#9 Virginia Tech Males In Groove With Scoring Relays, Key Stars

GRADING CRITERIA

Over time, we’ve gone backwards and forwards on how one can venture factors, starting from largely subjective rankings to extra data-based grading standards primarily based on ‘projected returning factors.’ We like being as goal as potential, however we’re going to stay with the method we’ve adopted post-Covid. The “stars” will rely closely on what swimmers truly did final yr, however we’ll additionally give credit score to returning swimmers or freshmen who’ve posted instances that might have scored final yr.

Since we solely profile the highest 12 groups on this format, our grades are designed with that vary in thoughts. Within the grand scheme of school swimming and in comparison with all different school applications, prime 12 NCAA applications would just about all grade nicely throughout the board. However within the curiosity of creating these previews informative, our grading scale is hard – designed to point out the tiers between the great stroke teams, the nice ones, and the 2015 Texas fly group sorts.

• 5 star (★★★★★) – a uncommon, elite NCAA group projected to attain 25+ factors per occasion
• 4 star (★★★★) – a really, superb NCAA group projected to attain 15-24 factors per occasion
• 3 star (★★★) – a great NCAA group projected to attain 5-14 factors per occasion
• 2 star (★★) – a strong NCAA group projected to attain 1-4 factors per occasion
• 1 star (★) –  an NCAA group that’s projected to attain no factors per occasion, although that doesn’t imply it’s with out potential scorers – they’ll simply have to leapfrog some swimmers forward of them to do it

We’ll grade every occasion self-discipline: dash free (which we outline to incorporate all of the relay-distance freestyle occasions, so 50, 100 and 200), distance free, IM, breaststroke, backstroke, butterfly and diving. Use these grades as a jumping-off level for dialogue, moderately than a motive to be indignant.

Additionally, needless to say we’re publishing many of those previews earlier than groups have posted finalized rosters. We’re making our assessments primarily based on one of the best data now we have accessible on the time of publication, however we reserve the precise to make modifications after publication primarily based on any new data that will emerge relating to rosters. If that does occur, we’ll make sure to notice the change.

2023-2024 LOOKBACK

The Hokies appeared to hit a groove final yr of their sixth season below head coach Sergio Lopez. They weren’t fairly capable of defend their second-place effort at ACCs, as a consequence of a dynamic efficiency from the then-rising Notre Dame squad, however they held robust at NCAAs, tying their best-ever end by taking Ninth general with 172 factors.

On the 2018 NCAA Championships, the Virginia Tech males completed thirty third with 9 factors, all from diving. Right here’s how they’ve fared at NCAAs since Lopez got here on board previous to the 2019 season:

• 2019 – thirty fifth (11)
• 2020- N/A
• 2021 – eleventh (135)
• 2022 – eleventh (143)
• 2023 – Ninth (133)
• 2024 – Ninth (172)

It’s not an enormous secret that scoring in all 5 relays and having a few key people is the trail to a prime 10 end at NCAAs, however Virginia Tech has made a behavior of that during the last couple of seasons.

Youssef Ramadan suffered a fractured wrist within the fall, however he bounced again to snare a pair of Ninth-place finishes within the 50 and the 100 free, and he additionally completed 4th within the 100 fly to web 32 factors. Fellow senior Carles Coll Marti garnered 30 factors with fifth and third place efforts within the 100 and 200 breast, respectively, and he most likely would’ve scored within the 200 IM had he not drawn a DQ for a false begin. To not be overlooked, fifth-year AJ Pouch scored in each breaststroke occasions, taking fifteenth within the 100 and eleventh within the 200.

Freshman Brendan Whitfield didn’t rating individually however was a key contributor nonetheless, swimming on all 5 of the Hokies relays. These relays all completed between sixth and tenth, accounting for an additional 102 factors. All informed Virginia Tech scored almost 40 extra factors than they did in 2023 whereas holding quick at Ninth place.

We’ll go forward and notice right here that this preview goes to look similar to final yr’s, because the Hokies return eight of their 9 NCAA qualifiers from final yr, with Pouch being the only real exception.

SPRINT FREE: ★★★

Youssef Ramadan (photograph: Jack Spitser)

As we said above, Youssef Ramadan was only a bit off of his lifetime bests of 18.68/41.15 final season. He’s again for a fifth yr, and if he can keep injury-free, he ought to as soon as once more be a menace to make ‘A’ finals in each of these occasions, whereas additionally being a dynamo on the relays.

Final yr we instructed that Brendan Whitfield might make NCAAs and swim all three dash free relays, and positive sufficient, he did. The Virginia native had huge time drops as a freshman, going from 19.48/42.67/1:33.97 to 19.10/41.61/1:32.50. All these particular person bests got here at ACCs, however his 100 free time would’ve scored at NCAAs had he matched it there.

A trio of relay contributors hit lifetime bests in particular person dash free occasions at NCAAs final yr. Luis Domínguez led off the 800 free relay with a 1:32.25 cut up, then went 42.31 individually to go together with a 41.51 cut up on the 400 free relay. As a sophomore final yr, Will Hayon improved from 19.65/43.12 to 19.54/42.53, with these greatest instances coming by way of a pair of Forty fourth-place finishes at NCAAs. Mario Molla Yanes bounced again final yr to hit lifetime bests of 19.29/42.39 at NCAAs, and cut up 19.06 and 1:32.25 on the 200 and 800 free relays.

Breaststroker/IMer Carles Coll Marti as soon as once more contributed on free relays, splitting a 1:32.23 on the 800 free relay and 41.34 on the 400 free relay. He’s additionally able to splitting round 19-flat on the 200 free relay.

Lithuanian nationwide Daniil Pancerevas went 44.15 and 1:34.44 final yr, however his lengthy course instances of twenty-two.95/49.68/1:48.93 in LCM counsel that he might add some relay depth if his yards swimming develops in addition to among the different Hokie worldwide swimmers’ have.

The newcomer almost definitely to make an impression within the dash freestyles could also be Slovakian nationwide Jakub Poliacik. He tendencies a bit extra in direction of the space facet, however his SCM greatest instances convert to SCY instances of roughly 20.9/43.3/1:34.8. Virginia native Luis Domínguez arrives with bests of 20.76/45.18, whereas Texas’ Danny Bishop has been 21.25/45.59/1:37.96.

DISTANCE FREE: ★

As soon as once more, Luis Domínguez and Nicolas Garcia had been the one two Hokie males to qualify for NCAAs in distance occasions, and each swam the five hundred free, the place they went 4:16.09 (thirty ninth) and 4:20.30 (forty seventh) respectively.

Lee Naber dropped roughly six seconds in his 500 and 22 seconds within the 1650 final season and contributed at ACCs by ending 14th within the 500 (4:20.58) and eighth within the 1650 (15:14.21). Comparable drops this yr would put him into NCAA invite vary.

The ACC didn’t have a lot depth within the 1650 final yr (everybody who swam and wasn’t DQ’d scored), though that will change with the addition of Cal and Stanford. Regardless, the freshman class ought to assist at at the very least the ACC degree. Kyle Algrim (15:30.73) and JC Gordon (15:30.12) each arrive with ACC scoring instances within the 1650, and Jakub Poliacik‘s greatest instances convert to roughly 4:21.57/15:23.00.

BACKSTROKE: ★★

With Forest Webb out of eligibility, the Hokies solely return two ACC scorers on this self-discipline. The important thing one is Spanish Olympian Nicolas Garcia. He as soon as once more certified for NCAAs, however by no means cracked 1:40 final yr and didn’t rating at NCAAs. His lifetime better of 1:39.49 from the 2023 ACCs would put him within the B-final at NCAAs if he might match it.

Gabriel Yuk was the one different Hokie to attain at ACCs, with a Twenty third-place effort within the 100 again. As soon as once more, Virginia Tech’s quickest man within the 100 final yr was truly Youssef Ramadan, who led off the 400 medley relay with instances of 45.34 (ACCs) and 45.61 (NCAAs), though he clocked a 44.59 leadoff in 2023.

Hungary’s Levente Balogh involves Blacksburg this yr with LCM bests of 55.73 and a couple of:00.35, which convert to roughly 47.4 and 1:43.10 in yards. On the very least he ought to be a scoring menace at ACCs, and given how profitable many internationals have been at Virginia Tech, he might qualify for NCAAs sooner moderately than later.

BREASTSTROKE: ★★★

Carles Coll Marti (photograph: Jack Spitser)

After lacking scoring within the 100 in 2023, Carles Coll Marti completed within the prime 5 at NCAAs in each breaststroke races. He hit a lifetime greatest of fifty.95 at ACCs, and he almost matched that point with a 51.06 to complete fifth within the 100. Equally, he was a bit off of his 1:49.69 lifetime greatest within the 200, however his 1:49.99 put him solely behind Leon Marchand and Matt Fallon. With Marchand going professional, Fallon’s most likely the favourite to win the title in March, however Coll Marti might be proper there with him.

Ethan Maloney had one other strong exhibiting as a sophomore, going 52.15/1:55.45 to choose up factors at ACCs. Each these instances are only a bit off of his bests of 51.95/1:55.15 from 2023. Aiken Do hit a lifetime better of 54.02 on the Virginia Tech invite and likewise has been 1:59.41 within the 200.

The Hokies add a bit depth with freshmen Eli Martin (54.65/1:57.28) and Pablo Silva (55.13/1:58.17).

BUTTERFLY: ★★★

After capturing the 2023 NCAA title within the 100 fly one of the crucial memorable post-race interviews in current reminiscence, Yossef Ramadan’s 2023-2024 season bought off to a rougher begin when he was out for a number of meets within the fall as a consequence of damage. He by no means fairly again to his greatest instances, however most swimmers could be fairly blissful when an “off” season resulted in a 4th-place end at NCAAs, the place he touched in 43.95. Josh Liendo was all the craze final yr, however Ramadan’s better of 43.15 is just 0.08s off of Liendo’s profitable time, so this ought to be an incredible race to observe come March.

In 2023, Mario Molla Yanes went 45.44 in ACC prelims, then completed useless final at NCAAs, apparently coping with illness or damage. In 2024, he clocked a brand new lifetime better of 45.06 with an 18th place end at NCAAs, whereas additionally holding down the 400 medley relay fly leg so Ramadan might swim again.

For the second yr in a row, Will Hayon hit a lifetime greatest at a Final Probability meet, clocking 45.35 in early March. That point earned him a NCAA invite, and he completed thirty first with a time of 45.86.

Carl Bloebaum bounced again from a freshman marketing campaign that was restricted by damage to complete sixth at ACCs within the 200 fly, then continued to enhance his greatest with a 1:42.16 at a Final Probability meet. He made the C-final within the 100 and clocked a 46.12, however he went 45.68 in highschool, so he nonetheless has the potential to be one other Hokie knocking on the door of a sub-45 swim.

Fellow rising junior Landon Gentry was one of many prime butterfly prospects within the nation popping out of highschool, however didn’t handle to qualify for NCAAs final yr after doing in order a freshman. Like Bloebaum, his greatest instances (46.07/1:42.32) imply that so long as he’s wholesome, he’s an ACC scorer, and he definitely has the potential to make NCAAs once more.

Freshman Levente Balogh represented Hungary on the 2023 European Juniors, the place he set a greatest time of 1:59.58 within the lengthy course 200 fly. That converts to roughly a 1:44.4, which places him in ACC scoring vary, whereas his 100 LCM better of 54.56 converts to a 47.7.

IM: ★★★

This has traditionally been a reasonably robust space for the Hokies, and Carles Coll Marti is without doubt one of the quickest males in school swimming, proudly owning a lifetime better of 1:39.63 from 2022. Whereas final season was a little bit of a hiccup for him, matching his lifetime greatest would put him again squarely in the midst of the ‘A’ remaining.

Nicolas Garcia has a greatest time of three:41.63 within the 400 IM, however he didn’t swim the occasion this yr, leaving Coll Marti with the Hokies’ solely NCAA swim on this self-discipline. Garcia’s greatest time final yr was a 3:45.90 from ACCs, however his lifetime would’ve made the B-final at NCAAs, so there’s a potential for extra factors right here if he returns to type.

It’s arduous to say if this may catch the attention of Jakub Poliacik, however his greatest SCM converts to roughly 1:46.8, which might’ve put him behind solely Coll Marti and Daniil Pancerevas (1:45.31) and equal with Mario Molla Yanes (1:46.89) on final yr’s roster. Moreover, Landon Gentry owns an ACC scoring-worthy time of 1:45.16 from 2023.

DIVING: ★

Jacob Fisher was Virginia Tech’s greatest diver at ACCs final season, netting 46 factors, however he missed qualifying for NCAAs after doing in order a freshman in 2023. Zach Shaddy additionally added factors at ACCs within the 1m and 3m occasions.

RELAYS: ★★★½

The secret for Virginia Tech relays is “stability.” They didn’t lose a single leg going from 2022-2023 into 2023-2024, and as soon as once more they return all their legs from final yr. That’s some nearly unheard-of continuity.

With out every other apparent resolution for the backstroke leg, Youssef Ramadan will possible proceed to lead-off the medley relays, whereas Carles Coll Marti will swim breast and Brendan Whitfield will anchor. Will Hayon swam the fly leg on the 200 medley, whereas Mario Molla Yanes held it down on the 400. There’s an opportunity we might see some flex on that leg, particularly Carl Bloebaum or Landon Gentry make some strides, or if a backstroker emerges to free Ramadan to maneuver again to fly, however in any other case the medleys look fairly locked in already.

It’s an identical state of affairs on the freestyle relays, the place there doesn’t appear to be an apparent impetus to shake up final yr’s lineups. Maybe somebody like Jakub Poliacik forces his approach onto the 800 and frees up one other swimmer, however with 4 guys splitting between 1:32.2 and 1:32.5, there’s no apparent weak leg. 

Whole Stars: 19½/40

2024-2025 OUTLOOK 

Whereas they didn’t transfer up within the general crew standings, there’s a robust argument that they had been a markedly higher crew in 2024 than they had been in 2023. They scored roughly 40 extra factors, bought all 5 relays to attain, and quite a lot of swimmers hit lifetime bests at NCAAs. Take away a 200 IM DQ, and the Hokies would’ve completed forward of Stanford and probably challenged Texas for seventh.

Virginia Tech is within the enviable place of solely dropping one NCAA qualifier and returning all relay legs. The highest of the game has such a focus of expertise that it’s robust to see a path for them to crack into the highest 7 or so, however assuming no mishaps, they’re a protected guess for an additional top-10 NCAA end.

MEN’S PREVIEW INDEX:

See all of our School Swimming Previews with the SwimSwam Preview Index right here.