University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Triangle College Cup
Carolina Men And Women Compete In First-Ever Triangle College Cup
February 8, 2010 | Swimming & Diving
Feb. 8, 2010
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Sixteen Tar Heel men and women swimmers competed in the Triangle College Cup at Koury Natatorium this past weekend February 6-7. The Carolina swimmers achieved 14 career best times and six NCAA "B" qualifying swims over the two-day meet which the swimmers shaved and rested for.
"I appreciate all the teams attending the first-ever Triangle College Cup. It was a great opportunity and an exciting meet," said head coach Rich DeSelm.
"There were a number of lifetime best times. The swimmers put in a lot of hard work and it was a great environment to culminate their season at home in front of a crowd. I am very proud of their effort."
Sophomore Brock Park had an outstanding meet touching first in the 200-yard freestyle with a NCAA "B" qualifying time of 1:37.91 which is a tenth off his career best time, but was a season best time. Park also finished first in the 100-yard freestyle with a personal best time of 44.97. He placed second in the 50-yard freestyle with a season best time of 20.75.
Alex Ismail placed second in the 200-yard freestyle with a season best time of 1:40.00 and teammate David Zolno finished in fourth with a career best time of 1:40.43.
Sophomore Sarah List won the 100-yard back with a season best time of 54.70 achieved in her prelim swim. Caroline Hartmann finished in fourth and Brooke Atkinson in fifth both with season best times. List also swam the 50-yard freestyle and recorded a career best time of 23.82 in prelims.
For the men, Jim Flannery finished in first in the 100 back with a personal best time of 48.92 which is also a NCAA "B" qualifying time. Flannery also had a first place finish in the 200-yard backstroke with a season best time of 1:47.49.
Teammates Pat O'Donovan and Mike Mohr finished in third and fifth in the 100 back, respectively. O'Donovan's time of 50.53 in prelims was his season best time.
Sophomore Katie Keel claimed the 100-yard breaststroke victory with a finals time of 1:02.78. Keel achieved a NCAA "B" cut with this time, but had gone even faster the night before against N.C. State with a time of 1:01.97. Keel had another first place finish in the 200-yard breaststroke going 2:17.26. She also swam the 50-yard freestyle and finished in a time of 23.95, a personal best time.
Fellow sophomore Marie Pesacreta finished fourth in the 100-yard breaststroke with a career best time of 1:04.94. Pesacreta had a record-breaking swim in the 200-yard IM. She broke a pool record in the IM with a NCAA "B" qualifying time of 2:00.27. Pesacreta broke Mary Ellen Blanchard's record from 1989. Pesacreta also swam the 50-yard freestyle and finished fourth with a time of 24.12.
Junior Chandler Thomas finished second in the 200-yard breaststroke with a personal best time of 57.07. Thomas claimed first in the 200-yard breaststroke with another personal best time of 2:03.48. He also swam the 100-yard butterfly and achieved a third personal best time of 52.87.
Sophomores Laura Ruscoe and Kerianne McAfee dominated the 100-yard butterfly finishing 1-2. Ruscoe touched in a time of 55.48, a season best time, and McAfee in a 56.00. Ruscoe and McAfee competed again in the 200-yard butterfly placing first and third, respectively. McAfee achieved a season best time in this race going 2:02.18 in prelims.
Junior Tyler Smith finished first in the 100-yard butterfly in a season best time of 48.75. Smith placed 3rd in the 200-yard IM and finished in a season best time of 1:53.77 in prelims. He also achieved a season best time of 21.20 in prelims of the 50-yard freestyle and placed eighth in finals.
Freshman Jackie Rudolph continued to swim well after going a career best time Friday night against N.C. State in the 1000-yard freestyle. Rudolph placed second in the 500-yard freestyle with a career best time of 4:55.53. She also dominated the 1650-yard freestyle touching in a career best time of 16:54.59.
Sean Lane and Jesse Mendes raced in both distance events for the Tar Heel men. Lane finished first in both the 500 and 1650-yard freestyles. He achieved a NCAA "B" qualifying time in the 500 with a time of 4:28.41. Lane got another NCAA "B" qualifying time in the 1650 with a first place finishing time of 15:27.89. Mendes had a season best time of 4:33.60 in the 500 and a second place finish. He had a personal best time in the 1650 with a time of 15:46.09 and a third place finish.
Brooke Atkinson claimed two first place finishes in the sprint freestyle events. In the 50-yard freestyle, she went a season best time of 23.90 and in the 100-yard free Atkinson went a 51.82. Teammate Lauren Schmittle had a season best time of 53.23 in the 100 free.
In the men's 50-yard freestyle, David Zolno touched in first with a time of 20.62, which is a career best time. Hunter Cwalinski had a season best time of 21.52 and Pat O'Donovan had a career best time of 21.65. Zolno had another career best time in the 100-yard freestyle. He finished in third with a time of 45.33. Cwalinski had a season best time of 47.32 in the 100.
Caroline Hartmann and Sarah List had season best times in the 200-yard backstroke finishing fourth and fifth, respectively. For the men, Pat O'Donovan also achieved a season best time in the 200 back finishing in fourth.
"We had a lot of NCAA "B" qualifying swims this weekend, but we will have to wait and see where everything shakes out," said DeSelm.
"This meet should give our ACC team confidence. The way the swimmers swam this weekend is going to be a big help for our whole team."
The women will compete in ACC Championships at Koury Natatorium February 17-20. The men will swim the following weekend February 24-27.
Players Mentioned
