Hokie swimmer third in finals
Freshman Antani Ivanov took the bronze in the 200 butterfly to help lead Virginia Tech to a fourth place team finish on the final day of competition at the 2019 ACC Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships at the Greensboro Aquatic Center.
Ivanov swam a Tech record setting time of 1:42.51 during the morning prelims, breaking the record of 1:42.58 set by Morgan Latimer in 2014. He followed up in the championship finals by setting a new record of 1:41.28 to claim the bronze and record an NCAA B qualifying time.
Freshman Blake Manoff actually broke Ivanov’s morning record with a 1:42.36 in the consolation final, but ultimately posted the second fastest time in program history which led him to win his heat and finish ninth overall in the 200 fly. Senior Norbert Szabo took 24th in the event with a 1:43.37 (B).
Concord girls’ track win
Performances in the 800-meter and 1,500-meter runs headlined the first meet of the outdoor season for the Concord University women’s track and field team Saturday at Laidley Field during the Golden Eagle Invite.
Senior Karleigh Thompson won the 800-meters with a time of 2:30.63. Fellow senior Kenna Knowles stopped the clock at 2:42.04 to place fifth in the event. Senior Heather Chernutan was eighth as she came across in 2:48.72. Senior Kaylin Kessinger followed right behind in ninth with a time of 2:48.74.
The Mountain Lions were equally impressive in 1,500-meters. Senior Bailey Knowles finished second in a time of 5:11.83. Thompson was strong in the event as she placed fourth, crossing the line in 5:17.68. K. Knowles was eighth with a showing of 5:33.06. Senior Taylor Hamm came through in ninth in a time of 5:35.95 while Kessinger completed CU athletes in the top 10 with a time of 5:39.75.
Community organization night
The Pulaski Yankees are excited to introduce the Community Organization of the Night presented by the Pulaski County Chamber of Commerce for the 2019 season. Through this program, the Yankees will highlight one area non-profit organization at each home game during the season. The organization will have the opportunity to set up a table on the concourse at Motor Mile Field at Calfee Park, be shown on the Jumbotron during the game, and welcomed with a PA announcement.
To be the Community Organization of the Night presented by the Pulaski County Chamber of Commerce, organizations must be a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit located in Pulaski County or a surrounding area. Organizations must purchase a minimum of 20 group tickets for the game – a $100 investment that helps increase the group’s presence at the ballpark on the night for which the non-profit is the Community Organization of the Night. At the end of the season, the organization that sold the most group tickets will receive a $400 cash donation from the Pulaski Yankees and the Community Organization of the Night program presented by the Pulaski County Chamber of Commerce.
ACC wrestling qualifiers
The Atlantic Coast Conference has received a league-record 37 automatic NCAA Tournament qualifications for the 2019 NCAA Division 1 Wrestling Championships, which will be held March 21-23 at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh.
The 37 qualifications betters the ACC’s previous all-time high of 34 set on three previous occasions, most recently last season. The ACC was awarded qualifications in the following weight classes: 125 (2), 133 (4), 141 (4), 149 (4), 157 (4), 165 (4), 174 (3), 184 (5), 197 (4) 285 (3).
Each qualifying tournament was awarded automatic bids per weight class based on current year data. Each wrestler was measured on the following: Division I winning percentage at the weight class; ratings percentage index (RPI); and coaches’ ranking.
For each wrestler that reached the threshold in at least two of the three categories, his conference tournament was awarded a qualifying spot in that weight class. Each conference was awarded a minimum of one automatic bid per weight class, which will go to the tournament champion, even if they did not have any wrestlers reach at least two of the three thresholds. NCAA tournament spots for each qualifying event will be awarded at the tournament based solely on place-finish.
After all of the conference tournaments have concluded, the NCAA Division I Wrestling Committee will meet in-person to select the remaining 44 at-large qualifiers, which will be announced on March 12, while brackets and seeding will be announced on NCAA.com at 6 p.m. on March 13.