This past weekend in Greensboro, the Wolfpack men’s swimming and diving team broke 19 records, made the podium 24 times, took home 11 gold medals and secured its second-straight ACC Championship title. 

On the first day of the competition, the Pack started strong, taking home gold in the 200 medley relay. The team of sophomore Hennessey Stuart, junior Derek Hren, senior Simonas Bilis and sophomore Ryan Held won the event with a time of 1:23.19, which broke the school, conference and ACC meet records. 

“Having that mini-team within the team is nerve-wracking,” Hren said. “Knowing that you have three other guys with you that you know will go fast, you’ve got to step up and bring your A-game the entire way.” 

Finishing off the day, the squad of Held, Bilis, freshman Justin Ress and junior Soren Dahl took home gold in the 800 freestyle relay with an ACC meet record time of 6:12.76. This performance stands as the fastest time in the country. 

“[Wednesday] was a strong start for us,” head coach Braden Holloway said. “I’m proud of our guys for coming out ready to compete. There was a lot of energy on the deck and a lot of excitement in the pool tonight.”

On Day Two of the competition, the Wolfpack dominated, getting its third-straight win in the 200 freestyle relay. The team of Held, Bilis, junior Joe Bonk and junior Andreas Schiellerup posted a time of 1:15.65, which stands as the top time in the country. 

In the 500 free, sophomore Anton Ipsen took home his second-straight ACC title with a time of 4:14.53.

“Actually, before the races, I was really nervous,” Ipsen said. “I wanted to win so badly for the team that it drove me to do even more than I could’ve done for just myself.”

In the 50 free, Held took the title with a time of 18.92 and Bilis took second place with a time of 18.94. Both of the swimmers topped the previous ACC meet record. 

Dahl took home second in the 200 individual medley, posting a school-record time of 1:42.50, while Ress took fifth with a time of 1:44.52. 

On Day Three of the competition, the Wolfpack continued to shine, with the 400 medley relay team of Stuart, Hren, Dahl and Bonk taking home second with a time of 3:06.25.

In the 400 individual medley, senior Christian McCurdy achieved a time of 3:44.06. He was followed by his teammate senior Austin Snyder who took fourth with a career-best mark of 3:44.39.

In the 200 free, NC State swept up at the podium for a second-straight year in a row, taking home the top three spots. Bilis earned his second-straight title in the event with a school-record time of 1:32.46. Dahl took second with a mark of 1:32.88, and Held took third with a time of 1:32.97. 

In the 100 breaststroke, Hren snagged his first conference title with a mark of 52.57 to break the school record. 

In the 100 backstroke, Schiellerup took home second with a mark of 45.87 and teammate Stuart took third with a time of 45.92. 

“I don’t know if I’ve ever seen momentum in a swim meet like I’ve seen [Friday],” Holloway said. “Just the energy and the passion on the side, it was a lot of fun.” 

On the final day of the competition, the 400 freestyle relay team of Bilis, Held, Bonk and Dahl took home gold and broke the ACC meet record with a time of 2:48.52. This win marks the fourth-straight time NC State has won the event title. 

In the 1,650 free, Ipsen took home his second-straight ACC title in this event with a time of 14:44.96. Junior Adam Linker placed second with a time of 14:51.47. 

The Pack got its second podium sweep of the contest in the 100 free, where Held, Bilis and Dahl took the top spots. Held’s first place time of 41.69 posted a new school, conference and ACC meet record. Bilis got second with a time of 42.16, and Dahl took third with a mark of 42.85.

In the 200 backstroke, Stuart stopped the clock at 1:39.58 to place second and Ress took home third with a time of 1:40.57. Both performances were career-best times for the swimmers. 

In the 200 butterfly, McCurdy earned his second championship title of his career, with a time of 1:41.42, which set a new school, conference and ACC meet record. 

The men’s swimming and diving team secured its second-straight ACC Championship title, marking the 26th victory in NC State history. This win also marks the first time in 34 years that the program has earned back-to-back titles. 

“This was a big stepping stone for us,” Holloway said. “We wanted to prove ourselves again and come back and defend our title, and these guys were focused. They were focused all meet long.”

The Wolfpack prepares for the NCAA Championships in March, where it is currently ranked No. 1 in the nation and now awaits the final selections for the men’s and women’s championships.