Carolina Waterscapes Student-Athlete Of The Week: Rashad McCants

Jan. 20, 2003

North Carolina?s Rashad McCants, who averaged 23.5 points and 5.0 rebounds in a pair of Tar Heel victories last week, including a 68-65 win over sixth-ranked Connecticut Saturday, has been tabbed as the ACC Rookie of the Week. McCants, a 6-3, 190-pound freshman from Asheville, N.C., opened the week scoring 20 points and pulling down four rebounds in the Tar Heel?s 68-66 win over Clemson. Against the sixth-ranked Huskies, McCants hit on seven of 11 shots from the floor, made nine-of-10 free throws and pulled down six rebounds in the win.

Other nominees:

Sophomore wrestler Evan Sola ended the week with a 3-0 record. Sola became the first Tar Heel to reach 20 wins on the season as he improved to 20-7. The sophomore defeated NC State's Daniel Pacitti, 8-1, earning three points that virtually clipped any chance of State winning the ACC opener. In his second match of the week, Sola earned a major decision over Greensboro's David Johnson 16-2. In his final match of the week, the Wernersville, Pa., native defeated Anderson's Mike Sanders via pinfall in 2:06 to earn six points for the Heels as they routed the Trojans 42-0.

Sean Quinn and Jessi Perruquet have been named ACC Men's Swimming and Diving Performer of the Week and ACC Women's Swimming and Diving Performer of the Week, respectively.

Quinn, a native of Lancaster, S.C., won three individual events and swam on UNC's winning 200- yard freestyle relay team as the Tar Heels defeated Clemson 193-108. The three individual wins in the dual meet were a career high for Quinn. He won the 100-yard breaststroke in 57.37, the 200-yard breaststroke in 2:01.24 and the 200-yard individual medley in 1:53.86. He swam the breaststroke leg on UNC's 200- yard medley relay team which won in 1:32.58. The senior's exploits helped UNC head coach Frank Comfort earn the 500th dual meet victory of his 35-year coaching career.

Perruquet, a native of Danville, Pa., won three individual events and swam on four winning relays to lead UNC to victories over both NC State and Clemson. Against the Wolfpack in UNC's 191-109 victory, the junior won the 50-yard freestyle (24.20) and swam on the winning 200-yard medley (1:49.74) and 400- yard freestyle relays (3:32.69). In a 214.5-85.5 win over Clemson, Perruquet won the 100-yard freestyle in 51.20 and the 200-yard freestyle relay in 1:49.72, while anchoring both the 200-yard medley and 400-yard freestyle relays to victories.

Perruquet has been named ACC Women's Swimmer of Week three times this season. Quinn was the first Tar Heel man honored with league swimmer of the week honors this year.

Previous Carolina Waterscapes Student-Athletes of the Week

Laura Gerraughty1/13/03

Coretta Brown 1/6/03

Laura Greene and Molly Pyles 12/30/02

Rashad McCants 12/1/02

Dan Orner and Ryan Kneipper 11/24/02

Shalane Flanagan 11/17/02

Leslie Gaston 11/10/02

Shalane Flannagan and Kelly Weeks 11/3/02

Kelsey Keeran 10/27/02

Ashley Prange 10/21/02

Molly Pyles 10/14/02