Nov. 21, 2008

Complete Results

COLUMBIA, S.C. - For the second successive day, sophomore Tyler Harris of the University of North Carolina men's swimming and diving team eradicated a school record in an individual medley event as the Carolina men's and women's teams extended their leads at the Gamecock Invitational at Carolina Natatorium.

After setting a school record in the 200-yard individual medley on Thursday night, Harris came back on Friday night and blew his own record in the 400-yard individual medley out of the water. Harris won the event in a time of 3 minutes, 44 seconds flat, besting his school record and career best of 3:47.04 set at last year's NCAA Championships. Harris finished 15.04 seconds ahead of the second-place finisher in the event. Harris easily eclipsed the automatic NCAA qualifying time of 3:44.88 in the event.

After two days of competition, UNC's women lead the team race with 933 points, followed by the host Gamecocks with 556, Duke with 512.5, East Carolina with 366.5, Syracuse with 219, College of Charleston with 37 and Lenoir-Rhyne with six.

The Tar Heel men lead with 908.5 points while South Carolina is in second place with 548.5 points. Duke is third at 483, followed by East Carolina with 271.5, Syracuse with 266.5 and College of Charleston with 112.

UNC checked in with 34 season best time in Friday night's session and eight of those were career best times.

In the opening event of the night, UNC's Megan Steeves, Layne Brodie, Sarah Tanner and Rebecca Kane combined to win the 200-yard medley relay in 1:43.08. The men's 200-yard medley relay of Josh Hafkin, Flynn Jones, Tyler Smith and Steve Cebertowicz placed second in 1:32.82.

Tar Heel junior Alison Clemens won the women's 400-yard individual medley in a season best 4:20.22 as the Tar Heels went 1-2-3 in the event. Freshmen Laura Moriarty and Marie Pesacreta finished second and third, respectively, in 4:22.58 and 4:23.24. The latter time was a career best for Pesacreta, a 2008 alumna of Chapel Hill High School.

The Carolina men's team took the top six places in the 400-yard individual medley and eight of the event's Top 10 places. Harris led the way with his school record while sophomore Andy Brake finished second, sophomore Joe Kinderwater third, sophomore Chip Peterson fourth, senior Yi-Khy Saw fifth and sophomore Vinny Pryor sixth.

A pair of Tar Heels finished third and fourth in the women's 100-yard butterfly as freshman Sarah Tanner went a season-best 55.99 to place third and freshman Layne Brodie also had a season-best 56.02 to take fourth place.

Carolina swimmers had similar finishes in the men's 100-yard butterfly. Freshman Brad Hamilton captured third place in a career best 49.78 seconds while sophomore Tommy Wyher wound up in fourth place with a season best 49.84.

UNC's women placed four swimmers in the top seven finishers in the 200-yard freestyle. The top finisher was sophomore Katura Harvey in third place while sophomore Rebecca Kane placed fourth in a season best 1:51.00.

Freshman Evan Reed was the runner-up in the 200-yard freestyle in 1:38.42. Junior Hank Browning had a season best time to place sixth and sophomore Chip Peterson had his career best 1:40.35 to notch eighth place.

In the women's 100-yard breaststroke, the Tar Heels had four swimmers place in the top seven. Freshman Layne Brodie had the best finish in second place and junior Alison Clemens garnered fourth place.

Sophomores Vinny Pryor and Flynn Jones both had top five placings in the 100-yard breaststroke. Pryor took third place in a season best clocking of 56.50.

Tar Heel swimmers went 1-2 in the women's 100-yard backstroke. Junior Megan Steeves claimed the top spot at 55.32 while senior Kimmy Davis was second in a career best time of 56.29 seconds. Davis' career best heading into this season was 57.28 seconds so she has now shaved .99 of a second off that time.

Sophomore Tommy Wyher took home top honors in the 100-yard backstroke with his season best time of 48.93. Wyher is the defending Atlantic Coast Conference champion in the event.

Freshmen Jenna Moore and Kristin Arnold placed fourth and fifth, respectively, in the one-meter diving competition with scores of 293.20 and 282.00, both career bests.

Freshman David MacDonald captured the title in the men's three-meter diving competition, leading four Tar Heels in the top six. McDonald had a career best score of 387.70 to finish first while junior David Solarz was third with 366.60 points, senior Alex Kenley fifth with 338.20 points and junior Austin Bradyhouse sixth with 319.65. All four divers had career best scores.

UNC's 800-yard freestyle relays both finished second. The women went 7:25.95 with Megan Steeves leading off in a career best time of 1:49.51. The relay included Steeves, Harvey, Kane and junior Ashley Howard.

The men's 800-yard freestyle relay was led off by sophomore Tyler Harris in a career best 1:38.56 for the 200 free. Harris now has three career bests in three swims - the 200 IM, 400 IM and 200 free. The relay went 6:38.46. After Harris' leadoff leg, the remainder of the relay included Evan Reed, Hank Browning and Chip Peterson.