NC State
NCAA Men's Swimming & Diving Championships
Pack Men Secure Fourth Place Finish at 2022 NCAA Championships
3/26/2022 1:42:00 PM | Swimming
ATLANTA – The NC State men's swimming and diving team finished its 2021-2022 season with a fourth place finish at the 2022 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships held at the McAuley Aquatic Center in Atlanta, Ga.
The team fought to the end, finishing with 291 points. The fourth place finish ties the highest team finish in program history. The Pack men have earned fourth place four times in program history (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019). NC State finishes the meet behind California, Texas, and Florida after coming home with an eighth place finish at last year's Championships.
After bringing home second place in the 100-yard backstroke at last year's meet, NC State junior and Poland native Kacper Stokowski claimed the first NCAA Championship title of his career during Friday's finals session. Dropping almost half a second from his personal best time in the event, the 44.04 second swim marks No. 2 all-time in program history and Stokowski is now the 6th fastest performer in history in the event.
DAY FOUR HIGHLIGHTS:
1650 freestyle:
- Swimming from the fastest heat, Will Gallant and Ross Dant placed second and third, bringing in big points for the Pack. Will Gallant finished with a new best time of 14:31.34 and Ross Dant was right behind him, clocking in at 14:31.72.
- In the afternoon heats of the mile, both James Plage and fifth-year Eric Knowles swam for the Pack, Knowles for the last race of his career. Out of the second heat, Plage raced to win his heat (14:54.01), taking 5.75 seconds off of his entry time and finishing 17th overall.
- Knowles finished his swimming career out of heat three, where he took fourth in his heat (14:56.86) and 19th overall. At the beginning of the finals session, Knowles was recognized with the Elite 90 award, an award that recognizes the true essence of the student-athlete by honoring the individual who has reached the pinnacle of competition at the national championship level in his or her sport, while also achieving the highest academic standard among his or her peers. The Elite 90 is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA's championships.
200 backstroke:
- Kacper Stokowski (1:39.27) and Hunter Tapp (1:39.30) grabbed 2nd and 3rd in the consolation final of the 200-yard backstroke to finish 10th and 11th in the event. Both swims marked personal best times for the pair.
- Additionally, Michael Moore placed 35th with his prelims time of 1:42.01.
100 freestyle:
- In the prelims session, the Pack saw seven men race in the 100-yard freestyle. NC State was led by Noah Henderson (41.15, 19th), Nyls Korstanje (42.18, 20th), and Bartosz Piszczorowicz (42.20 - 22nd). Luke Miller went 42.33 for 27th with rookie Sam Hoover right behind him (42.43, 28th). Giovanni Izzo finished 33rd (42.50) and David Curtiss (42.70) 39th.
200 breaststroke:
- Senior Rafal Kusto swam a 1:56.59 in the 200-yard breaststroke, taking 45th in the event.
200 butterfly:
- Junior Noah Bowers barely missed the chance for a second swim in the 200-yard butterfly consolation final, as his time of 1:42.00 in prelims put him as the second alternate for finals (18th).
400 freestyle relay:
- The NC State men finished out the season by taking fifth in the 400-yard freestyle relay (2:47.29). Luke Miller led off (41.65), followed by Nyls Korstanje (42.07). Bartosz Piszczorowicz swam the third leg (41.52), and team captain Noah Henderson (42.05) brought the squad home to secured their fourth place team finish.
NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP HONORS:
Including Stokowski's national title, the Pack garnered seven individual All-American honors, six Honorable Mention All-Americans, and all five of NC State's relays also picked up the All-American status.
National Title
- 100 backstroke: Kacper Stokowski (44.04)
All-American
- 200 medley relay: Stokowski, Kusto, Korstanje, Curtiss (1:32.96 – third place)
- 800 freestyle relay: Miller, Hoover, Piszczorowicz, Tapp (6:08.22 - sixth place)
- 500 freestyle: Dant (4:14.30 - eighth place)
- 50 freestyle: Korstanje (18.66 - fifth place)
- 200 freestyle relay: Henderson, Korstanje, Stokowski, Hayes (1:14.69 - fourth place)
- 100 butterfly: Korstanje (44.17 - fourth place), Hayes (44.75 - seventh place)
- 200 freestyle: Miller (1:31.16 - fourth place)
- 400 medley relay: Stokowski, Kusto, Korstanje, Henderson (3:01.53 - fifth place)
- 1650 freestyle: Gallant (14:31.34 - second), Dant (14:31.72 - third place)
- 400 freestyle relay: Miller, Korstanje, Pizczorowicz, Henderson (2:47.29 - fifth place)
Honorable Mention All-American
- 500 freestyle: Plage (4:13.82 - fourteenth place)
- 50 freestyle: Henderson (18.80 - tenth place), Curtiss (19.22 - fifteenth place)
- 200 backstroke: Stokowski (1:39.27 - tenth), Tapp (1:39.30 - eleventh place)
- 200 butterfly: Hayes (1:41.46 - fourteenth place)
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