University of North Carolina Athletics
On This Day in Carolina History
June 21, 1999 | General
1982 -- Walsh Continues Sweep of Backstroke Events
North Carolina's Sue Walsh won her second backstroke title in as many days at the first NCAA Women's Swimming and Diving Championships at the University of Florida.
Walsh swam the 100 backstroke in 54.81 seconds, setting National Collegiate, American and U.S. Open records in the event. Earlier in the day she had helped the Tar Heels to a second-place finish in the 200 free relay with a 22.49 split, the fastest of any UNC competitor in the event. Carolina also had a national champion in the 50 butterfly as Barb Harris set an Atlantic Coast Conference record of 24.82 in her first-place finish.
Walsh, a sophomore from Hamburg, N.Y., had swept to the 200 backstroke title the previous day in a time of 1:59.47 and set a National Collegiate record with a 25.59 split in leading off Carolina's second-place 200 medley relay team.
Walsh would complete her sweep of the backstroke races by going 25.64 in 50 backstroke on the third day of the NCAA's first women's swimming championships. She also was third in the 100 individual medley.
Sparked by her performances, Carolina finished third in the battle for the team title behind Florida and Stanford.
