Women's Swimming Wins Three Golds and a Bronze in Day 3 Finals

Friday, February 16

Greensboro, N.C.

All Day

University of Louisville

ACC Women's Championships

Thursday evening ACC Championships at the Greensboro Aquatic Center in Greensboro. (Photo: Karl L. Moore)

Photo by: Karl L. Moore

Women's Swimming Wins Three Golds and a Bronze in Day 3 Finals

February 16, 2018 | Swimming & Diving

2018 women's ACC Friday finals results

Comerford, Oglesby and the 400 medley relay

By: Nancy Worley

The University of Louisville won three golds and a bronze on the third day of competition at the 2018 ACC Swimming and Diving Championships Friday night at the Greensboro Aquatic Center. The Cardinals are trailing only Virginia going into the final day of racing on Saturday.

Virginia leads with 886.5 points, Louisville is second with 774.5, NC State (677), UNC (570), Duke (539), Notre Dame (519.5), Virginia Tech (473.5), Florida State (412.5), Pitt (346), Miami (255), Georgia Tech (235), Boston College (90) round out the field.

In the first event of the evening, Grace Oglesby won gold in the 100 fly with a 51:11 for the sixth fastest time in the country to date. She had the fastest back half split of the field to win the event with an NCAA A-cut. She split a 26.83 and was the only swimmer to go under 27 seconds coming home. Teammate Nastja Govejsek finished 7th in the A-final as well.

Rachel Bradford Feldman made on the podium in the 400 Individual Medley. She laid down a 4:08.14 improving from seventh during the backstroke to the podium on the final two strokes. Carley Lowe went 4:15.88 in the B-final of the 400-IM for 7th place in that heat. The event was won by Reka Gyorgy who won 400 IM a year ago, and bested the field by a 2.2 second margin.

Mallory Comerford won her second gold of the meet and the Cardinals' second gold of the evening with a victory in her signature event, the 200 freestyle. She was just off her meet record of a year ago when she boarded a 1:42.17. In the B-final, Sophie Cattermole turned in a 1:45.32, dropping almost a half second from her prelim time. Also in that heat, Arina Openysheva went 1:46.27. Casey Fanz was sixth in the C-final with a time of 1:47.85.

The 100 breast was won by FSU's Natalie Pierce, who had a 31.27 back 50 split, which was the fastest in the field by about a half second for a time of 59.71. For the Cardinals, the top finisher was Morgan Friesen, who touched sixth in the A-final for a time of 1:00.56. Right behind her was teammate Mariia Astashkina, who touched seventh with a time of 1:00.73. In the B-final, Lauren James was fourth with a time of 1:01.20. Avery Braunecker dropped .83 off her prelim time for a 1:01.54 in the C-final.

In the 100 backstroke, UofL was led by Alina Kendzior's fourth place time of 52.56. In the b-final, Ashlyn Schoof turned in a 53.44 for fifth. Teammate Lainey Visscher was eighth in that same heat with a time of 53.76. The event was won by NC State's Elise Haan, who went 50.75, shaving .67 off her prelim time.

The Cardinals came in with the fastest qualifying time in the 400 Medley relay and backed it up with a gold medal swim. In third in the first three legs of the relay, Mallory Comerford anchored with a split, blowing by the leaders for the win. Alina Kendzior (52.66), Morgan Friesen (1:00.30), Grace Oglesby (51.29) and Mallory Comerford's 46.41 brought home the gold in 3:30.66.

Tomorrow is the final day of competition and will feature the 200 back, 100 free, 200 breast, 200 fly, platform, and the 1650 free.