NC State
NC State GAC Invite
Wolfpack Men In First, Women Second After Day One Of GAC Invite
11/17/2016 8:18:00 PM | Swimming
NC State captures eight event wins on day one competition
GREENSBORO, N.C.- The top-ranked men and No. 6 women of the NC State swimming and diving program got off to a strong start on Thursday evening at the GAC Invitational inside the Greensboro Aquatic Center, as the team earned wins in eight of the 12 events contested on the first day of competition.
The men's squad sits in first place with 476 points while the women trail by 5.5 points with 410 in team scoring. No. 21 Notre Dame (375) and Duke (288) round out the top three of the men's leader board while No. 20 UNC-Chapel Hill leads the women's side.Â
Looking ahead to postseason competition the Wolfpack had 26 performances that bettered the NCAA 'B' standard time. Ryan Held's 19.09 leadoff split in the men's 200 freestyle relay matched the NCAA 'A' cut in the 50 free to mark the Pack's first 'A' cut of the season.
Quoting The Coaches
Diving
"I'm not entirely happy with today, but am pleased with the progress that we've made," said head diving coach Yahya Radman. "There's work to be done between now and the end of the season with our next test being the Tennessee Diving Invite in January. The nice thing about this week is that we get to test ourselves against some new teams to compare where we are compared to the beginning of the year.Â
"Today also served as a chance for our freshmen to step in and see what a pre-ACC meet is going to feel and look like. I'm very impressed with Rachel's consistency and with her, James Brady and Harrison Mitchell all making finals. All of the divers but one earned points towards the team total, which is big for us to contribute to the team's success. Tomorrow is a new day to apply what we've learned and focus on how we can move the team forward."
Wolfpack Relays
The Pack managed to notch NCAA 'B' cuts and top five national marks in all four relays contested. On the women's side NC State secured second and third place in the event standings of the 200 freestyle relay, as the squad of Lotta Nevalainen, Ky-Lee Perry, Krista Duffield and Courtney Caldwell posted a time of 1:29.01. The 400 medley relay squad of Alexia Zevnik, Kayla Brumbaum, Duffield and Perry stopped the clock at 3:33.52 to win the event.
On the men's side the 200 free relay team of Held, Scott Johnson, Andreas Schiellerup and Joe Bonk touched the wall at 1:17.94, while the 400 medley relay squad of Hennessey Stuart, Derek Hren, Soren Dahl and Held finished with a 3:08.17 to pick up two event wins for the Pack.
Top Individual Performances
The Pack's endurance speed crew continued its impressive season in the water with event wins in the 500 free. On the women's side Hannah Moore swam a time of 4:42.27 to win the A final while Rachel Muller stopped the clock at 4:43.06 to win the B final. Both outings bettered the NCAA 'B' standard mark.
On the men's side Anton Ipsen posted the fastest time among the NCAA this year with a 4:13.40 to win the event, while Adam Linker placed third with a 'B' cut performance of 4:17.97.
In the women's 200 IM Zevnik bettered her NCAA provisional time with a 1:56.82 to win the A final, while Brumbaum shaved almost four seconds off of her seed time to win the B final in 2:00.71. In the men's event Dahl tabbed a win with a mark of 1:44.46 for the second-fastest time in the nation.Â
In the 50 free Perry was the top performer on the women's side as she touched the wall at 22.24 for a career-best time and to place second in the event standings. Her performance stands as the No. 4 time in program history. Held won the men's event with a 19.17, finishing more than half of a second faster than the rest of the field. His performance also stands as the fastest time among the NCAA this season.
Diving
NC State had three divers advance to the finals. In the women's three-meter dive Rachel Burston finished 12th with a score of 220.05, and in the men's one-meter dive James Brady finished sixth with a mark of 288.15 while Harrison Mitchell took eighth overall with a score of 281.10.
NC State Event Winners
Men's 200 Free Relay: Held, Johnson, Schiellerup, Bonk - 1:17.94#
Women's 500 Free: Hannah Moore - 4:42.27#
Men's 500 Free: Anton Ipsen - 4:13.40#
Women's 200 IM: Alexia Zevnik - 1:56.82#
Men's 200 IM: Soren Dahl - 1:44.46#
Men's 50 Free: Ryan Held - 19.17#
Women's 400 Medley Relay: Zevnik, Brumbaum, Duffield, Perry - 3:33.52#
Men's 400 Medley Relay: Stuart, Hren, Dahl, Held - 3:08.17#
# denotes NCAA 'B' cut
Up Next
NC State will continue competition at the NC State GAC Invitational Friday. Prelims will begin at 9:30 a.m. and finals will commence at 5:30 p.m. inside the Greensboro Aquatic Center. Live results will be available and admission is free for spectators.Â
Players Mentioned
