Tar Heels Take Fourth Place At ACC Championships

Saturday, February 17

Greensboro, N.C.

10 a.m. prelims, 6 p.m. finals

North Carolina

ACC Championships (Women's Swimming/Men's & Women's Diving)

400-yard free relay 2018 ACC bronze medal

UNC's 400-yard freestyle relay team claimed the bronze medal.

February 17, 2018 | Swimming & Diving

2/17/18 Prelims Results 2/17/18 Finals Results 2017-18 Results & Top Times Women's School Records Women's All-Time Top 10 2017-18 UNC Swimming & Diving Media Guide

Baldwin earns second place finish in 100-yard freestyle.

By: Dave Lohse

GREENSBORO, N.C. - The University of North Carolina women's swimming and diving team finished fourth Saturday in the 40th annual Atlantic Coast Conference Championships at the Greensboro Aquatics Center.

On the final night of competition, the Tar Heels were led by podium appearances by senior Caroline Baldwin and the 400-yard freestyle relay. Men's diving was also held as part of this week's meet and UNC freshman Greg Duncan was named Saturday as the most valuable men's diver at the championships, the first Tar Heel so honored since Eric Poitras in 2004. Duncan won the three-meter diving on Wednesday and the one-meter diving on Thursday and became the first Tar Heel man to sweep the springboard events since Ned Meekins in 1958.

The final team scores saw Virginia retake the championship it had ceded to NC State last year. The Cavaliers finished first with 1382.5 points while Louisville was second with 1149.5 points and NC State was third with 1037 points. The Tar Heels placed fourth after prevailing in a tight battle amongst four teams. UNC had 785.5 points, Notre Dame 775, Duke 756.5 and Virginia Tech 736. The rest of the standings included Florida State with 578.5 points, Pitt with 494, Georgia Tech with 370.5, Miami with 315 and Boston College with 120.

Baldwin led the way for the Tar Heels with a second-place finish in the 100-yard freestyle, touching in 47.44. It was her third runner-up finish of the meet as she had placed second in the 50-yard freestyle on Thursday and second in the 100-yard backstroke on Friday. Zhada Fields finished 14th in the event for the Heels with a career best time of 49.01, moving her into seventh place on UNC's all-time Top 10 list in the event.

Junior Maria Lohman finished sixth in 10-meter platform diving with a score of 220.80, giving her a trio of Top 10 finishes in the meet. Her best finish was Wednesday night in one-meter diving where she was the ACC runner-up. Junior Qian Yi Pang placed 23rd with 169.50 points.

UNC's 400-yard freestyle relay team also earned its way on to the podium as the Tar Heels placed third with a time of 3:14.91. The relay included Baldwin (48.06), Caroline Hauder (48.79), Maddie Smith (49.31) and Zhada Fields (48.75).

Carolina's other championship finalist on Saturday night was sophomore Bryanna Cameron who finished tied for fifth in the 200-yard butterfly with a career best time of 1:57.17. She is now the eighth fastest performer ever in the event in Carolina history.

A trio of freshman breaststrokers had another good night in the pool as all three posted career best times in the 200-yard breaststroke. Caroline Hauder won the "C" final to place 17th overall in a career best time of 2:11.51. In the "B" final, Brooke Perrotta and Allie Reiter both notched career best times, going 2:11.74 and 2:13.24 as they finished 12th and 14th overall. Hauder and Perrotta now rank sixth and seventh, respectively, in the event in UNC history.

Four other Tar Heels scored points in individual events Saturday. Robyn Dryer placed 12th in the 1650-yard freestyle with a time of 16:23.20. Senior Madison Boswell took 17th in the 200-yard butterfly in 1:59.23. Freshman Mary-O Soule was 19th in the 200-yard butterfly with a time of 2:00.38. Senior co-captain Emily Slabe was 21st in the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 1:56.75.

In men's 10-meter platform diving, sophomore Bryan Allen was Carolina's top finisher in 12th place with a score of 278.40 points.

The ACC men's swimming championships will begin next Wednesday at the Greensboro Aquatics Center. There is a 4 p.m. finals session on Wednesday and then on Thursday, Friday and Saturday there are 10 a.m. prelims and 6 p.m. finals sessions.