2017 Women's ACC Championships

ACC Prelims Day 4: Comerford Breaks ACC Record, NC State Poised For Victory

ACC Prelims Day 4: Comerford Breaks ACC Record, NC State Poised For Victory

The NC State Wolfpack have set themselves up to win the ACC Swimming & Diving Championship, breaking Virginia's nine year streak. Mallory Comerford of Louisville breaks ACC meet record in 100 freestyle with a 47.00.

Feb 16, 2017 by Maclin Simpson
ACC Prelims Day 4: Comerford Breaks ACC Record, NC State Poised For Victory
Halfway through the final day of the ACC Championships, we saw North Carolina State rolling out its own red carpet for tonight's session. The Wolfpack's dominating team performances in the 200-yard backstroke and 100 freestyle put an exclamation point on their incredible week, and they already have their sights on NCAAs.

Record watch! Mallory Comerford​ of Louisville broke her former teammate Kelsi Worrell's ACC record in the 100 freestyle this morning, but that will likely go down again tonight.

200 BACKSTROKE


ACC Meet: 1:49.87 Courtney Bartholomew, 2015
Conference: 1:49.53 Courtney Bartholomew, 201
NCAA 'A' Automatic: 1:51.95
NCAA 'B' Consideration: 1:59.19

1.) Alexia Zevnik (NC State): 1:51.03
2.) Klaudia Nazieblo (VA Tech): 1:53.04
3.) Elise Haan (NC State): 1:53.47
4.) Alice Treuth (NC State ): 1:53.86
5.) Hellen Moffitt (UNC): 1:53.96
6.) Mackenzie Glover (NC State): 1:54.60
7.) Fiona Donnelly (VA Tech): 1:55.17
8.) Alina Kendzior (Louisville): 1:55.19
16th - 1:57.82
24th - 1:59.49


N.C. State senior Alexia Zevnik looks poised to run away with the final tonight, especially after her dominating performance in the 100 backstroke on Wednesday night. This morning her last 50 was more than a second faster than anyone else in the entire field. Led by Zevnik, N.C. State could be setting up a TKO here against UVA. As it stands currently, N.C. State is set to score 83 points in tonight's 200 backstroke. Virginia, on the other hand, had zero swimmers entered in the 200 backstroke. It's amazing that a team of that size doesn't have a single entry in the event. Second going into finals tonight is junior Klaudia Nazieblo of Virginia Tech, who has been having a fantastic meet. Her time of 1:53.04 is already faster than her finals time from last year of 1:53.8 and was a new school record. Elise Haan of N.C. State, who was top seed after Wednesday's prelims in the 100 backstroke, is third going into tonight with a 1:53.47. However, watch out for Hellen Moffitt of UNC, who is in fifth right now, because she was 1:52.35 at ACCs last year.

100 FREESTYLE


ACC Meet: 47.30 Kelsi Worrell, 2016
Conference: 47.30 Kelsi Worrell, 2016
NCAA 'A' Automatic: 47.79
NCAA 'B' Consideration: 49.99

1.) Mallory Comerford (Louisville): 47.00
2.) Courtney Caldwell (NC State): 47.89
3.) Caroline Baldwin (UNC): 47.96
4.) Lotta Nevalainen (NC State): 48.12
5.) Sarah Hitchens (UNC): 48.36
6.) Ky-lee Perry (NC State): 48.47
7.) Natalie Labonge (NC State): 48.62
8.) Casey Fanz (Louisville): 48.71
16th: 49.13
24th: 49.56


N.C. State solidified its title with a deep performance of putting four swimmers in the top eight. However, tonight's event will still be the Mallory Comerford show. The Louisville sophomore has been having an incredible meet, taking down the conference record this morning in 47.00. Look for it to go down once again tonight. Ky-lee Perry -- the 50 freestyle champion -- is currently in sixth and could be a threat to crack the top three, but she has teammates Lotta Nevalainen and Courtney Caldwell ahead of her. UNC's Caroline Baldwin also dipped under the 48-second mark, and will be battling for silver tonight. 

200 BREASTSTROKE


ACC Meet: 2:04.34 Emma Reaney 2014
Conference: 2:04.34 Emma Reaney 2014
NCAA 'A' Automatic: 2:07.42
NCAA 'B' Consideration: 2:15.99

1.) Kayla Brumbaum (NC State): 2:08.12
2.) Andrea Cottrell (Louisville): 2:08.64
3.) Laura Simon (UVA): 2:10.24
4.) Lina Rathsack (PITT): 2:10.43
5.) Rachael Bradford-Feldman (Louisville): 2:10.49
6.) Lauren James (Louisville): 2:10.74
7.) Christina Loh Yen Ling (FSU): 2:11.30
8.) Vivian Tafuto (UVA): 2:11.45
16th - 2:13.37
24th - 2:14.96


Look out for an encore show of last night's 100 breaststroke in tonight's 200. The same three seniors vying for the conference title in the 100 breaststroke will be duking it out once again. Last night, ​Laura Simon took the 100 crown, followed by Andrea Cottrell and Kayla Brumbaum, but going into tonight she sits in third. That being said, her seed time is a quick 2:06, so she may just be lining up the pins.

200 BUTTERFLY


ACC Meet: 1:53.19 Tanja Kylliainen 2015
Conference: 1:51.11 Kelsi Worrell 2015
NCAA 'A' Automatic: 1:54.22
NCAA 'B' Consideration: 1:59.59

1.) Sarah Koucheki (UNC): 1:54.27
2.) Klaudia Nazieblo (VA Tech): 1:54.68
3.) Kaitlyn Jones (UVA): 1:54.74
4.) Jenni Marrkand (UVA): 1:55.10
5.) Grace Oglesby (Louisville): 1:55.24
6.) Abigail Houck (Louisville): 1:56.82
7.) Catherine Hulsey (UNC): 1:57.15
8.) Nicole Smith (Notre Dame): 1:57.35
16th - 1:59.41
24th - 2:00.61


Sarah Koucheki put forth an incredible swim this morning, surpassing her seed time of 1:55.84 with a 1:54.27 and setting a new Tar Heels record in the process. Klaudia Nazieblo has been rewriting the Hokies record books herself, with another record this morning with her 1:54.68. However, reigning ACC champion Kaitlyn Jones may crash the party tonight. Both Louisville and UNC have two swimmers up in tonight's A final as both teams fight for the third-place title. Odds are it could ultimately come down to the 400 freestyle relay.