April 27, 2006

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - The University of North Carolina men's and women's swimming and diving teams celebrated their 2005-06 seasons with their annual team banquet on Tuesday, April 25. During the banquet individual performances throughout the season were honored as the winners of the team awards were recognized.

The Richard Jamerson Memorial Awards are annually the most prestigious of the awards, named in honor of coach Dick Jamerson, the coach of the original Tar Heel team in 1939 and founding visionary of the UNC aquatics program.

Jamerson Memorial Awards are given for each team's most valuable, most outstanding and most improved performers. The most valuable and most improved awards are based on season-long performances while the most outstanding award honors the individual with the single most impressive performance of the season.

On the women's side, sophomore Lindsey Marck, the 2006 ACC champion in the 200-yard butterfly, reaped honors as the Most Valuable Swimmer and freshman Kim Davis won the Most Improved Swimmer honor. The Most Outstanding Swimmer award was shared by a pair of freshman honorable mention All-America swimmers, both of whom set school records this past year, Nicole O'Donnell in the 1650-yard freestyle and Whitney Sprague in the 500-yard freestyle.

On the men's side, in a revolutionary vote, a UNC diver for the first time won two of the three major awards. All-ACC diver Ryan Funderburk, a sophomore, was named the Most Outstanding and Most Improved Performer on the team. Funderburk was also an NCAA nationals qualifier in 2006.

Freshman Hank Browning won the men's team most valuable award during a season when he won the ACC championship in the 200-yard freestyle and was an honorable mention All-America in the 500-yard freestyle.

The memorial awards given for the most dedicated swimmers went to junior Emily Reardon and senior Patrick Woodruff as they were awarded the Andrea Erben Memorial Award and the Bruce Webster Memorial Award, respectively.

The David F. McInnis Diving Awards given to each team's most outstanding diver were earned by freshman Mandi Arak for the women while Funderburk and junior Jon Fox shared the men's award. Fox also was an NCAA nationals qualifier.

The Hill Carrow Spirit Awards were won by a pair of team captains -- junior Becky Smock for the women and senior Patrick Woodruff for the men.

The Osterneck Family Unsung Hero Awards were shared by a pair of senior men's divers -- Erich Gloege and Josh Weavil.

The Class of 1940 Blue Dolphin Award went to UNC athletic trainer Quinton Sawyer. The Athletic Director's Scholar-Athlete Award went to seniors gia Santoro and Lizzy Bruce on the women's side and senior Patrick Woodruff on the men's side.