March 8, 2002

UNC's distance medley relay team set a new American record with a time of 10:59.76 Friday night at the NCAA Championships in Fayetteville, Ark. The team finished second to UCLA who ran 10:58.19 but is credited with the American record since all four team members are from the United States. UCLA, who has a DMR team member from Sweden, set a new NCAA record with their time.

Carolina's team of Erin Donohue, Anissa Gainey, Alice Schmidt and Shalane Flanagan beat the old American record by more than a second and shattered the old UNC record by more than eight seconds. The squad's splits were Donohue, 3:24, Gainey, 53.2, Schmidt, 2:06, and Flanagan, 4:35.7.

Flanagan also qualified for Saturday's final in the mile with a 3rd-place prelim showing of 4:43.42, while Schmidt qualified for the 800 meter final by running a 2:06.30 to place eighth in prelims.

Carolina's Adam Shunk had a second-place finish in the high jump for Carolina coach Dennis Craddock. Shunk cleared 7-3 3/4 to finish behind Princeton's Tora Harris who cleared 7-5. Shunk's second-place finish gave the Tar Heel men eight points and puts them in a tie for10th with six other teams after one day of competition.

The second-place DMR finish also gave Carolina eight points and puts the women's team in a tie for 13th place after the first day of competition.

LSU leads the women's division with 21 points, and Alabama leads the men with 26 points.