Jefimova Captures Gold, Wolfpack Adds Five More to Medal Tally

Friday, February 20

Atlanta, GA

Prelims: 9:30 a.m. | Finals: 5:31 p.m.

NC State

ACC Swimming Championships

Jefimova Captures Gold, Wolfpack Adds Five More to Medal Tally

2/20/2026 10:21:00 PM | Swimming

ATLANTA, GA. - The NC State Wolfpack men's swimming and diving team continued its pursuit of another conference crown on day five of the 2026 ACC Swimming & Diving Championships, closing out a dominant day of competition at the McAuley Aquatic Center.

The Pack came out strong in the morning preliminaries of the 100 backstroke. Olivia Nel opened the session with a heat win, followed by Meghan Donald, who not only claimed her heat but also recorded a personal best. Erika Pelaez continued the momentum, winning her heat and breaking her personal record with a time of 50.28. The swim vaulted her to third-fastest in program history in the event.

On the men's side, Kaii Winkler took the top seed in the 100 backstroke after clocking a personal best, moving into fifth all-time in school history. Quintin McCarty, Hudson Williams, Winkler, and Aiden Hayes all secured spots in the A-final, setting the stage for a strong evening showing.

In the 100 breaststroke, Eneli Jefimova dominated prelims, claiming the top seed with a personal-best 57.39. The mark moved her into the No. 2 spot in program history and established her as the second-fastest female 100 breaststroker in the NCAA this season.

The evening finals saw the Wolfpack convert momentum into hardware. Erika Pelaez captured her first ACC medal, earning silver in the 100 backstroke. She shattered her personal best for the second time that day with a 49.54, moving into the No. 2 spot all-time in program history. Pelaez also became just the second woman in NC State history to break the 50-second barrier in the event. Sophomore Teia Salvino added to the backstroke success with her second personal best of the day, touching in 52.08 in the C-final.

The men's 100 backstroke final turned into a podium showcase for the Pack. Quintin McCarty earned his third ACC medal of the week with a personal-best 44.46, moving into third all-time in program history. After claiming the top seed in the morning, Kaii Winkler followed with a bronze-medal finish in 44.62, also a personal best, securing his second ACC bronze of the week and climbing to sixth all-time in school history.

Eneli Jefimova continued her breakout championship in the 100 breaststroke. In her A-final ACC Championship debut, she captured her first ACC gold medal with a personal-best 56.77. The swim set a pool record at the McAuley Aquatic Center and moved her to No. 2 all-time in program history, inching closer to the school record held by Sophie Hansson.

The Wolfpack women's 400 medley relay secured silver, climbing to No. 3 all-time in program history. The men's 400 medley relay closed the evening in dramatic fashion, earning bronze with a time of 3:01.66. The relay squad of Quintin McCarty, Arsenio Bustos, Aiden Hayes, and Jerry Fox capped off a historic day for the Pack.

#GoPack | @packswimdive