March 23, 2006

ATLANTA, GA. - University of North Carolina freshman Hank Browning has qualified to swim in the consolation finals of the 500-yard freestyle this evening at the 2006 NCAA Division I Men's Swimming and Diving Championships at the Georgia Tech Olympic Aquatic Center.

Browning placed 15th in the preliminary of the event and will swim Thursday evening in the consolation final which determines places 9-16.

Browning finished third in the event at last month's Atlantic Coast Conference Championships. He is the only ACC swimmer this morning to qualify for either the championship or consolation final in the event.

Browning was seeded No. 20 in the event with an entry time of 4:20.36. He improved that time to a career best 4:20.20 to qualify for the consolation final.

North Carolina divers Ryan Funderburk and Jon Fox both turned in Top 20 performances in the one-meter diving competition. Funderburk missed the consolation final by just one place and Fox by three places. They were seeking to become the first UNC men's divers to make a consolation or championship final at the NCAA Championships since David McInnis in 1957.

Funderburk finished 17th with a score of 285.70 and Fox was 19th with a score of 279.80.

This is the first year since 1947 that Carolina has qualified two divers to compete in the NCAA Championships.

The three-meter diving competition will be held on Friday.