ATLANTA – North Carolina and Virginia set up an epic final night at the ACC Women’s Championships, while UVA’s Courtney Bartholomew powered her way to an ACC meet record.
Virginia’s Courtney Bartholomew opened the final day of competition in style with a sizzling 1:50.99 in the women’s 200-yard backstroke.
That swim smashed the ACC meet record of 1:52.22 set by former Cavalier Mei Christensen in 2009, and even lowered the pool record of 1:51.58 set by Mary DeScenza back in 2008.
Bartholomew will be gunning for her conference record of 1:49.94 set this past December when she comes back for finals tonight. Incidentally, her time also cleared the NCAA A cut.
In the team battle between North Carolina and Virginia, Virginia netted three qualifiers going 1-3-4, while North Carolina picked up three as well with 6-7-8.
After stunning the swimming world with her 100-yard fly exploits as she rattled Natalie Coughlin’s American record, Louisville’s Kelsi Worrell was back at it again this morning with an ACC record 47.86 in the 100-yard free.
That effort clipped the previous mark set by Olympian Lauren Perdue of Virginia. Perdue turned in a 47.88 back in 2011 for Virginia.
As far as the UNC-UVA team battle, UNC had a huge event with four swimmers qualifying into the A final led by Allyn Hardesty’s third-place 48.85. Virginia only mustered up one swimmer, Ellen Thomas (49.20) into seventh.
Additionally, the 100 free individual event is always a great predictor for the all-important 400 free relay later this evening as well with North Carolina in a good position there as well.
Just a year after her coming out party when she broke the American record at last year’s ACC Championships, Notre Dame’s Emma Reaney is back to try again today.
Reaney took it easy this morning with a 2:09.17 to lead the way for qualifiers. She set the American record last year with a 2:04.34 that stands as the ACC Meet record. She then sped her way to an NCAA title with an American and NCAA record time of 2:04.06 last March.
Virginia and North Carolina balanced each other out in terms of A finalists with Laura Simon taking third with a 2:09.66 for UVA and Catherine Munch snaring eighth for UNC with a 2:12.34.
Louisville’s Tanja Kylliainen, who had a strong night last night with a 400 IM victory, posted the top women’s 200-yard butterfly time this morning with a 1:55.54.
Virginia rebounded after North Carolina’s epic 200-yard free qualifying day with three A finalists in the 200 fly led by Ellen Williamson’s third-place 1:56.48. UNC’s Emma Nunn proved to be the only Tar Heels in the big final tonight with a fifth-place 1:56.62.
Platform diving and the 1650-yard freestyle are all that is left before tonight’s deciding finale.
GREAT job! Bring it in the Finals!
Let’s go!!!