North Carolina State University Athletics
Wolfpack Swimming and Diving Takes to the Pool in Maryland
1/14/2005 12:00:00 AM | Swimming
Jan. 14, 2005
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• Men and women face Maryland, Pittsburgh & Villanova • NC State swimming and diving will travel to College Park, Md. for a four team meet over two days this weekend. The teams will square off at 5 pm on Friday, Jan. 14 before returning to the pool at 11 am on Saturday, Jan. 15 to finish the meet. For the Wolfpack men (1-2, 1-2 ACC) it will be the first competitive action since an impressive second place showing at the Georgia Tech Invite Nov. 19-21. The NC State women's team (4-2, 2-2 ACC) is off to an impressive start to its season with conference wins over Duke and Georgia Tech.
• Wolfpack Men among nation and ACC best • Junior sprinter Cullen Jones has had another impressive season in the pool for the Wolfpack, and the season has just started! Jones holds the top time in the conference with a 20.05 in the 50 freestyle, and is second in the 100 freestyle with a 44.71. Both times are top-50 in the nation, and NCAA `B' cuts. Jones' 50 free time is 12th nationally. Junior Kevin Velleca has impressed in the pool this season in the backstroke events, splitting the leadoff leg of the 400 medley relay with a 100 back time of 49.74, third in the ACC and 38th overall in the country. Senior Rob Yeager posted two top-50 times nationally in the fall, a 56.49 100 breaststroke and a 2:02.00 200 breaststroke. Both times are top-5 in the ACC as well. Junior Lyle Babcock swam a 1:49.42 in the 200 butterfly, the 45th fastest time in the nation and a top-10 time in the ACC.
Sophomore Steve Cowling has two ACC top-10 times, a 50.03 in the 100 backstroke, the fifth best time, and a 200 backstroke time of 1:50.75. Babcock is ninth in the 100 butterfly in the ACC with a 49.75. Senior Pete Pessagno is in the top-10 with a 15:51.04 in the 1650 freestyle. Sophomore diver TJ Ferguson is fifth in the 1-meter diving among ACC divers.
• Relay Time! • Both the NC State men and women have found success in the relay events this season. The men have placed three relay teams in the national top-50, while the women also placed a team among the top-50. The men had a 200 freestyle relay, 200 medley relay and 400 medley relay ranked while the women secured an 800 free relay spot.
• Women Winning in conference • The two conference wins ties for the second most wins since 1993 in the ACC for the Wolfpack women. NC State went 3-3 in conference play in 2002 and 1994, and has won two ACC meets in each of the last two seasons.
