University of North Carolina Athletics
Saturday, December 2
Knoxville, Tenn.
6:00 p.m.
North Carolina
vs
Tennessee Swimming Invitational Finals
Robyn Dryer won the 1650-yard freestyle Saturday at Tennessee Invitational, moving into UNC's all-time Top 10.
Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati
Dryer, Baldwin Win Events on Final Night of Tennessee Invitational
December 2, 2017 | Swimming & Diving
Baldwin finishes meet with pair of school records
KNOXVILLE, TENN. – Senior Caroline Baldwin won her third event of the meet, the second in school record time, and Robyn Dryer triumphed in the mile to highlight action by the University of North Carolina men's and women's swimming teams on Saturday night at the 2017 University of Tennessee Invitational at the Allan Jones Aquatic Center.
The Tar Heels posted a quintet of top four finishes on the final night of the meet led by UNC senior Caroline Baldwin who won her third event of the meet, capturing the 100-yard freestyle after taking first place Friday night in the 100-yard backstroke and first place in the 50-yard freestyle in an ACC record time on Thursday. Baldwin, set her second University record of the meet, winning the 100 free in 47.14 seconds, knocking more than a half-second off her previous career best time of 47.70 seconds set last year.
In the opening event of the night, UNC junior Robyn Dryer, who sat out last year due to injury, won the 1650-yard freestyle with a career best time of 16:16.25. That time moved her into Carolina's all-time Top 10 in the event as the team's eighth fastest performer. It was also just shy of 18 seconds off her previous career best time in the event. Her split at the 1000-yard mark was 9:49.86, over six seconds faster than her previous career best. That time again moved her into eighth place in Carolina history on the all-time chart.
A trio of Tar Heels excelled in the women's 200-yard backstroke as Caroline Hauder placed fourth in 1:55.84, Emily Slabe took fifth in 1:57.43 and Susanna LaRochelle captured sixth in 1:58.43. Hauder's time was a career best, eclipsing her old mark of 1:56.62, and she moved into eighth place in Tar Heel history amongst all competitors in the event. In the men's 200-yard backstroke, freshman Chris Thames reached the "A" final where he finished eighth in a season best time of 1:46.47.
Next up was Baldwin's school record swim in the 100-yard freestyle as she led a contingent of five Tar Heel swimmers who occupied the Top 10 on the scoresheet. Freshman Maddie Smith placed fifth in a time of 49.17, a career best, and a time which moved her into ninth place all-time at Carolina. Brooke Bauer, Emma Cole and Zhada Fields finished 8-9-10 in the event and Fields posted a career best time in the process at 49.59. On the men's side, freshman Jack Messenger was UNC's top finisher in 11th place and he also broke through for a career best time, going 44.51 (previous best was 44.64).
The Tar Heels turned in excellent performances on both the women's and men's side in the 200-yard breaststroke. In the "A" final for the women, freshman Allie Reiter placed fifth and swam a career best 2:14.10 (previous best was 2:14.89). Freshman Brooke Perrotta dropped almost five seconds between preliminaries and finals, winning the "B" final in 2:12.79, just .29 of a second off her career best. The time moved her into ninth place all-time at Carolina.
On the men's side, freshman Lithuanian international Valdas Abaliksta posted a second-place finish in a breaststroke event for the second successive night. After finishing as runner-up at 100 yards on Friday and becoming the third fastest Tar Heel ever, he came back with another strong swim Saturday at 200 yards. He placed second in the field at 1:57.46 and in the process became the 10th fastest Tar Heel in the event in school history. Michael McBryan also finaled, placing eighth.
North Carolina sophomore Bryanna Cameron turned in a bronze medal performance in the 200-yard butterfly as she placed third in 1:58.56 in the "A" final. She swam a career best in the preliminaries at 1:58.52, eclipsing her previous top time of 1:59.01. Maddie Baker took eighth and Madison Boswell won the "B" final to place ninth.
The UNC women placed second in the 400-yard freestyle relay in a time of 3:15.28. The Carolina relay included Caroline Baldwin (48.02), Maddie Smith (49.18), Emma Cole (48.87) and Caroline Hauder (49.21).
UNC's divers competed at the Purdue Invitational the weekend before Thanksgiving while the Tar Heel swimmers are in Knoxville this weekend for their fall invitational.
WOMEN'S TEAM SCORES: Tennessee 1075, Duke 807, North Carolina 766, Denver 649, Pennsylvania 346, Marshall 167, Carson-Newman 121, Tennessee Aquatics 20, Unattached 16
MEN'S TEAM SCORES: Tennessee 1248.5, Denver 740, Pennsylvania 713, Duke 592, North Carolina 423.5, Carson-Newman 167
The Tar Heels posted a quintet of top four finishes on the final night of the meet led by UNC senior Caroline Baldwin who won her third event of the meet, capturing the 100-yard freestyle after taking first place Friday night in the 100-yard backstroke and first place in the 50-yard freestyle in an ACC record time on Thursday. Baldwin, set her second University record of the meet, winning the 100 free in 47.14 seconds, knocking more than a half-second off her previous career best time of 47.70 seconds set last year.
In the opening event of the night, UNC junior Robyn Dryer, who sat out last year due to injury, won the 1650-yard freestyle with a career best time of 16:16.25. That time moved her into Carolina's all-time Top 10 in the event as the team's eighth fastest performer. It was also just shy of 18 seconds off her previous career best time in the event. Her split at the 1000-yard mark was 9:49.86, over six seconds faster than her previous career best. That time again moved her into eighth place in Carolina history on the all-time chart.
A trio of Tar Heels excelled in the women's 200-yard backstroke as Caroline Hauder placed fourth in 1:55.84, Emily Slabe took fifth in 1:57.43 and Susanna LaRochelle captured sixth in 1:58.43. Hauder's time was a career best, eclipsing her old mark of 1:56.62, and she moved into eighth place in Tar Heel history amongst all competitors in the event. In the men's 200-yard backstroke, freshman Chris Thames reached the "A" final where he finished eighth in a season best time of 1:46.47.
Next up was Baldwin's school record swim in the 100-yard freestyle as she led a contingent of five Tar Heel swimmers who occupied the Top 10 on the scoresheet. Freshman Maddie Smith placed fifth in a time of 49.17, a career best, and a time which moved her into ninth place all-time at Carolina. Brooke Bauer, Emma Cole and Zhada Fields finished 8-9-10 in the event and Fields posted a career best time in the process at 49.59. On the men's side, freshman Jack Messenger was UNC's top finisher in 11th place and he also broke through for a career best time, going 44.51 (previous best was 44.64).
The Tar Heels turned in excellent performances on both the women's and men's side in the 200-yard breaststroke. In the "A" final for the women, freshman Allie Reiter placed fifth and swam a career best 2:14.10 (previous best was 2:14.89). Freshman Brooke Perrotta dropped almost five seconds between preliminaries and finals, winning the "B" final in 2:12.79, just .29 of a second off her career best. The time moved her into ninth place all-time at Carolina.
On the men's side, freshman Lithuanian international Valdas Abaliksta posted a second-place finish in a breaststroke event for the second successive night. After finishing as runner-up at 100 yards on Friday and becoming the third fastest Tar Heel ever, he came back with another strong swim Saturday at 200 yards. He placed second in the field at 1:57.46 and in the process became the 10th fastest Tar Heel in the event in school history. Michael McBryan also finaled, placing eighth.
North Carolina sophomore Bryanna Cameron turned in a bronze medal performance in the 200-yard butterfly as she placed third in 1:58.56 in the "A" final. She swam a career best in the preliminaries at 1:58.52, eclipsing her previous top time of 1:59.01. Maddie Baker took eighth and Madison Boswell won the "B" final to place ninth.
The UNC women placed second in the 400-yard freestyle relay in a time of 3:15.28. The Carolina relay included Caroline Baldwin (48.02), Maddie Smith (49.18), Emma Cole (48.87) and Caroline Hauder (49.21).
UNC's divers competed at the Purdue Invitational the weekend before Thanksgiving while the Tar Heel swimmers are in Knoxville this weekend for their fall invitational.
WOMEN'S TEAM SCORES: Tennessee 1075, Duke 807, North Carolina 766, Denver 649, Pennsylvania 346, Marshall 167, Carson-Newman 121, Tennessee Aquatics 20, Unattached 16
MEN'S TEAM SCORES: Tennessee 1248.5, Denver 740, Pennsylvania 713, Duke 592, North Carolina 423.5, Carson-Newman 167
Players Mentioned
Back/Free
/ Swimming & Diving
Sprint Free
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Distance Free/IM
/ Swimming & Diving
Sprint Free
/ Swimming & Diving
Distance Free
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Breast, IM, Back
/ Swimming & Diving
Back/IM/Fly
/ Swimming & Diving
Breast/IM
/ Swimming & Diving
Breast, IM
/ Swimming & Diving
Back/Fly
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