2022 ACC Championships: Katharine Berkoff (100 Back), Sophie Hansson (100 Breast) Move to Third All-Time as NC State Posts Huge Night
Entering Friday’s action at the ACC Championships, the Virginia Cavaliers had yet to lose a single women’s swimming event, but that streak came to an end Friday. Instead, NC State was the dominant women’s team on this day, narrowing the Virginia lead from more than 100 to just 35.5 points heading into the final day.
For NC State, Abby Arens won the 200 fly, and Katharine Berkoff posted the third-fastest performance in history in the women’s 100 backstroke. In the women’s 100 breaststroke, NC State’s Sophie Hansson touched out Virginia’s Alexis Wenger as the duo became the third and fourth women to ever break 57 in the event.
At the end of the session, Virginia posted an amazing performance in the 400 medley relay as Gretchen Walsh, Wenger, Alex Walsh and Kate Douglass crushed the American and NCAA records in the 400 medley by more than two seconds. This was the Cavaliers’ third relay record of the week after previously setting marks in the 200 free relay and 200 medley relay.
2022 ACC Championships Links
- Meet Home
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- Day one finals recap
- Day two prelims recap
- Day two women’s recap
- Day two men’s recap
- Day three prelims recap
- Day three women’s recap
- Day three men’s recap
- Day four prelims recap
- Day four men’s recap
Women’s Team Standings
1. Virginia, University of 1028.5 2. North Carolina State Universit 993 3. Louisville, University of 787.5 4. North Carolina, University of, 553 5. Duke University 534 6. VA Tech 460 7. Notre Dame, University of 459 8. Florida State University 401 9. University of Miami (Florida) 336 10. Georgia Institute of Technolog 274 11. Pittsburgh, University of 210 12. Boston College 135
Women’s 200 Butterfly
For the first time all meet, the Virginia women did not finish first in a swimming event. Cavaliers senior Jessica Nava, who won the conference title in the event last season, led by six tenths with 50 yards to go, but NC State’s Abby Arens surged home with a 29.81 performance, and she touched the wall in 1:54.11. Nava finished four tenths back in 1:54.54, while Louisville’s Abby Hay took third in 1:54.77.
Virginia’s Alex Walsh swam one of the country’s top times earlier this season with a 1:51.83, but the versatile Walsh chose to skip the 200 fly at the conference meet to focus on other events. Walsh would be a top contender for the NCAA title in the event if she chooses to swim it at the national meet.
Event 23 Women 200 Yard Butterfly
=========================================================================
MEET: # 1:52.81 2/23/2019 Grace Oglesby, Louisville-KY
CONF: % 1:50.61 3/19/2016 Kelsi Worrell, LVLE-KY
AMER: $ 1:49.51 2/24/2018 Ella Eastin, Stanford
USOP: & 1:49.51 2/24/2018 Ella Eastin, Stanford
NCAA: ! 1:49.51 2/24/2018 Ella Eastin, Stanford
Pool: ^ 1:50.61 3/19/2016 Kelsi Worrell, Louisville-KY
1:53.20 A
1:57.42 IV21 Invited NCAA 2021
1:59.23 B
Name Year School Prelims Finals Points
=========================================================================
=== A - Final ===
1 Arens, Abigail SO NCSU 1:55.23 1:54.11 IV21 32
r:+0.70 25.27 54.19 (28.92)
1:24.30 (30.11) 1:54.11 (29.81)
2 Nava, Jessica L SR UVA 1:55.44 1:54.54 IV21 28
r:+0.68 25.01 53.87 (28.86)
1:23.62 (29.75) 1:54.54 (30.92)
3 Hay, Abigail E JR Louisville 1:54.43 1:54.77 IV21 27
r:+0.70 25.39 54.48 (29.09)
1:24.31 (29.83) 1:54.77 (30.46)
4 Ulett, Tristen SO Louisville 1:55.32 1:55.14 IV21 26
r:+0.76 25.68 54.86 (29.18)
1:25.02 (30.16) 1:55.14 (30.12)
5 Harter, Abigail SO UVA 1:55.75 1:55.43 IV21 25
r:+0.75 25.90 55.13 (29.23)
1:24.69 (29.56) 1:55.43 (30.74)
6 Sheble, Grace E FR NCSU 1:55.92 1:55.50 IV21 24
r:+0.70 25.96 55.50 (29.54)
1:25.42 (29.92) 1:55.50 (30.08)
7 Jernstedt, Edit FR FSU 1:56.42 1:55.80 IV21 23
r:+0.74 25.63 55.11 (29.48)
1:25.03 (29.92) 1:55.80 (30.77)
8 Gillilan, Colee JR ND 1:55.02 1:55.85 IV21 22
r:+0.57 25.42 54.69 (29.27)
1:24.86 (30.17) 1:55.85 (30.99)
Women’s 100 Backstroke
Virginia freshman Gretchen Walsh appeared to pose a threat to NC State’s Katharine Berkoff in the women’s 100 back, but Berkoff dominated this one. She was out in 23.88 and back in 25.53, and she finishes in 49.41. That finished just off Regan Smith’s American and U.S. Open records of 49.16 and Beata Nelson’s NCAA record of 49.18, but Berkoff’s time was the third-fastest performance in history. Berkoff beat her own ACC record (and lifetime best) of 49.74 by three tenths, and she was almost a second ahead of her former meet record.
Berkoff, last year’s NCAA winner in the 100 back, swam more than a half-second faster than any other swimmer so far this season. Smith, now a Stanford freshman, is the only other swimmer to break 50 in the 100 back, and she swam a 49.97 in a head-to-head win over Berkoff at midseason. Of note, 2021 NCAA runnerup Rhyan White of Alabama swam a 50.18 earlier in the evening at the SEC Championships.
Meanwhile, Walsh swam a very impressive time of 50.13 to claim second, and that moved her to third in the country behind Berkoff and Smith. Another Virginia freshman, Reilly Tiltmann, swam a 50.42 for third place, good for sixth in the national rankings.
Event 25 Women 100 Yard Backstroke
=========================================================================
MEET: # 50.45 2/19/2021 Katharine Berkoff, NC State-NC
CONF: % 49.74 3/19/2021 Katharine Berkoff, NC State-NC
AMER: $ 49.16 3/14/2021 Regan Smith, Riptide
USOP: & 49.16 3/14/2021 Regan Smith, Riptide
NCAA: ! 49.18 3/22/2019 Beata Nelson, Wisconsin
Pool: ^ 50.28 3/18/2016 Rachel Bootsma, California-PC
50.93 A
53.01 IV21 Invited NCAA 2021
53.94 B
Name Year School Prelims Finals Points
=========================================================================
=== A - Final ===
1 Berkoff, Kathar JR NCSU 50.54 49.41%A 32
r:+0.53 23.88 49.41 (25.53)
2 Walsh, Gretchen FR UVA 51.53 50.13^A 28
r:+0.73 24.05 50.13 (26.08)
3 Tiltmann, Reill FR UVA 51.41 50.42#A 27
r:+0.68 24.42 50.42 (26.00)
4 Alons, Kylee J SR NCSU 51.83 51.16 IV21 26
r:+0.62 24.82 51.16 (26.34)
5 Countie, Grace SR UNC 51.54 51.95 IV21 25
r:+0.70 24.88 51.95 (27.07)
6 Lindner, Sophie SR UNC 52.36 51.97 IV21 24
r:+0.81 24.96 51.97 (27.01)
7 Atkinson, Emma SO VT 52.36 52.28 IV21 23
r:+0.61 25.14 52.28 (27.14)
8 Pattison, Greer FR UNC 52.05 52.29 IV21 22
r:+0.61 24.94 52.29 (27.35)
Women’s 100 Breaststroke
In an epic showdown between Virginia’s Alexis Wenger and NC State’s Sophie Hansson, Wenger used incredible turns and pullouts to take the lead, but Hansson clawed back on each 25. Still, it looked like Wenger was ahead with five yards to go, only for Hansson to get her hands on the wall four hundredths ahead. Hansson touched in 56.72, smashing the ACC record Wenger set in prelims by a half-second, while Wenger touched in 56.76.
The win gave Hansson her fourth consecutive ACC title in the 100 breast. The swimmers became the third and fourth women to ever swim under 57 in the event, and only Lilly King and Molly Hannis have ever been faster. This ACC duo will head to the NCAA Championships next month as prohibitive favorites in the 100 breast. Tennessee’s Mona McSharry, who ranks third in the country this season, swam a 57.50 earlier in the evening at the SEC Championships.
Finishing well back in third was another NC State senior, Andrea Podmanikova, in 57.90.
Event 27 Women 100 Yard Breaststroke
=========================================================================
MEET: # 57.22 2/18/2022 Alexis K Wenger, UVA-VA
CONF: % 57.22 2/18/2022 Alexis K Wenger, UVA-VA
AMER: $ 55.73 3/22/2019 Lilly King, Indiana
USOP: & 55.73 3/22/2019 Lilly King, Indiana
NCAA: ! 55.73 3/22/2019 Lilly King, Indiana
Pool: ^ 56.85 3/18/2016 Lilly King, Indiana-IN
58.46 A
1:00.12 IV21 Invited NCAA 2021
1:01.84 B
Name Year School Prelims Finals Points
=========================================================================
=== A - Final ===
1 Hansson, Sophie SR NCSU 57.60 56.72^A 32
r:+0.73 26.68 56.72 (30.04)
2 Wenger, Alexis SR UVA 57.22 56.76^A 28
r:+0.59 26.62 56.76 (30.14)
3 Podmanikova, An SR NCSU 58.98 57.90 A 27
r:+0.68 27.19 57.90 (30.71)
4 Kucheran, Nina SR FSU 59.34 59.02 IV21 26
r:+0.63 27.87 59.02 (31.15)
5 Maccausland, He JR NCSU 59.15 59.47 IV21 25
r:+0.68 28.03 59.47 (31.44)
6 Keating, Anna E SO UVA 59.89 59.60 IV21 24
r:+0.72 28.17 59.60 (31.43)
7 Astashkina, Mar SR Louisville 59.77 59.74 IV21 23
r:+0.69 28.26 59.74 (31.48)
8 Farrington, Ade SO Louisville 1:00.02 59.86 IV21 22
r:+0.74 28.16 59.86 (31.70)
Women’s 400 Medley Relay
For the third consecutive day, the Virginia women swam the fastest time in history in a relay, and this time, the Cavaliers annihilated the NCAA and U.S. Open records in the 400 medley relay by more than two seconds. They beat the American record by nearly three seconds. The team of Gretchen Walsh, Alexis Wenger, Alex Walsh and Kate Douglass, combined to swim a time of 3:22.34, compared to the previous NCAA and U.S. Open record of 3:24.59 set by NC State at last year’s NCAA Championships. The previous American record (3:25.09) had belonged to a Simone Manuel-led Stanford team since 2018.
Gretchen Walsh led off in 49.71, four tenths faster than her individual 100 back time from earlier in the evening, and she became the second-fastest swimmer in the nation this season and sixth-fastest in history with that effort. Walsh touched out NC State backstroker Katharine Berkoff by 0.04. Wenger followed with a 56.79 breaststroke split, just ahead of Sophie Hansson’s 56.96. Alex Walsh then split 49.59 on the butterfly leg, handing Douglass a lead of four tenths, and then Douglass pulled away with a massive 46.25 anchor leg.
Virginia won ended up winning by more than two seconds over NC State as the Wolfpack team of Berkoff, Hansson, Kylee Alons and Abbey Webb touched in 3:24.78. The Wolfpack swam the third-fastest 400 medley relay in history behind only Virginia’s time here and NC State’s previous record swim from last year’s NCAAs.
More than six seconds back in third place was the North Carolina team of Sophie Lindner, Lillian Higgs, Elizabeth Vannote and Grace Countie. The Tar Heels posted a time of 3:30.87.
Event 30 Women 400 Yard Medley Relay
==================================================================================
MEET: # 3:26.25 2/19/2021 University of Virginia, UVA-V
A Walsh, A Wenger, A Cuomo, K Douglass
CONF: % 3:24.59 3/18/2021 NC State Univ., NC State
K. Berkoff, S. Hansson, K. Alons, J. Poole
AMER: $ 3:25.09 3/15/2018 Stanford
A Howe, K Williams, J Hu, S Manuel
USOP: & 3:24.59 3/18/2021 NC State, NC St
K Berkoff, S Hansson, K Alons, J Poole
NCAA: ! 3:24.59 3/18/2021 NC State
K Berkoff, S Hansson, K Alons, J Poole
Pool: ^ 3:26.14 3/17/2016 Stanford, Stanf
A Howe, S Haase, J Hu, L Neal
3:31.66 A
3:33.78 B
School Seed Finals Points
==================================================================================
1 UVA 'A' 3:27.12 3:22.34%A 64
1) Walsh, Gretchen C FR 2) r:0.21 Wenger, Alexis SR
3) r:0.27 Walsh, Alexandra SO 4) r:0.30 Douglass, Katherine JR
r:+0.68 23.88 49.71 (49.71)
1:15.97 (26.26) 1:46.50 (56.79)
2:09.16 (22.66) 2:36.09 (49.59)
2:57.79 (21.70) 3:22.34 (46.25)
2 NCSU 'A' 3:26.44 3:24.78^A 56
1) Berkoff, Katharine F JR 2) r:0.37 Hansson, Sophie SR
3) r:0.22 Alons, Kylee SR 4) r:0.13 Webb, Abbey SO
r:+0.59 24.34 49.75 (49.75)
1:16.20 (26.45) 1:46.71 (56.96)
2:09.26 (22.55) 2:36.51 (49.80)
2:59.24 (22.73) 3:24.78 (48.27)
3 UNC 'A' 3:34.83 3:30.87 A 54
1) Lindner, Sophie M SR 2) r:0.30 Higgs, Lillian SR
3) r:0.16 Vannote, Elizabeth JR 4) r:0.36 Countie, Grace SR
r:+0.67 24.84 51.75 (51.75)
1:19.52 (27.77) 1:51.19 (59.44)
2:15.01 (23.82) 2:42.96 (51.77)
3:05.49 (22.53) 3:30.87 (47.91)
4 Louisville 'A' 3:32.64 3:31.50 A 52
1) Ulett, Tristen D SO 2) r:0.09 Astashkina, Mariia SR
3) r:0.41 Albiero, Gabriela SO 4) r:0.35 Hetrick, Paige SO
r:+0.63 25.65 53.03 (53.03)
1:20.63 (27.60) 1:52.47 (59.44)
2:16.16 (23.69) 2:43.52 (51.05)
3:06.32 (22.80) 3:31.50 (47.98)
5 Duke 'A' 3:36.46 3:32.70 B 50
1) Shuppert, Emma K JR 2) r:-0.03 Foley, Sarah SO
3) r:0.27 Ozkan, Aleyna SO 4) r:0.23 Smith, Mckenna FR
r:+0.55 25.17 52.93 (52.93)
1:19.90 (26.97) 1:51.21 (58.28)
2:15.10 (23.89) 2:43.62 (52.41)
3:06.44 (22.82) 3:32.70 (49.08)
6 FSU 'A' 3:34.03 3:33.10 B 48
1) Quaglieri, Tania JR 2) r:0.02 Kucheran, Nina SR
3) r:0.26 Halden, Jenny SO 4) r:0.14 Moynihan, Rebecca SR
r:+0.65 25.48 53.31 (53.31)
1:20.83 (27.52) 1:52.00 (58.69)
2:15.71 (23.71) 2:44.56 (52.56)
3:07.19 (22.63) 3:33.10 (48.54)
7 ND 'A' 3:34.95 3:34.11 46
1) Christman, Madelyn T FR 2) r:0.17 Jew, Eleanor JR
3) r:-0.03 Gillilan, Coleen JR 4) r:0.25 Whiting, Sydney SO
r:+0.69 25.95 53.39 (53.39)
1:21.34 (27.95) 1:53.70 (1:00.31)
2:17.12 (23.42) 2:45.38 (51.68)
3:08.57 (23.19) 3:34.11 (48.73)
8 VT 'A' 3:36.84 3:34.28 44
1) Atkinson, Emma R SO 2) r:0.04 Gyorgy, Reka 5Y
3) r:0.40 Alonso, Luana FR 4) r:0.42 Shackelford, Sarah JR
r:+0.69 25.02 52.15 (52.15)
1:20.86 (28.71) 1:53.56 (1:01.41)
2:17.84 (24.28) 2:46.12 (52.56)
3:08.72 (22.60) 3:34.28 (48.16)
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