecutive year, the NC State Wolfpack swept the 200 freestyle at the ACC Championships, led by senior Simonas Bilis. Bilis rocked a 1:32.46, which scored a new school record and NCAA automatic qualifying time. Following suit were teammates Soren Dahl and Ryan Held who finished in 2nd and 3rd with times of 1:32.88 and 1:32.97, respectively, also NCAA A cuts.

Looking through history, we can’t find any other year where one school had three men under the 1:33 barrier.

Video courtesy of Wolfpack Swim & Dive.

As originally reported by Robert Gibbs:

200 FREE – FINALS

1. Simonas Bilis, NCSU – 1:32.46
2. Soren Dahl, NCSU – 1:32.88
3. Ryan Held, NCSU – 1:32.97

This NC State team has built its reputation around the sprint freestyles, but if you needed anymore indication that the Wolfpack can handle middle distance (you know, just in case last year’s 2nd place NCAA finish wasn’t enough evidence), NC State swept the top three spots in this event tonig.ht, with all three men finishing under 1:33.

Simonas Bilis, last year’s champion, was 21.35 to the feet on his first 50, followed closely by teammate Ryan Held, who then split 23.81 over the next 50 to take a narrow lead.  Louisville’s Trevor Carroll actually had the fastest split on that second 50 (23.72), and around the halfway mark, it was still a four-man race.  The fourth man was Soren Dahl, who then split 23.21 for the third 50 to close on teammates Bilis and Held.  But Bilis surged ahead over the final lap to overtake Held and repeat as champion.

All three NC State men finished with NCAA “A” cuts, while Carroll finished in fourth by a wide margin, touching in 1:33.52.