University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
ACC Men's Championships Prelims
Peterson, Singley & Solarz Qualify For Championship Finals At ACCs
February 26, 2009 | Swimming & Diving
Feb. 26, 2009
COLLEGE PARK, MD. - The University of North Carolina men's swimming and diving team has qualified two swimmers and one diver for the championships finals session of the 2009 ACC Men's Swimming & Diving Championships which will begin at 7 p.m. Thursday night at the University of Maryland's Eppley Recreation Center Natatorium. Junior David Solarz, sophomore Chip Peterson and freshman Wil Singley have qualified for the championship finals while six swimmers and one diver have qualified for the consolation finals.
The Tar Heels head into the second day of competition with 60 points, just 14 behind team leader Virginia.
It was a morning session packed full with career best times for the Tar Heels and a school record in the 500-yard freestyle.
In the 500-yard freestyle, five Tar Heels met the NCAA "B" qualifying time in the event. This group was led by sophomore Chip Peterson who qualified in sixth place in 4:18.40, taking down his previous personal best time of 4:19.38. In the process, Peterson also put another new school record on the Koury Natatorium record board with his swim of 4:18.40. He bettered Yann deFabrique's school record of 4:18.91 set in 1993.
Freshman Wil Singley took more than four seconds off his previous career best as he qualified seventh in a time of 4:21.07. His previous best was 4:25.95. Singley's time has also moved him into eighth place all-time on the UNC Top 10 chart of performers in the event.
Three more Tar Heels qualified for the consolation finals in the 500-yard freestyle. Sophomore Joe Kinderwater took the 10th spot in 4:22.50 to move him into ninth place on the UNC all-time chart. It was a career best for Kinderwater whose previous best was 4:24.12. Junior Hank Browning qualified 11th in 4:22.86 and junior Jason McLaughlin was 15th in 4:23.42. McLaughlin shattered his previous career best of 4:26.96 in the 500.
Senior Yi-Khy Saw placed 17th in 4:24.80 and freshman Victor Leclere took 33rd place in 4:32.80. Freshman Sean Lane went 4:27.55 as an exhibition swimmer, taking nearly five seconds off his previous personal best of 4:32.48. Sophomore Robert Grimmett-Norris, another exhibition entry, also smashed his previous career best with a time of 4:29.18 (previous personal best was 4:32.25).
Sophomores Tyler Harris and Vinny Pryor both qualified for the consolation finals of the 200-yard individual medley. Harris, the school record holder in the event already, qualified 10th in an NCAA "B" consolation time of 1:47.26. Pryor placed 16th to earn a spot in the consolation final with a time of 1:48.45, more than three seconds faster than his previous career best of 1:51.59. Pryor's time moves him into eighth place all-time in the event in Tar Heel history.
Junior Jeff James finished 22nd in 1:49.36, sophomore Andy Brake was 24th in 1:49.70 and senior Brad Mitchell was 39th in 1:53.64. Brake's time was a career best, taking down his old time of 1:50.82. Sophomore Flynn Jones competed as an exhibition swimmer and took nearly four seconds off his career best by going 1:53.57 (previous personal best was 1:57.31).
Freshman Brad Hamilton has qualified the the consolation final of the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 20.20 seconds. That time moves him into fifth place on UNC's all-time chart in the 50 free. Hamilton took a half second off his pervious career best time of 20.70. Freshman Steve Cebertowicz finished 17th in a time of 20.26 (previous career best of 20.54) and is now in sixth place all-time at UNC. Freshman Evan Reed was 28th in 20.50 and sophomore Tyler Smith was 35th in a career best 20.82 (previous best was 20.96).
Carolina's exhibition swimmers were freshman Brock Park at 20.76 (previous personal best 21.28) and sophomore Josh Hafkin at 20.80.
Junior David Solarz qualified sixth in one-meter diving with a score of 316.90 points, his career best score in a one-meter championship event (313.30 was old best). Freshman David MacDonald qualified 16th with 266.45 points and senior Alex Kenley dove on an exhibition basis and scored 244.10 points.
Players Mentioned
