Tar Heels Take Quartet of Top 4 FInishes at Nationals

December 4, 2016 | Swimming & Diving

By: UNC Athletic Communications

ATLANTA, GA. - The University of North Carolina men's and women's swimming team wrapped up action Saturday night with four Top 4 finishes at the U.S. Swimming AT&T Winter National Championships at the Georgia Tech Aquatics Center.

A pair of Tar Heel veterans led the way for Carolina in the women's 100-yard freestyle. Senior Sarah Hitchens was the runner-up in the event with a time of 48.74 seconds. That was her career best, eclipsing a previous time of 48.82. In the same event, junior Caroline Baldwin was third with a time of 48.86 seconds and freshman Brooke Bauer placed 10th in a time of 49.73 seconds.

In the women's 200-yard butterfly, Carolina seniors Caty Hulsey and Sarah Koucheki both turned in spectacular finishes. Hulsey placed third in 1:56.45 as she ranks as the sixth fastest Tar Heel ever in the event. Hulsey's previous career best was a 1:57.72. Hulsey moved up one spot in the finals after taking fourth in the preliminaries. Koucheki qualified second in the preliminaries in a time of 1:56.37 and went virtually the same time in the finals, going 1:56.52 and finishing fourth.

UNC's Michael Meyer, a senior from Johannesburg, South Africa, earned "A" finals in two events. He went 1:44.44 in the preliminaries in the 200-yard backstroke to place fourth and 1:48.48 in the 200-yard butterfly to place eighth. He scratched the 200 fly going into the finals and placed fifth in the 200 back with a time of 1:43.39, moving him into the slot as the sixth fastest performer all-time for Carolina in the event.

In the men's 200-yard breaststroke, junior Michael McBryan finished ninth overall, winning the "B" final, and going a time of 1:57.89, almost two seconds faster than his preliminary time of 1:59.65. Junior Craig Emslie was 11th in the event in both prelims and finals. He clocked a 1:59.49 in the prelims and 1:58.90 in the finals.

In the women's 200-yard breaststroke, senior Abby Fisher took 13th place with a time of 2:13.29.

Carolina had two Top 16 finishers in the 100-yard freestyle for men as senior Jorden Merrilees took 12th with a time of 44.64 while senior Lucas Popp was 16th with a clocking of 45.16 (44.83 in the prelims).