University of North Carolina Athletics
Carolina Leads After Opening Day Of ACC Women's Swimming Championships
February 14, 2007 | Swimming & Diving
Feb. 14, 2007
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CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - The North Carolina women's swimming and diving team leads after the opening day of the 2007 Atlantic Coast Conference Women's Swimming and Diving Championships at the Maurice J. Koury Natatorium. The Tar Heels were led by its victorious 800-yard freestyle relay team which clocked a pool record 7:14.38. Freshman Ashley Howard, freshman Eliza Butts, junior Kelsey Morrissy and sophomore Whitney Sprague comprised the victorious Tar Heel relay unit.
Carolina has 72 team points after the opening day followed by defending champion Florida State with 70. Virginia is third with 64 points and Virginia Tech fourth with 62. Maryland (58), Clemson (54), Miami (48), NC State (36), Duke (34), Georgia Tech (32) and Boston College (30) round out the rest of the field.
The Tar Heels were the upset winners in the 800 free relay after coming in as the No. 3 seed behind Virginia and Florida State. Howard (1:49.74), Butts (1:47.20), Morrissy (1:48.82) and Sprague (1:48.62) swam a time just off the school record in the event and they combined to win the 800 free relay title for a league best 11th time in history. The UNC team beat Virginia's second-place team by 2.20 seconds while Maryland was third in 7:17.61 and Florida State fourth.
Favored Florida State took the 200-yard medley relay in a pool record 1:39.20 led by Christie Raleigh, Lauren Brick, Lauren Sparg and Abbie King. Virginia Tech was second in 1:41.08 and the Tar Heels were third, less than a second off the school record. Senior Meagan Eickman (25.58), freshman Alison Clemens (29.10), junior Lindsey Marck (24.07) and junior Kelsey Morrissy (22.40) finished in1:41.15.
Action continues Thursday at 11 a.m. with prelims in the 500-yard freestyle, 200-yard individual medley, 50-yard freestyle, women's one-meter diving and men's three-meter diving.
Players Mentioned
