University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
ACC Women's Championships Finals
Harvey Breaks 20-Year-Old ACC Record In 500 Free At ACCs
February 19, 2009 | Swimming & Diving
Feb. 19, 2009
COLLEGE PARK, MD. - Sophomore Katura Harvey broke the Atlantic Coast Conference record in the 500-yard freestyle, a mark which had stood for 20 years, and freshman Layne Brodie and UNC's 200-yard freestyle relay team established school records on the second night of swimming at the 2009 ACC Women's Swimming & Diving Championships at the University of Maryland's Eppley Recreation Center Pool.
The Tar Heels are in second place after two days of the championships with 220 points. Virginia leads with 292 points followed by UNC then Virginia Tech with 173, Florida State with 137, Clemson with 133, Maryland with 127, Duke with 118, Miami with 90, NC State with 64, Georgia Tech with 57 and Boston College with 38.
UNC's Harvey won the ACC championship in the 500-yard freestyle, the third straight year a Tar Heel has won the event. Harvey's time of 4:39.12 was an ACC record, ACC meet record and UNC school record as well as an NCAA "B" qualifying time. Harvey's previous career best was 4:44.42. She broke the ACC record of 4:39.18 set by Mitzi Kremer of Clemson on March 19, 1989; the ACC meet record of Virginia's Cara Lane of 4:42.35 set in 2002; and the UNC school record of 4:41.09 set by teammate Whitney Sprague in 2007. Sprague also had a championship finalist finish in the event as she took sixth place in 4:44.30, an NCAA "B" qualifying time.
Freshman Katelyn Martin was 11th in the 500 free in 4:47.21, a "B" time, and a career best (old best was 4:51.26). Her 4:47.21 moves her into fifth place all-time in Carolina history among the top performers in the event. Junior Ashley Howard placed 13th in 4:49.30, another NCAA "B" cut, and a career best (old best was 4:51.70).
UNC had five swimmers set career bests in the 200-yard individual medley. Freshman Layne Brodie broke the school record and placed second in the event with a time of 1:57.68, an NCAA "B" cut which shattered her previous career best of 2:01.31. She broke Erika Acuff's school record of 1:59.57 which was established in 2001. Freshman Sarah Tanner finished seventh in 2:00.37. In the preliminaries Tanner went 1:59.68, a "B" cut, and a career best as well, bettering her own previous best of 2:01.83. Her 1:59.68 now has her fourth on the Tar Heel career chart.
Junior Alison Clemens, freshman Laura Moriarty and freshman Marie Pesacreta finished 12th, 13th and 18th, respectively, all posting career bests. They also moved into fifth, sixth and eighth lace in that order on the UNC career all-time Top 10 in the 200 IM. Clemens went an NCAA "B" cut of 2:00.76 (previous best 2:01.51), Moriarty clocked a 2:00.91 (previous best 2:03.08) and Pesacreta went 2:01.84 (previous best 2:05.08).
Sophomore Rebecca Kane was the third place finisher in the 50-yard freestyle in 22.41, an NCAA "B" time, .36 of a second better than her previous career best. Her time moves her into second place all-time at UNC, just .01 of a second off RIchelle Fox's school record of 22.40 set in 1998. Junior Megan Steeves was eighth overall in 22.88 (career best 22.70 in prelims, old mark 22.89) and she is now fifth on the school's All-Time Top 10. Junior Eliza Butts placed 18th in 22.99, 0.19 ahead of her previous career best.
Freshman Jenna Moore led all UNC finishers in the one-meter diving with a score of 278.65 (281.90 prelims) to finish seventh while senior Erica Schiffler was 13th. Men's diving is also held this weekend and in the three-meter event, UNC's David Solarz, a junior, was fifth with 394 points, redshirt freshman David MacDonald was eighth with 348.55 points, and senior Alex Kenley was 13th.
UNC wrapped up the evening with a school record swim of 1:30.24 to finish fourth in the 200-yard freestyle relay. The top five relays all eclipsed the previous ACC record in the event. The relay included Kane (22.59), Steeves (22.42), Butts (22.61) and Tanner (22.62). The previous school record was 1:31.09 set by Kelsey Morrissy (23.13), Kane (22.46), Butts (22.75) and Steeves (22.75) in 2008.
The Championships continue Friday with prelims at 11 a.m. and finals at 7 p.m. Real time results links will appear on TarHeelBlue.com for both sessions. The finals will be webcast live for free on ACC Select.
