Swimming & Diving Completes Second Day of NC State Invite

Friday, November 19

Greensboro, NC

All Day

Army West Point

NC State Invite Day 2

Swimming & Diving Completes Second Day of NC State Invite

November 19, 2021 | Men's Swimming and Diving, Women's Swimming and Diving

Results (PDF)

WEST POINT, N.Y. – At the end of the second day of competition at the NC State Invite, hosted at the Greensboro Aquatic Center, the Army West Point swimming & diving team was slotted seventh in both the men's and women's team standings.

Through 28 events, the men's squad had accumulated 371 points while the women racked up 221.

The second day of action at the midseason meet saw the Cadets have success both in the pool and on the boards, as they earned 35 total finals spots. Evan Zhang additionally turned in one of Army's best finishes of the Invite so far, claiming eighth place in the 100 Breast after swimming an NCAA B Cut time (53.98) in prelims.

The Men's Meet
Fifteen Cadets combined to earn 17 finals spots for Army (3-2) on the second day of the competition. Evan Yoo (400 IM, 100 Breast) and Sean Keenan (100 Back, 100 Fly) were the only Black Knights among both the men's and women's sides to advance to two different finals, providing the team with an extra highlight in addition to Zhang's thrilling effort in the 100 Breast.

Throughout the day, Army had three-or-more Black Knights advance to finals in four different events. One of the team's strongest showings was in the 100 Back, where four different competitors represented Army. Jacob Powell paced the team with a time of 49.83 (22nd) and was followed by Sam Wesley (27th), Johan Pretorius (29th) and Keenan (31st).

Of the three Cadets that swam in the 400 IM finals, Yoo was the leader with a 16th-place finish. He was joined in the scoring by teammates Kevin Lin and Sam Wesley, who finished 18th and 23rd respectively.

Like the efforts in the 400 IM, the 100 Breast also saw the team grab two top-20 finishes as both Zhang (eighth) and Bruce Bannister (19th) achieved the feat. Though Yoo's finish of 25th overall in the race did not earn him any team points, it did help him in his efforts to continue qualifying for finals.

Army also had strong swims in both the 200 Free and the 100 Fly. A trio of Cadets competed in the latter race, led by Keenan's 29th-place effort. Both Jack Mowery (31st) and Ian Shahan (32nd) were in the D Final with Keenan, as well. In the 200 Free D Final, the Black Knights were represented by both Ian Tansill (30th) and Sean Dwyer (31st).

On the boards, the team was once again led by the tandem of Daniel Alaimo and David Manelis, who qualified for the Championship Final in the 1m event. Alaimo claimed fifth place with a final score of 321.60, while Manelis' 299.50 landed him at seventh overall.

The Women's Meet
After breaking the program's 200 IM record during Thursday's racing, Meghan Cole once again led the Black Knights' (3-4) efforts on Friday. The rookie recorded a team-best 11th-place finish in the 100 Fly, touching the wall in a personal best time of 54.61.

Cole was one of 12 swimmers that represented Army in the finals. Along with her performance, the team's racing was highlighted by its efforts in the 100-yard butterfly, when six different Black Knights secured a spot in the evening's session. Margaret Kroening paced the group with a 56.17 swim (21st overall) and was followed by Rea Smith (23rd), Jasmine Coe (25th), Sammie Edwards (29th) and Maddie Clark (32nd).

The 100 Fly was one of two races that saw the Cadets earn multiple finals spots, as the team secured four places in the 100 Breast. Aurelie Migault led the charge by finishing 20th overall and was joined in the scoring by Maggie McDonald (21st), Megan Colpo (22nd) and Sarah Platt (24th).

In addition to the aforementioned Black Knights, both Melinda Zhang (24th, 400 IM) and Lauren Carag (25th, 100 Back) also contributed points towards the team's total.

Cadets' Corner
"Although this has been a challenging meet, I really thought the competition pushed our team to new feats. The high energy on deck was contagious and created great racing environment. I truly feel as though my success in the pool was due to the great swimmers around me and my teammates support. I couldn't have done it without them and I'm looking forward to great competition against Navy in the coming weeks." - Meghan Cole

Team Standings - Men
1. NC State - 1,423
2. Arizona State - 1,159
3. Stanford - 989.50
4. Duke - 711
5. Penn State - 632.50
6. UNC - 586
7. Army West Point - 371
8. UNC Wilmington - 48
9. George Washington - 31

Team Standings - Women
1. NC State - 1,320.50
2. Stanford - 1,160
3. Duke - 985
4. UNC - 719.50
5. Arizona State - 670
6. Penn State - 605
7. Army West Point - 221
8. UNC Wilmington - 96
9. George Washington - 86
10. James Madison - 37

Up Next
Army will look to finish on a high note during the final day of the NC State Invite on Saturday, Nov. 20. Prelims are scheduled for a 9:30 a.m. start with finals set to follow later in the day at 5:30 p.m.

Follow Along
For complete coverage of Army West Point swimming & diving, follow the Black Knights on Twitter and Instagram at @ArmyWP_SwimDive and online at www.goarmywestpoint.com.