University of North Carolina Athletics
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No. 23 North Carolina Swimmers & Divers Dunk Wolfpack, 144-99
February 3, 2006 | Swimming & Diving
Feb. 3, 2006
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Sophomore diver Ryan Funderburk and freshman freestyler Yi-Khy Saw each won two individual events Friday night as the No. 23 North Carolina men's swimming and diving team scored a decisive 144-99 victory over NC State at the Maurice J. Koury Natatorium, knocking the Wolfpack from the unbeaten ranks in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The meet was Senior Night for eight Tar Heel swimmers and divers and they went out in style in their final dual meets in Koury Natatorium as UNC improved to 6-3 overall and 4-1 in the ACC.
NC State won both relay events and took first place in three individual events but North Carolina's depth was the difference as Carolina earned the clinching points in the 11th of 13 events on the evening. UNC won eight events overall and NC State won five. Entering the meet NC State had either a better time or higher diving score in nine of the 13 events but the Tar Heels swam and dove in a manner that produced one of their best efforts of the season and beat the Wolfpack for the sixth year in a row in dual-meet competition.
State, which swims at 12th-ranked Tennessee on Sunday, saw its record drop to 6-2 overall and 5-1 in the ACC. Carolina's dual meet season is now finished.
It was a pair of underclassmen who helped lead the Tar Heels to victory on Senior Night. Ryan Funderburk swept the diving events by scoring 341.63 points on the three-meter board and 308.63 points on the one-meter board. Yi-Khy Saw won both distance freestyle events and in each case he had to rally from behind in the closing laps to pass NC State's Andrew Lester to gain the victories. Saw won the 1000-yard freestyle in 9:13.42. In the 500-yard freestyle he nipped Lester at the touch, 4:30.15 to 4:30.49.
UNC's other individual winners were freshman Harrison Browning in the 200-yard freestyle at 1:40.10, senior Chad Ames in the 200-yard individual medley in 1:51.47, senior Josh Glasco in the 200-yard butterfly at 1:50.79 and sophomore Keith Laabs in the 200-yard backstroke at 1:50.82.
Both Ames and Laabs posted their best times of the 2005-06 in winning their events. Ames trailed the Wolfpack's Steven Cowling by .96 of a second halfway through the IM before rallying for the win, splitting a 26.02 on the final 50 to Cowling's 27.72 freestyle split. In the 200 fly, Glasco trailed NCSU's Lyle Babcock heading into the final 50 yards but outsplit his opponent 28.95 to 30.15 to win by .69 of a second. Laabs and Harrison Browning both had stellar swims in the 200-yard backstroke, going 1-2 with Laabs beating his teammate by one-tenth of a second. Browning also led a 1-2-3 finish for Carolina in the 200 free as senior Jon Albrecht and junior Casey Kott took second and third. It was the only event of the night where one team swept the top three places.
The Wolfpack had victories in both the 400-yard medley and freestyle relays The Pack was nearly five seconds faster than the Heels' No. 1 relay in the medley event. Senior Cullen Jones swept both sprint freestyle events for the Pack, going a scorching 19.52 to win the 50, and Dan Velez captured the 200-yard breaststroke by outtouching UNC senior Patrick Woodruff 2:04.77 to 2:05.01. That time was a season best for Woodruff.
Senior Erich Gloege also finished his dual meet career in outstanding fashion as he scored a career high 300.08 points in the three-meter diving event.
Other seniors who swam or dove their last meets included divers Ryan Matuszak and Josh Weavil as well as sprinter/butterflier Jon Van Assen.
TEAM SCORES: NORTH CAROLINA 144, NC STATE 99
INDIVIDUAL EVENT AND RELAY WINNERS
400-Yard Medley Relay: NC State (Kevin Velleca, Dan Velez, Scott Dettloff, John Hudson), 3:20.58; 1000-Yard Freestyle: Yi-Khy Saw (UNC), 9:13.42; 200-Yard Freestyle: Harrison Browning (UNC), 1:40.10; 50-Yard Freestyle: Cullen Jones (NCSU); 19.52; 200-Yard Individual Medley: Chad Ames (UNC), 1:51.47; Three-Meter Diving: Ryan Funderburk (UNC) 341.63; 200-Yard Butterfly: Josh Glasco (UNC), 1:50.79; 100-Yard Freestyle: Cullen Jones (NCSU); 45.42 200-Yard Backstroke: Keith Laabs (UNC), 1:50.82; 500-Yard Freestyle: Yi-Khy Saw (UNC), 4:30.15; One-Meter Diving: Ryan Funderburk (UNC), 308.63; 200-Yard Breaststroke: Dan Velez (NCSU), 2:04.77; 400-Yard Freestyle Relay: NC State (Scott Detloff, John Hudson, Peter Ransted, Cullen Jones), 3:02.87.
Records: NC State 6-2, ACC 5-1; North Carolina 6-3, ACC 4-1
Players Mentioned
