Feb. 23, 2006

Thursday, Feb. 23 Results

2006 ACC Swimming & Diving Championships Site

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Florida State took the lead on the second day of competition at the Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Swimming and Diving Championships, riding a win in the last relay and the depth of its diving crew to overtake day-one leader Virginia at Maryland's Campus Recreation Center Natatorium on Thursday.

The Seminoles have accrued 237 team points through two days of competition, and are followed by Virginia (217 points) and North Carolina (164.5). Georgia Tech stands fourth with 158.5 points, and is followed by NC State (145), Clemson (141.5), Virginia Tech (126), Maryland (118.5), Duke (54), Boston College (42) and Miami (20).

Virginia's Fran Crippen opened the evening session by becoming just the 17th swimmer in the 45-year history of the ACC meet to win the same event four times with his victory in the 500 free. The senior from Conshohocken, Pa., turned in a time of 4:18.99 to earn gold and automatically qualify for the NCAA Championships.

Teammate John Millen touched second in 4:19.26, also an NCAA A standard, while North Carolina freshman Hank Browning took bronze with his time of 4:20.36. Seven championship finalists and two consolation finalists posted at least an NCAA B time. By sweeping the top two spots, and having three finalists in the event, the Cavaliers extended their lead to 120-88, opening up some breathing room from the four-point cushion they enjoyed over Florida State at the end of day one.

Virginia added to its lead with another 1-2 finish in the 200 IM. Sophomore Pat Mellors successfully defended his 2005 title, touching in an NCAA A standard time of 1:46.62. The Cavaliers' Ryan Berg claimed the silver medal with his 1:48.75 effort, good for an NCAA B time. Florida State's Danny Keeling secured the bronze with a time of 1:48.94, also good for a provisional qualifying mark. Virginia's Vanja Rogulj, Georgia Tech's Ryan Bishop and Florida State's Ed Denton also posted NCAA B times in the event.

NC State senior Cullen Jones turned in a crowd-pleasing effort in the 50 free, erasing his own ACC meet record of 19.23 - which he set at the morning preliminary session - with a meet- and league-record time of 19.07. The senior from Irvington, N.J., won the event for the third season in a row, and was well under the NCAA automatic qualifying standard.

Clemson's Mark Vahle and Maryland's Daniel Gray tied for second, as each touched in 19.91. Florida State's Joel Roycik and Alex Kennon took fourth and fifth, respectively, with each of the four after Jones posting NCAA B times.

Florida State took its first lead of the championship when the scores for the one-meter dive were added in after the 50 free, giving the Seminoles a 197-195 edge. The men's diving events took place at last week's ACC Women's Swimming and Diving Championships, but the team scores were to be withheld until the proper portions of the schedule of the men's championships.

Miami's Derek Starks won the one-meter with a score of 354.10, and was followed by North Carolina's Ryan Funderburk in second and Georgia Tech's Evan Stowers in third. The Seminoles had five divers score, while Virginia had two.

Florida State added to its lead with a win in the 200 free relay, as Jarryd Botha, Denton, Kennon and Roycik teamed to post a time of 1:19.43 to win gold.

NC State's Peter Ranstead, Scott Dettloff, Steve Cowling and Jones combined to touch in 1:19.95 for second place, while Clemson's Vahle, Stephen Russell, Matt Balderston and Brian Regone took bronze with a time of 1:20.75. Maryland's Dong Kim, Daniel Gray, Andrew Weinert and Patrick Doyle posted a time of 1:20.81, giving the top four teams NCAA B cuts.

The ACC Men's Swimming and Diving Championships resume Friday, Feb. 24, with preliminaries starting at 10 a.m. and finals beginning at 7 p.m.

Team Standings
Florida State (237 points)
Virginia (217)
North Carolina (164.5)
Georgia Tech (158.5)
NC State (145)
Clemson (141.5)
Virginia Tech (126)
Maryland (118.5)
Duke (54)
Boston College (42)
Miami (20)

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^*)
One-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)

^ Meet record
* Conference record

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