Swimming Program Announces Winners of 1998-99 Team Awards

Seven Tar Heels honored on Graduation Day.

May 16, 1999

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Underclasswomen dominated the women's awards and seniors the men's awards as the University of North Carolina swimming and diving program announced its 1998-99 team award winners Sunday afternoon on Graduation Day in Chapel Hill. The awards were announced by North Carolina head swimming coach Frank Comfort.

There were seven recipients of the Jamerson Memorial Awards given in honor of former Tar Heel head coach Richard E. Jamerson, who founded the UNC aquatics program in 1938. The Most Valuable Swimmers were Erika Acuff, a junior from Gladwyne, Pa., for the women, and senior Ted Brisson, a senior from Goldsboro, N.C. for the men. The Most Outstanding Swimmer Awards were won by freshman Katie Hathaway of Matthews, N.C. for the women and senior Tucker Shade of Decatur, Ill. for the men. The Most Improved Swimmer Awards went to freshman Heather Stiles of Chapel Hill, N.C. for the women, while the men had co-winners - freshmen Justin Rossi of Truckee, Calif. and Gregg Johnson from Rural Hall, N.C.

Other men's awards included the Hill Carrow Spirit Award won by senior Tim Tober of Akron, Ohio, while senior Tom Schmelzer of Prospect, Ky. Captured the Bruce Webster Most Dedicated Swimmer Award. The Osterneck Family Unsung Hero Awards for men went to Tober as well as fellow seniors Matt Lundgaard of Campbell, Calif. and Christian Weber of Pittsburgh, Pa.

Other women's awards included the Hill Carrow Spirit Award, won by junior Jennifer Strasburger of Mercer Island, Wash., and the Class of 1989 Most Dedicated Swimmer Award given to junior Kelly McLaughlin of High Point, N.C. The Osterneck Family Unsung Hero Awards for the women went to seniors Liz Bursiek (Chapel Hill, N.C.), Katie Coates (Milledgeville, Ga.), Hilary Hoskins (Raleigh, N.C.), Karen Krysiewski (Kingston, Pa.) and Catherine Frock (Pinehurst, N.C.). Those five senior women were joined by seniors Kelsey Durkin (Winter Park, Fla.), Beth Schlessman (Avon, Ohio) and Tracey Rankin (Fairfax Station, Va.) as winners of the Class of 1940 Service Award.