GREENSBORO, N.C. – Stanford senior Andrei Minakov completed a sweep of the butterfly events at the Atlantic Coast Conference Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships on Friday.
A day after winning the 100-yard butterfly, Minakov returned to win to the Greensboro Aquatic Center to win the 200 fly in a season-best and NCAA ‘A’ time of 1:39.03.
Stanford now has four titles in its first season in the conference and came close to a fifth with runner-up places by Ron Polonsky in the 100 breaststroke and freshman Misha Andriyuk in platform diving. After four days of the five-day meet, Stanford remains in second behind Cal, 885.5-822.
The final day will have finals in the 1,650 freestyle, 200 backstroke, 100 free, 200 breast, and 400 free relay. Stanford’s best conference rankings in those events are No. 3 in the 400 free relay, with Liam Custer No. 4 in the 1,650 free, Polonsky No. 4 in the 200 breast, and Minakov No. 6 in the 100 free.
Already, Stanford has earned its most conference titles since winning six in 2022 at the Pac-12 Championships. Minakov had won both 100 fly crowns in the Pac-12 in 2022 and 2023, but never had won both butterfly races at a conference meet. Minakov now has six conference titles between the Pac-12 and ACC.
In the 200 fly, Minakov had the sixth-fastest reaction time in the eight-swimmer field, but pulled into second behind Cal’s Dare Rose at the 50. By 150, Minakov had been overtaken by two others – North Carolina’s Sebastian Lunak and Cal’s Gabriel Jett – but rallied. His closing 50 was 25.37, nearly a second faster than anyone else in the field, including Rose’s 26.36.
“Honestly, I was just swimming and praying for that last piece of energy that would open up on the last 50,” Minakov said. “And that’s exactly what happened. The last 50 was tough. Credit to our coaches who train us to be able to finish like that.”
Last year, Rose was second at the NCAA Championships in the 200 fly and a finalist in the 100 fly, though Minakov did not reach the finals in either. However, this season, Minakov is undefeated against Rose in the butterfly, winning all eight of their meetings, ranging in distance from 50 to 200.
Also in the 200 fly final, Gibson Holmes placed sixth in 1:41.81, after earning a personal record of 1:41.79 in the prelims – placing him No. 6 on Stanford’s all-time list. And Josh Zuchowski won the bonus final in a personal best of 1:42.04, placing him No. 8 all-time.
Stanford was outstanding in the prelims, qualifying No. 1 in all three individual swimming events. Besides Minakov, Aaron Sequeira was top qualifier in the 100 back in a personal best 45.06 – No. 5 in Stanford history – and would finish eighth in the final. And Polonsky led qualifiers in the 100 breast at 52.29, with freshman Daniel Li swimming a PB of 52.19 for 13th overall for No. 9 in Stanford history.
In the 100 breast final, Polonsky was seventh at the 50, but closed with the fastest back 50 in the field, of 26.80, to take second and earn All-ACC honors.
In a strong platform diving competition, Andriyuk took the lead after two rounds, with scores of 76.80 and 70.40. However, his lowest score (51.00) came on his third dive, causing him to fall back.
After four rounds, he trailed Miami’s Maxwell Flory, 289.35-272.45. And after scores of 74.25 and 76.50, Andriyuk cut the deficit to 359.55-348.95 with one round to go.
With an inward 3 ½ somersault tuck with a 3.2 degree of difficulty, Andriyuk earned his highest score of the final – 83.20 – that ensured at least second and put pressure on Flory in first. However, Flory responded in a big way, scoring 91.20 on a forward 2 ½ somersault 3 twist pike with a 3.8 degree of difficulty.
In the end, Flory took first with 450.75 and Andriyuk second at 432.15. Andriyuk earned All-ACC honors by placing among the top three in an individual event.
Men’s Swimming and Diving
Friday’s Results
ACC Championships
At Greensboro Aquatic Center
Team scores (Day 4 of 5) – 1, California 885.5; 2, Stanford 822; 3, North Carolina 741; 4, North Carolina State 676; 5, Louisville 647.5; 6, Florida State 516.5; 7, Virginia Tech 483; 8, Virginia 419; 9, Pittsburgh 382.5; 10, Georgia Tech 349; 11, SMU 323; 12, Duke 135; 13, Boston College 90; 14, Miami 84; 15, Notre Dame 45.
200-yard butterfly – Finals: 1, Andrei Minakov (Stanford) 1:39.03 (A); 6, Gibson Holmes (Stanford) 1:41.81; 10, Henry McFadden (Stanford) 1:42.20 (PB; No. 11 Stanford AT); 17, Josh Zuchowski (Stanford) 1:42.04 (PB; No. 8 Stanford AT); 20, Rick Mihm (Stanford) 1:44.06. Prelims: 1, Minakov 1:40.73; 6, Holmes 1:41.79 (PB; No. 6 Stanford AT); 13, McFadden 1:42.65 (PB; No. 13); 17, Zuchowski 1:43.03 (PB); 20, Mihm 1:43.88.
100 backstroke – Finals: 1, Michel Arkhangelskiy (Florida State) 44.49; 8, Aaron Sequeira (Stanford) 46.02. Prelims: 1, Sequeira 45.06 (PB; No. 5 Stanford AT).
100 breaststroke – Finals: 1, Denis Petrashov (Louisville) 50.62; 2, Ron Polonsky (Stanford) 50.99 (A); 5, Zhier Fan (Stanford) 51.66; 13, Daniel Li (Stanford) 52.19 (PB; No. 9 Stanford AT); 22, Ethan Dang (Stanford) 52.62. Prelims: 1, Polonsky 51.29; 6, Fan 51.89; 14, Li 52.20 (PB; No. 9 Stanford AT); 23, Dang 53.07; 31, Go Nagaoka (Stanford) 53.70.
Platform diving – Finals: 1, Max Flory (Miami) 450.75; 2, Misha Andriyuk (Stanford) 432.15. Prelims: 2, Andriyuk 416.65.
400 medley relay – 1, North Carolina State 3:01.62; 5, Stanford (Aaron Sequeira, Ron Polonsky, Andrei Minakov, Kaihan Gu) 3:03.31.
50 free – Time trial: 4, Avery Voss (Stanford) 19.63.
PB = personal best
AT = all-time
Stanford’s Schedule (all times Pacific)
Saturday
Prelims (6:30 a.m.)
200 backstroke (Finn Harland, Hayden Kwan, Gabe Machado, Aaron Sequeira, Josh Zuchowski)
100 freestyle (Kaihan Gu, Ethan Harrington, Henry McFadden, Andrei Minakov, Jonathan Tan, Avery Voss)
200 breaststroke (Ethan Dang, Zhier Fan, Daniel Li, Abram Mueller, Go Nagaoka, Ron Polonsky, Hayden Zheng)
1,650 free (Early heats: Liam Custer, Gabe Machado, Henry Morrissey)
Finals (2:31 p.m.)
1,650 free (Later heats: Liam Custer, Gabe Machado, Henry Morrissey)
200 backstroke
100 freestyle
200 breaststroke
400 freestyle relay (Stanford)
Stanford's ACC champions (4)
Henry McFadden: 200 freestyle
Andrei Minakov: 100 butterfly, 200 butterfly
Jack Ryan: 1-meter diving
Stanford's All-ACC performances (8)
Misha Andriyuk: Platform diving
Henry McFadden: 200 freestyle, 500 freestyle
Andrei Minakov: 100 butterfly, 200 butterfly
Ron Polonsky: 100 breaststroke, 200 individual medley
Jack Ryan: 1-meter diving