North Carolina State University Athletics
Men First, Women Second at Maryland
11/22/2008 12:00:00 AM | Swimming
COLLEGE PARK, Md. Action came to a close at the Maryland Invitational on Saturday, Nov. 22, and the NC State men’s swimming and diving team took first place (930.5 points) while the women placed second (602 points). Erica Smith broke her second individual school record of the weekend, another women’s relay record fell, and both teams established several more top-10 all-time times.
“The performance of both teams this weekend is evidence of the hard work they have put in going through the summer and into the fall,” said head coach Brooks Teal. “They’ve done everything that the coaching staff has asked of them, and it’s exciting to see it all pay off.”
Andrew Lester started the men off by winning the 1650 freestyle with a 15:52.63, while Nick Brittis’ 16:10.94 was good for fourth overall. Kevin Woodhull-Smith then followed by posting the seventh-best time in Wolfpack history with a 1:48.42 in the 200 backstroke. Woodhull-Smith finished second while Taylor Goodwin (1:50.15) and Ben Mechak (1:50.28) took fourth and fifth.
Dan Forsythe used a 2:02.24 in the 200 breaststroke to take second, as Danny Voss (2:04.11) and Jon Vorpagel (2:06.20) came in seven and eighth place. Conor Brennan (45.87) and Gaites Brown (46.17) took second and fourth in the 100 freestyle, while Sean Reams placed fourth in the 200 butterfly with a 1:49.86. Stephen Mellor swam a 1:49.63 in the 200 butterfly consolations, marking the the ninth-fastest time in school history.
Mason McGee, Andrew Fink, Travis Martinez and Brennan ended the men’s day with a 3:03.84, good for third overall, in the 400 freestyle relay.
Smith, who set a new record in the women’s 100 backstroke on Thursday and tied the mark again yesterday, set another new pinnacle in the 200 backstroke with a 2:00.87. She finished second, while Jennifer Kopenitz took ninth with a 2:01.44. Smith’s new benchmark eclipses the old standard of 201.10 set by Nancy Champman in 1993.
“Erica is one of our hardest working young ladies and she has been super focused over the past two years,” said Teal. “What we are seeing is the culmination of a lot of hard work. She is an intelligent student-athlete, she always keeps things in perspective and she takes this seriously. She is putting things together very well and I think that the best is still yet to come for her. Her performance this weekend was just simply amazing.”
Ashley Richter followed Smith by finishing third in the 100 freestyle with a 50.72, setting a new personal best and the third-fastest mark in Wolfpack history.
Kristin Davies placed third in the 3-meter dive with a 279.80, while Chelsea Ale took fourth on a 271.70. Jessica Ward (2:17.76) and Anna Linkenauger (2:21.01) wound up second and seventh respectively in the 200 breaststroke, while Taryn Shelley placed 12th in the 1650 freestyle with a 17:43.94. Maresa Like-Mathews (2:05.48) and Jessica McBroom (2:06.68) finished 11th and 13th in the 200 butterfly.
The women’s portion ended with the creation of another school record as Patrice Dason, Lucy Lindsey, Brianna Grover and Richter swam a combined 3:26.63 in the 400 freestyle relay, topping the old record of Ermery, Elliott, Campbell and Kase’s 3:27.16 from 1980.
The Wolfpack swimming and diving teams are now on hiatus until resuming action at home on Jan. 9 against Michigan State.
“The performance of both teams this weekend is evidence of the hard work they have put in going through the summer and into the fall,” said head coach Brooks Teal. “They’ve done everything that the coaching staff has asked of them, and it’s exciting to see it all pay off.”
Andrew Lester started the men off by winning the 1650 freestyle with a 15:52.63, while Nick Brittis’ 16:10.94 was good for fourth overall. Kevin Woodhull-Smith then followed by posting the seventh-best time in Wolfpack history with a 1:48.42 in the 200 backstroke. Woodhull-Smith finished second while Taylor Goodwin (1:50.15) and Ben Mechak (1:50.28) took fourth and fifth.
Dan Forsythe used a 2:02.24 in the 200 breaststroke to take second, as Danny Voss (2:04.11) and Jon Vorpagel (2:06.20) came in seven and eighth place. Conor Brennan (45.87) and Gaites Brown (46.17) took second and fourth in the 100 freestyle, while Sean Reams placed fourth in the 200 butterfly with a 1:49.86. Stephen Mellor swam a 1:49.63 in the 200 butterfly consolations, marking the the ninth-fastest time in school history.
Mason McGee, Andrew Fink, Travis Martinez and Brennan ended the men’s day with a 3:03.84, good for third overall, in the 400 freestyle relay.
Smith, who set a new record in the women’s 100 backstroke on Thursday and tied the mark again yesterday, set another new pinnacle in the 200 backstroke with a 2:00.87. She finished second, while Jennifer Kopenitz took ninth with a 2:01.44. Smith’s new benchmark eclipses the old standard of 201.10 set by Nancy Champman in 1993.
“Erica is one of our hardest working young ladies and she has been super focused over the past two years,” said Teal. “What we are seeing is the culmination of a lot of hard work. She is an intelligent student-athlete, she always keeps things in perspective and she takes this seriously. She is putting things together very well and I think that the best is still yet to come for her. Her performance this weekend was just simply amazing.”
Ashley Richter followed Smith by finishing third in the 100 freestyle with a 50.72, setting a new personal best and the third-fastest mark in Wolfpack history.
Kristin Davies placed third in the 3-meter dive with a 279.80, while Chelsea Ale took fourth on a 271.70. Jessica Ward (2:17.76) and Anna Linkenauger (2:21.01) wound up second and seventh respectively in the 200 breaststroke, while Taryn Shelley placed 12th in the 1650 freestyle with a 17:43.94. Maresa Like-Mathews (2:05.48) and Jessica McBroom (2:06.68) finished 11th and 13th in the 200 butterfly.
The women’s portion ended with the creation of another school record as Patrice Dason, Lucy Lindsey, Brianna Grover and Richter swam a combined 3:26.63 in the 400 freestyle relay, topping the old record of Ermery, Elliott, Campbell and Kase’s 3:27.16 from 1980.
The Wolfpack swimming and diving teams are now on hiatus until resuming action at home on Jan. 9 against Michigan State.
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