Feb. 24, 2006

Results

2006 ACC Men's Swimming & Diving Championship

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Florida State retained its lead after the third day of competition at the Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Swimming and Diving Championships, weathering four Virginia wins on Friday to keep its place at the top of the leader board.

The Seminoles are first with 462 points, and are followed by day-one leader Virginia with 456. North Carolina is third with 349.5 points, and is followed by Georgia Tech (292.5), NC State (269), Virginia Tech (245), Clemson (219.5), Maryland (157.5), Duke (78), Boston College (56) and Miami (37).

Virginia wasted little time reclaiming the lead it carried after the first day of competition, capitalizing on its depth in the 400 IM to overtake Florida State early in Friday's finals session. The Cavaliers had four swimmers in the championship final, with Pat Mellors and Fran Crippen finishing 1-2. Mellors successfully defended his 2005 title in 3:45.10, an NCAA automatic qualifying time, while Crippen, the 2004 champion in the event, posted an NCAA provisional time of 3:48.16 to take silver.

Virginia Tech's Gus Calado finished third, touching in 3:51.63, also an NCAA B time. Three other championship finalists and one consolation finalist also earned NCAA provisional marks.

The Hokies' Scott Beard erased a six-year-old meet record in the 100 fly, as sophomore from Chesterfield, Va., took gold in 47.05. Beard was followed by Florida State's Joel Roycik, who touched in 47.16 for the silver medal. Both Beard and Roycik earned NCAA automatic qualifying times.

North Carolina's Jon Van Assen took third place with his time of 48.17, while the Seminoles' Stephan Connor took fourth in 48.63. Van Assen and Connor both posted NCAA B times.

The Tar Heels picked up their first gold medal of the meet in the 200 free, with freshman Hank Browning touching in 1:36.29. Virginia Tech's Zac Czaplicki took second with his time of 1:37.07, while Florida State's Carl Marais claimed bronze with his time of 1:37.13. All eight of the championship finalists posted NCAA B standards. With three swimmers in the championship finals, Florida State crept to within four points of Virginia at 332-328.

Virginia expanded its lead back to double digits in the 100 breast, as it had three swimmers in the championship finals and one in the consolation finals. The Cavaliers' Vanja Rogulj defended his 2005 title in the event, posting a time of 53.31, good for an NCAA A cut. Florida State kept the pressure on Virginia with Paul Erben's second-place finish, as the junior touched in 54.84 to take silver.

NC State's Dan Velez took third in 55.07. Erben, Velez, Clemson's Attila Ruszka, Georgia Tech's Alex Williams and Florida State's Billy Jamerson all posted NCAA B times in the event.

NC State picked up a win in the 100 back, as senior Kevin Velleca turned in the only NCAA provisional qualifying time in the event with his 48.65 effort. Clemson's Joel Johnson finished second with a time of 49.00, while Beard earned his second medal of the day with a third-place finish, which he accomplished in 49.04.

As was the case on Thursday, Florida State took the lead when the diving scores were added into the overall scores. The scores from the three-meter dive, which took place on Feb. 16, gave the Seminoles a 12-point edge, 428-416.

Georgia Tech's Evan Stowers won the event, which took place at last week's ACC Women's Swimming and Diving Championships, with his score of 373.05. Miami's Derek Starks was second with 368.45, while North Carolina's Ryan Funderburk was third with 355.10. Florida State had five divers score in the three-meter, while Virginia had one.

With Florida State and Virginia neck-and-neck entering the final event of the night, the Cavaliers pulled out a dramatic win in the 400 medley relay. Bryan Stahl, Rogulj, Stefan Hirniak and Ethan McCoy combined to post an NCAA B standard time of 3:13.15 for the win, just edging Florida State's Jarryd Botha, Jamerson, Roycik and Alex Kennon, who touched in 3:13.77.

NC State placed third in the event, as Velleca, Velez, Scott Dettloff and Cullen Jones turned in a 3:14.24 effort, while North Carolina's Keith Laabs, Brad Mitchell, Van Assen and Browning touched in 3:16.39 for fourth place. Clemson's Johnson, Ruszka, Mark Vahle and Brian Regone touched in 3:17.06 for fifth place, giving the top five teams in the event NCAA B times.

The Seminoles' relay squad was initially disqualified, temporarily giving the lead back to Virginia, but that ruling was overturned upon appeal, leaving Florida State atop the leader board at the end of day three.

The ACC Men's Swimming and Diving Championships conclude Saturday, Feb. 25, with preliminaries starting at 10 a.m. and finals beginning at 7 p.m.

Team Standings
Florida State (462 points)
Virginia (456)
North Carolina (349.5)
Georgia Tech (292.5)
NC State (269)
Virginia Tech (245)
Clemson (219.5)
Maryland (157.5)
Duke (78)
Boston College (56)
Miami (37)

Event Winners
Wednesday, Feb. 22
800 Free Relay - Virginia (Pat Mellors, John Millen, Stefan Hirniak and Fran Crippen) (6:27.16^)
200 Medley Relay - NC State (Kevin Valleca, Dan Velez, Steve Cowling, Cullen Jones) (1:26.88^*)

Thursday, Feb. 23
500 Free - Fran Crippen, Virginia (4:18.99)
200 IM - Pat Mellors, Virginia (1:46.62)
50 Free - Cullen Jones, NC State (19.07^*)
1-Meter Dive - Derek Starks, Miami (354.10 points) (Event took place on Feb. 17, scores added Feb. 23)
200 Free Relay - Florida State (Jarryd Botha, Ed Denton, Alex Kennon, Joel Roycik) (1:19.43)

Friday, Feb. 24
400 IM - Pat Mellors, Virginia (3:45.10)
100 Fly - Scott Beard, Virginia Tech (47.05^)
200 Free - Hank Browning, North Carolina (1:36.29)
100 Breast - Vanja Rogulj, Virginia (53.31)
100 Back - Kevin Velleca, NC State (48.65)
3-Meter Dive - Evan Stowers, Georgia Tech (373.05 points) (Event took place on Feb. 16, scores added Feb. 24)
400 Medley Relay - Virginia (Bryan Stahl, Vanja Rogulj, Stefan Hirniak, Ethan McCoy) (3:13.15)

^ Meet record
* Conference record

 -ACC-