North Carolina
Duke
Blue Devils Edge Tar Heels In Regular Season Finale
January 27, 2018 | Swimming & Diving
CHAPEL HILL, N.C.- The University of North Carolina men's and women's swimming and diving team lost a hard-fought battle Saturday afternoon to Duke University, one that came down to the last event at the Taishoff Aquatics Pavilion.
This was the last dual meet of the regular season for the Tar Heels.
The Carolina men's team lost to Duke 157.5-142.5 to move to 3-6 overall and 1-3 in the ACC. Duke's men earned their first win of the year, improving to 1-6 overall and 1-4 in the ACC. The 20th-ranked Carolina women's team fell just short of a comeback to Duke with a final score of 151-149 to change their record to 4-5 overall and 1-3 in the ACC. Duke women are now 4-3 overall and 2-3 in the ACC.
Carolina's Top Performers:
On the men's side, UNC won eight events. Freshmen Valdas Abaliksta and Alvin Jiang as well as senior Henry Campbell led the Tar Heels with two individual wins each. Abaliksta beat everyone to the wall in the 100-yard and 200-yard breaststroke with times of 54.84 seconds and 2:01.12, respectively. Jiang won the 100-yard backstroke in 47.69 and the 100-yard butterfly in 48.21. Campbell took advantage of his last dual meet by winning the 500-yard freestyle in 4:28.91 and the 200-yard individual medley in 1:50.52. Other Tar Heels that sported individual wins were junior Tom Bilden who clocked a 1:49.81 in the 200-yard butterfly, and freshman Chris Thames who finished the 200-yard backstroke in 1:46.45.
On the women's side, senior Caroline Baldwin and junior Maria Lohman led the Tar Heels, each earning two individual wins. Baldwin topped the 100-yard freestyle in 49.52 and the 50-yard freestyle at 22.51, a record time at the Taishoff Aquatics Pavilion. Lohman took the top spot on both boards with scores of 304.95 on the one-meter and 341.10 on the three-meter. Three other Tar Heels earned single individual event wins on the women's side. Winners were junior Zhada Fields in the 200-yard freestyle at 1:48.99, freshman Brooke Perrotta in the 100-yard breaststroke at 1:02.77 and freshman Caroline Hauder in the 200-yard breaststroke at 1:58.91. The Tar Heels' 400-yard freestyle relay featuring Baldwin, senior Katie Ford, junior Robyn Dryer and sophomore Brooke Bauer won the event in a time of 3:22.94, another pool record at the Taishoff Aquatics Pavilion.
WHAT THE TAR HEELS HAD TO SAY:
Head Coach Rich DeSelm
"Despite not winning either meet, our staff is very proud of our team's effort and how they fought. It was a fun college dual meet. We didn't like coming out on the losing end of it, but both the men's and women's meet came down to the last relay. We put up a good fight but couldn't quite get enough points."
Diving Coach Abel Sanchez
"I thought the women did well again. Maria Lohman showed up. She did some good stuff. She wasn't 'on-on' but she did a really good job. Proud of her. The men looked a little flat today. Duke looked really good and sharp. They are pretty darn good."
UP NEXT: The Tar Heels will participate in the Janis Hape Dowd Nike Invitational in Chapel Hill February 2 and 4 and in Durham February 3.
MEN'S TEAM SCORE: Duke University 157.5, NORTH CAROLINA 142.5
TOP CAROLINA FINISHERS IN EACH EVENT--MEN
200-Yard Medley Relay: 2nd place, Alvin Jiang, Valdas Abaliksta, Nick Loomis, J.T. Casey, 1:28.46
1000-Yard Freestyle: Dimitrios Dimitriou, 3rd Place, 9:26.03
200-Yard Freestyle: Hans Schroeder, 3rd Place, 1:41.99
100-Yard Backstroke: Alvin Jiang, 1st Place, 47.69
100-Yard Breaststroke: Valdas Abaliksta, 1st Place, 54.84
200-Yard Butterfly: Tom Bilden, 1st Place, 1:49.81
50-Yard Freestyle: J.T. Casey, 2nd Place, 20.60
Three-Meter Diving: Greg Duncan, 5th Place, 357.83
100-Yard Freestyle: J.T. Casey, 2nd Place, 45.82
200-Yard Backstroke: Chris Thames, 1st Place, 1:46.45
200-Yard Breaststroke: Valdas Abaliksta, 1st Place, 2:01.12
500-Yard Freestyle: Henry Campbell, 1st Place, 4:28.91
100-Yard Butterfly: Alvin Jiang, 1st Place, 48.21
One-Meter Diving: Sean Burston, 2nd Place, 340.13
200-Yard Individual Medley: Henry Campbell, 1st Place, 1:50.52
400-Yard Freestyle Relay: 2nd Place, Jack Messenger, Valdas Abaliksta, Greg Brocato, J.T. Casey, 3:00.92
Records: DUKE UNIVERSITY 1-6, ACC 1-4; North Carolina, 3-6, ACC 1-3
WOMEN'S TEAM SCORE: DUKE UNIVERSITY 151, #20 NORTH CAROLINA 149
TOP CAROLINA FINISHERS IN EACH EVENT—WOMEN
200-Yard Medley Relay: 2nd Place, Caroline Baldwin, Caroline Hauder, Emma Cole, Brooke Bauer, 1:40.77
1000-Yard Freestyle: Robyn Dryer, 2nd Place, 10:06.40
200-Yard Freestyle: Zhada Fields, 1st Place, 1:48.99
100-Yard Backstroke: Caroline Hauder, 2nd Place, 54.73
100-Yard Breaststroke: Brooke Perrotta, 1st Place, 1:02.77
200-Yard Butterfly: Bryanna Cameron, 2nd Place, 2:00.50
50-Yard Freestyle: Caroline Baldwin, 1st Place, 22.51
Three-Meter Diving: Maria Lohman, 1st Place, 341.10
100-Yard Freestyle: Caroline Baldwin, 1st Place, 49.52
200-Yard Backstroke: Susanna LaRochelle, 3rd Place, 2:01.25
200-Yard Breaststroke: Caroline Hauder, 1st Place, 2:15.46
500-Yard Freestyle: Erica Wirth, 2nd Place, 4:56.60
100-Yard Butterfly: Emma Cole, 3rd Place, 54.79
One-Meter Diving: Maria Lohman, 1st Place, 304.95
200-Yard Individual Medley: Caroline Hauder, 2nd Place, 2:01.37
400-Yard Freestyle Relay: 1st Place, Caroline Baldwin, Kathryn Ford, Robyn Dryer, Brooke Bauer, 3:22.94
Records: DUKE UNIVERSITY 4-3, ACC 2-3; North Carolina 4-5, ACC 1-3
Players Mentioned
