:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/58738787/usa_today_10614052.0.jpg)
A weekly look into swimming and diving, track and field, cross country, softball, women’s basketball, tennis, volleyball, golf, and anything else we happen to see on campus.
No. 7 Men’s Golf
Tech is down to the national no. 7 rank after a disappointing trip to Hawaii a few weeks ago. However, in Sunday’s play at the Puerto Rico Classic, they finish tied for second led by Chris Petefish and Noah Norton. They trail no. 8 Oklahoma by two strokes with two days yet to play in the tournament, which the Jackets have won five times.
This Week: Golf stays in sunny Puerto Rico to conclude their tournament.
Men’s Tennis
Tech lost to Clemson 5-2 Friday afternoon on the Flats. Tech lost the doubles point but Philip Gresk and Michael Kay won their matches to vault the Jackets ahead of the Tigers. Andrew Li, Carlos Divar, Chris Yun, and Elijah Melendez all were unable to pull out their matches, with Divar, Yun, and Melendez all falling in tiebreakers.
On Sunday, Tech barely fell to no. 25 South Carolina 4-3 at the Ken Byers Tennis Complex. The Jackets took the doubles point, and Melendez and Kay also won as well. However, the other four Jackets lost their games, and Tech ultimately lost.
This Week: The Racket Jackets head to Austin.
Swimming and Diving
The Jackets finished in tenth out of twelve teams at the ACC Championships this past week. The final day in Greensboro was far and away the best day for Tech, but there were a few notable swims earlier in the week as well. However, bad news came early on Wednesday when key diver freshman Camryn Hidalgo injured herself attempting a dive that kept her off of the boards the rest of the week. Also Wednesday, the 800 yard Freestyle Relay turned in a solid swim, coming in seventh with a time of 7:09.06. On Thursday, Emily Ilgenfritz broke her own school record in the 500 Freestyle, at 4:44.86. Two more records fell the next day, with Megan Young taking the 100 Backstroke and securing an NCAA B-cut as well. Iris Wang also broke her own record in the 200 Freestyle, after not advancing to the finals in the 50 Freestyle. Overall, a lot of B-cuts for the Jackets, but none of the faster A-cuts. For the most part, swims weren’t off their best times by much, but the Jackets probably leave feeling let down. After smoking Pittsburgh in one of their few meets against ACC competition in the regular season, losing to them by a decent amount has to sting at least a little. Most of their top talent will be back next year, though, so by no means all bad news for the Jackets. A good recruiting class and not dwelling on old swims, which can be a serious problem, should help that place climb higher next year.
This Week: The ladies head to Athens while the men take their turn at the conference meet.
Softball
Wednesday, February 14th: Georgia State (2 - 4) defeats Georgia Tech (0 - 3), 5-2.
Friday, February 16th: No. 22 Nebraska (7 - 1) edges Georgia Tech (0 - 4), 6-5.
Friday, February 16th: Georgia Tech (1 - 4) downs Indiana (0 - 7), 4-1.
Saturday, February 17th: No. 22 Nebraska (8 - 1) again beats Georgia Tech (1 - 5), 7-3.
Sunday, February 18th: Georgia Tech (2 - 5) again dispatches Indiana (1 - 8), 4-1.
Lots of softball this week, here’s the super-condensed version:
- Tech took an early lead against the Panthers, 2-0 after their half of the first, but the home team tied it up right away. Then, unearned runs sunk the Jackets and they couldn’t scratch across any runs after the first, and fell 5-2.
- Tech immediately found themselves six runs in the hole against ranked Nebraska in their home opener. Freshman Breanna Roper sent a rocket to right-center field for a grand slam, her first career hit, to put Tech back in the game in the fourth inning. Katie Krzus added another, and Tech loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh but couldn’t get another run and fell to the Cornhuskers 6-5.
- In the second game, the Jackets took a four run lead in the bottom of the third. The Hoosiers only managed a single run and Tech won their first game of the season.
- Tech led early, scoring all of their runs in the first inning, and led 3-0 until just the next half-inning, when they yielded six runs to their guests. Freshman Cameron Stanford came in and allowed just one run the rest of the game but the Jackets couldn’t put a rally together to regain the lead.
- Tech will take a win wherever they can get it, and an identical 4-1 win over Indiana does just that. Again, Tech took a 4-0 lead, off of some small ball and two home runs, by freshman Lilly Hooper and senior Kelsey Chisholm. Freshman pitcher Naomi Dickerson again had a nice outing for the Jackets and they played out the game to their second win of the season.
This week: Tech heads to a tournament at Campbell University in North Carolina for another slate of games.
Women’s Basketball
Thursday, February 15th: Georgia Tech (16 - 11) handles North Carolina (14 - 12), 79-61.
Francesca Pan played out of her mind against North Carolina this week at the Thrillerdome. The sophomore banked 24 points, with Kierra Fletcher adding 18 of her own, and Zaire O’Neill and Chanin Scott also finding their way to double figures. Fletcher was just a rebound short of a double-double. Though the game was close in the early going, the Jackets eventually seized a lead they would never relinquish. Tech lead 47-26 at the half, but North Carolina came out of halftime strong, narrowing the score to just a 13 point difference. However, the Jackets went on a run of their own and eventually coast to a nice 18 point win.
This Week: Tech hosts Miami and heads to Florida State this week.
Swimming and Diving - Men’s ACC Championships Preview
In the mysteriously-fluctuating CollegeSwimming.com Championship Power Rankings, the Jackets currently sit at 27th. Look for Tech to come out strong in the 200 Freestyle Relay, and in the freestyle sprints, which they have the best depth in. Look for Noah Harasz, Miles Corbin, and Franco Reyes to swim strongly in the sprints. Joonas Koski and Colt Williamson will be factors in the distance freestyle. Meanwhile, accomplished freshman Caio Pumpitis is seemingly the master of every 200 event under the sun. In the stroke events, Rodrigo Correia is a great backstroker, Moises Loschi is a multiple event record holder in the breaststroke, and Christian Ferraro swims a solid butterfly. Tech isn’t the deepest or most star-studded team in the conference, but they have excellent potential to have solid swims this week and can be seen several nights on ACC Network Extra. Look at the things we can enjoy on television in 2018.
For men’s basketball coverage: The men’s team continues their skid, falling to Wake Forest on the road and getting thumped by VPISU at home.
For baseball coverage: Baseball goes a disappointing 1-2 on the opening homestand as part of the Atlanta Challenge, beating Minnesota on Friday but falling to Bradley and UConn Saturday and Sunday.
This Week on the Flats:
BOLD for home, REGULAR for away, ITALIC for time and location
Monday:
Men’s Golf @ Puerto Rico Classic
All day, Río Grande, PR
Tuesday:
Men’s Golf @ Puerto Rico Classic
All day, Río Grande, PR
Baseball @ Georgia Southern
6:00 PM, Statesboro, GA, ESPN3
Wednesday:
Swimming and Diving @ ACC Championships - Finals (Men)
4:00 PM, Greensboro, NC
Men’s Basketball @ Virginia
7:00 PM, Charlottesville, VA, ESPN2
Thursday:
Track and Field @ ACC Championships
All day, Clemson, SC
Swimming and Diving @ ACC Championships - Prelims (Men)
10:00 AM, Greensboro, NC
Swimming and Diving @ ACC Championships - Finals (Men)
6:00 PM, Greensboro, NC, ACC Network Extra
Women’s Basketball vs. Miami
7:00 PM, McCamish Pavilion, Regional Sports Networks
Friday:
Track and Field @ ACC Championships
All day, Clemson, SC, ACC Network Extra
Swimming and Diving @ ACC Championships - Prelims (Men)
10:00 AM, Greensboro, NC
Softball vs. Fairfield
10:00 AM, Buies Creek, NC
Softball @ Campbell
3:00 PM, Buies Creek, NC
Women’s Tennis vs. georgia
3:00 PM, Ken Byers Tennis Complex
Baseball vs. Dartmouth
4:00 PM, The Rusty C, ACC Network Extra
Swimming and Diving @ ACC Championships - Finals (Men)
6:00 PM, Greensboro, NC, ACC Network Extra
Saturday:
Track and Field @ ACC Championships
All day, Clemson, SC, ACC Network Extra
Swimming and Diving @ Bulldog Last Chance Meet (Women)
All day, Athens, GA
Swimming and Diving @ ACC Championships - Prelims (Men)
10:00 AM, Greensboro, NC
Softball vs. Fairfield
10:00 AM, Buies Creek, NC
Softball vs. LaSalle
12:30 PM, Buies Creek, NC
Baseball vs. Dartmouth
2:00 PM, The Rusty C, ACC Network Extra
Men’s Basketball @ Clemson
3:00 PM, Clemson, SC, ACC Network
Swimming and Diving @ ACC Championships - Finals (Men)
6:00 PM, Greensboro, NC, ACC Network Extra
Sunday:
Swimming and Diving @ Bulldog Last Chance Meet (Women)
All day, Athens, GA
Women’s Tennis @ Florida State
12:00 PM, Tallahassee, FL
Men’s Tennis @ Texas
12:00 PM CT, Austin, TX
Baseball vs. Dartmouth
1:00 PM, The Rusty C, ACC Network Extra
Women’s Basketball @ Florida State
1:00 PM, Tallahassee, FL, Regional Sports Networks
Softball @ Campbell
1:30 PM, Buies Creek, NC