RALEIGH – Three members of the NC State swimming team who stood out with fast swims in Saturday’s dual meet against North Carolina spoke with Swimming World’s David Reider after the meet to discuss the impact that racing the Tar Heels have on the rest of the season.
Kayla Brumbaum, who won both breaststrokes at the meet, discusses the dual meet against UNC and how missing a couple of key swimmers made it tough to beat UNC. Brumbaum says a top-three finish is a lofty goal, with Louisville entering the conference, but she’s confident her team will place third at the meet.
Kayla Brumbaum video interview
Anton Ipsen, one of the top male swimmers on the team this season, is helping raise the profile of the NC State distance program, and Saturday’s wins in the 500 and 1000 freestyles will help that cause, Ipsen said. The packed crowd in the pool that day helped him and the team swim fast, Ipsen said, and it is likely to help motivate them to win the ACC title later this month.
Anton Ipsen video interview
Simonas Bilis has been a standout in the sprint freestyles, and his sub-20 second performance in the 50 free was one of the meet highlights. Bilis said he and his coaches have come to expect the junior to break 20 seconds since the beginning of the season, though breaking 44 seconds in the 100 free was not part of the plan. Looking ahead to the ACC championships, Bilis said the main goal of the men’s team is to win all five relays, not an easy thing to do in such a competitive meet.