On a night celebrating the 50th anniversary of NC State Women’s Swimming and Diving, the team showed out as the No. 6 ranked women handled UNC-Chapel Hill with a 170.5-129.5 win. The No. 9 men’s team piled on, winning 165-134.
Over the course of the meet, both squads combined for 21 first-place finishes, four pool records and one school record. Junior Lance Norris broke a six-year-old ACC record in the 1000 freestyle finishing with a time of 8:43.60.
Sophomore Daniel Diehl set two new pool records in the 200 IM and 200 backstroke. Tying the pool record in the 200 IM earlier in the season in the meet against Arizona State, Diehl put himself solely in first place with a time of 1:42.58. His time of 1:39.62 in the 200 back was enough for a second pool record and by finishing first in the 200 freestyle, Diehl swam away with three first-place finishes.
The men’s team dominated the freestyle competitions, claiming first in the 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1000 meter events. Graduate Luke Miller, freshman Kaii Winkler, Diehl and Norris twice were the respective winners.
In the 200 medley relay and 400 freestyle relay, the men’s team put two groups on the podium each time. Finishing first and third in the medley, and taking the top two spots in the freestyle relay.
With women’s swim and dive alumni in attendance, the team continued to raise the bar like its alumni had before them. Freshman Leah Shackley set two new pool records in the 200 backstroke and butterfly. Shackley reclaimed the pool record in the 200 butterfly with a time of 1:54.30.
Senior Olivia Nel earned her first career victory as a Wolfpack swimmer, taking home first in the women’s 100 freestyle. Finishing with a time of 48.29, Nel just edged out her sister Georgia Nel in the event, beating her by just 0.22 seconds.
Joined by freshman Erika Pelaez and junior Aubree Brouwer, Nel and Shackley took home first in the women’s 200-medley relay, earning an NCAA A cut time. Nel, Pelaez, junior Cassie Moses and freshman Lily Christianson earned another NCAA A cut time in the 400 freestyle relay.
Two-time 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials finalist junior Kennedy Noble had herself a day, finishing first in the 100 backstroke and 200 IM. In the 200 backstroke, she finished on the podium in second place.
Capping off the celebratory weekend, the team travels next to Austin, Texas for a highly ranked quad-meet against Texas, Virginia and Arizona State. Each of the four schools has its men’s and women’s teams inside the top 25, a showdown that every swim fan needs to have their eyes on. It’s a two-day event starting Friday, Jan. 24.
