Oct. 10, 2007

Complete Results

ATHENS, GA. - In the head coaching debut for Rich DeSelm at the University of North Carolina, the Tar Heel swimmers and divers fell to outstanding teams from the University of Georgia at Gabrielson Natatorium. The Georgia women, coming off a No. 5 finish at last year's NCAA Championships, defeated the Tar Heels 171-121. The Georgia men, who were 13th at the 2007 NCAA's, defeated Carolina 167-133.

On the men's side, UNC benefited from individual wins by freshman Tommy Wyher, freshman Vinny Pryor and freshman Tyler Harris.

Freshman Rebecca Kane won the 50-yard freestyle for the Tar Heel women and senior Lindsey Marck took top honors in the 100-yard butterfly. Sophomore Mandi Arak claimed the top spot in one-meter diving and sophomore Alison Clemens claimed the 400 IM.

Junior Whitney Sprague was nipped in a tight battle in the 1000-yard freestyle by Georgia freshman Chelsea Nauta, who touched in 9:48.54, compared to Sprague's 9:49.67. In the men's 1000-yard freestyle, freshman Joe Kinderwater finished third but in a time that was less than a second off his career best. The native of Lancaster, Pa. touched in 9:13.27. His personal best is 9:12.33.

The Tar Heel men dominated the 100-yard backstroke as UNC swimmers went 1-2-3 against the Bulldogs. Freshman Tommy Wyher won the event in 49.81 followed in second and third place by Josh Hafkin and Keith Laabs. Carolina also took 2-3-4 in the 200 back as sophomore Jeff James, Hafkin and Laabs finished in that order.

UNC freshman Vinny Pryor swept both breaststroke events for the Tar Heels. He won the 100 in 58.36 and the 200 in 2:06.17. The Carolina men also had a solid showing in the 200-yard butterfly taking the second through fifth spots in the race led by freshman Tyler Harris' second-place finish.

The Tar Heels grabbed the top two spots in the women's 50-yard freestyle as freshman Rebecca Kane and senior Kelsey Morrissy finished in 23.54 and 23.58, respectively. Kane missed her career best by only .33 of a second an Morrissy by .48. Morrissy also had a solid effort in the 100 free, going 50.95 for second place just behind Georgia's Courtney Monsees who touched in 50.88.

In women's three-meter diving, senior Laura Filip led the women's corps with a second-place finish while the men went 2-3-4 in one-meter diving behind the efforts of senior Ryan Funderburk, sophomore David Solarz and junior Alex Kenley. Sophomore Mandi Arak won the one-meter competition with a score of 258.90 while Filip finished second at 256.42 and senior Erika Matheis third at 255.97. The same combination of Funderburk, Solarz and Kenley were 2-3-4 in men's three-meter just as they had finished on the one-meter board.

In the 100 butterfly Carolina gained its second women's individual win as Lindsey Marck touched first in 56.24. On the men's side, Tommy Wyher claimed a second-place finish.

Carolina had a sweep in the 400 IM as Alison Clemens won on the women's side and freshman Tyler Harris on the men's side. Clemens touched in 4:23.71, just ahead of Georgia's Morgan Scroggy who went 4:24.53.

Harris won the men's 400 IM by almost two full seconds as he touched in 3:55.57.

Carolina wound up the meet with a win in the 400-yard freestyle for women as the team of Kelsey Morrissy, Rebecca Kane, Megan Steeves and Eliza Butts went 3:24.90. Georgia's top team of Emily Montesinos, Lisa Caprioglio, Chelsea Nauta and Kelly McNichols went 3:28.09. Morrissy led off the relay for Carolina in a blistering leadoff swim of 50.68.

Carolina swimmers will compete in a national open water meet and a home invitational to finish out October. The next dual meet competition comes against Minnesota the first weekend of November.