Continuing on its utterly dominating start to the season, the No. 5 NC State men’s swimming and diving team flew past its competition over the weekend at the Ohio State Invitational in Columbus, Ohio, scoring 1,118.50 points to beat the field by over 300 points.
The Wolfpack men have yet to lose in a meet this season, and took care of business again this weekend. No. 16 Ohio State finished in second place of the nine-team field, scoring 780.50 points to finish 338 behind the Pack.
On the women’s side, No. 12 NC State pulled in a second-place finish, coming up 63.40 points short of No. 17 Kentucky, which won the event. The Pack barely held off No. 18 Notre Dame for second place, as the Fighting Irish finished just 13.60 points back of NC State.
Following the three-day championship-style meet, it was announced that NC State and head coach Braden Holloway had agreed to a contract extension, keeping the Wolfpack alumnus in Raleigh through 2022 with options to stay through 2025.
The men’s team’s commanding victory was fronted by an all-around great performance, as the Pack had the winning swimmer and relay team in 16 of the 18 swimming events, with the only two losses being the 50 and 100-yard breaststroke, NC State’s biggest weakness.
The Wolfpack men won all five relays at the meet, led by senior Olympian Ryan Held and junior Justin Ress, who both swam on all five relay teams. Held also captured first place in three individual events to lead the Pack, winning the 50 and 100-yard freestyle races along with the 100-yard butterfly.
Ress also excelled individually, winning the 200-yard freestyle and finishing second to Held in both the 100 and 50 free. Senior Olympian Anton Ipsen also had a standout performance, capturing first in the 500-yard freestyle, 1,650-yard freestyle and the 400-yard individual medley.
The Pack men were dominant across the board, but especially in the 400-yard medley relay, 100 back and 100 free, where NC State took first, second and third in all three races. Sophomore Jacob Molacek joined Held and Ress on the podium in the 100 free, adding to his impressive weekend that also included a second-place finish in the 100 breast.
Junior Andreas Vazaios was also spectacular in the pool for the Wolfpack men, winning three individual races and three relays. Vazaios touched the wall first in the 200-yard individual medley, 100-yard backstroke and 200-yard butterfly. Senior Hennessey Stuart also won an event at the meet, placing first in the 200-yard backstroke.
For the Wolfpack women it was a much less imposing performance, as NC State won just four of 18 swimming events, which included two relay wins.
Sophomore Ky-Lee Perry was involved in three of the Pack’s four first-place finishes, winning the 50 free and swimming strong legs in NC State’s victories in the 200-yard freestyle relay and the 200-yard medley relay.
Senior Hannah Moore was the Pack’s only other individual winner on the women’s side of things, placing first in her strongest event, the 1,650 free. Moore also grabbed a third-place finish in the 400 IM.
Freshman Julia Poole and senior Krista Duffield also swam well over the weekend, with Duffield swimming on both relay teams and finishing second in the 100 fly and Poole taking second in the 200 IM.
In diving, sophomore James Brady fronted the Wolfpack men, finishing third in the 1-meter and fifth in platform. Sophomore Madeline Kline was the strongest diver for the NC State women, placing ninth in the 1 meter and sixth on platform. Brady’s 333.60 on platform was strong enough to earn him a NCAA Zone qualifying score.
Ipsen, Vazaios and the men’s 400 free relay team all earned NCAA “A” cuts at the meet, punching their tickets to NCAAs. For Ipsen this came in the 1,650 free and for Vazaios it was achieved in the 200 fly.
