University of North Carolina Athletics
Three Women's Swimmers to Compete in Pan Pacific Championships
August 16, 1999 | Swimming & Diving
Aug. 16, 1999
COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. - Three University of North Carolina swimmers were offically named Sunday to the United States National Swimming Team which will compete in the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Sydney, Australia, August 22-29, 1999.
Tar Heel freestyler Kari Woodall, who graduated from UNC in 1996, has qualified for the team as a freestyle sprinter and relay swimmer. Last Tuesday, Woodall finished as the runnerup to 1996 Olympic gold medalist Amy Van Dyken in the 50-meter freestyle at the 1999 USA Swimming National Championships in Minneapolis. She was also the fourth place finisher at the Championships in the 100-meter freestyle and officially made the USA Roster in that event.
Woodall, 25, who now swims for the North Carolina Aquatic Club and is originally from Madison, Wis., was clocked in 25.90 seconds to finish second in the event. Van Dyken, to no one's surprise, won the title in 25.13 seconds. "Kari is swimming better than at any time in her life," said UNC assistant swimming coach Bill Tramel, who attended the USA Championships at the University of Minnesota to coach the Tar Heel swimming contingent. A total of 15 current and former Tar Heel swimmers competed in the Championships - nine women and six men.
Also qualifying for the 1999 Pan Pacific Championships is incoming Tar Heel freshman Molly Freedman of Washington, D.C. Freedman will swim the 200-meter butterfly at Pan Pacs. Freedman, 18, was the 1998 USA outdoor national titlist in the 200-meter butterfly. She swims for the Curl Burke Swim Club
The third Tar Heel swimmer to make the roster is 25-year-old Richelle Fox of Scotia, N.Y. Fox, a '98 UNC gradutae who now swims for Badger Swim Club, will compete in the 100-meter butterfly.
Rich DeSelm, UNC Class of '78, who is now the head swimming coach at Davidson College, will serve as the Head Manager for the men's swimming team at the 1999 Pan Pacific Championships.
The Pan Pacific Championships will be held at the competition site for swimming at the 2000 Olympic Games which will also be held in Sydney. The Pan Pacs represent the most prestigious national meet of 1999 and will be the most intense competition American swimmers will face prior to the 2000 Olympic Swimming Trials in Indianapolis.
