University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Finals
UNC Divers, Relays Excel On ACC Opening Day
February 17, 2016 | Swimming & Diving
GREENSBORO, N.C. - Day one is now complete at the 2016 Atlantic Coast Conference Women's Swimming & Diving Championships and Men's Diving Championships at the Greensboro Aquatics Center.
North Carolina is in second place after the opening day of women's competition after having two relays earn automatic NCAA qualification times and having a pair of divers finish in the Top 6 of the women's one-meter diving. Miami leads the competition with 155 points followed by UNC at 154, Louisville at 146.5, NC State at 142, Virginia at 140 and Notre Dame at 138.
Carolina's 200-yard medley relay team achieved an automatic NCAA qualifying time and set a school record time of 1:37.04 in taking fourth place in the event. UNC's previous school record time was 1:37.75 set last year and the Tar Heels were well under the NCAA automatic qualifying time of 1:37.46 in the event.
The Tar Heel relay included sophomore Caroline Baldwin (24.55), junior Katie Munch (27.80), junior Hellen Moffitt (22.74) and junior Sarah Hitchens (21.95). The previous record for the Tar Heels in the event was 1:37.75 set last year by Moffitt (24.46), Munch (28.06), Hannah Lincoln (23.24) and Hitchens (21.99).
“We set a school record in the 200 medley relay with quite a different relay from last year,” said UNC head coach Rich DeSelm. “The breaststroke, butterfly and freestyle legs were faster than last year and Caroline Baldwin just missed the 50 back split by Hellen Moffitt. Caroline Baldwin, Katie Munch, Hellen Moffitt and Sarah Hitchens did a tremendous job with that relay and we will return all of them next year.”
The Tar Heels had a pair of championship finalists in the women's one-meter diving competitition as sophomore Elissa Dawson took fourth place with a score of 304.65 points and freshman Maria Lohman was the sixth-place finisher in the event with 290.95 points. Those finals performances matched where the duo had finished place wise in the morning preliminaries and came close to match their point totals as well from the morning.
The Tar Heels' 800-yard freestyle relay team finished fourth in a time of 7:05.23, which qualified automatically for NCAAs (7:06.77). The UNC relay included Ally Hardesty (1:45.52), Lauren Earp (1:45.04), Emma Nunn (1:47.15) and Macey Arnold (1:47.52). Hardesty took a half second off her career best time in the 200 freestyle while leading off the event. She went 1:45.52 (previous best was 1:46.06). She is the fifth fastest Tar Heel in the event in history behind Danielle Siverling, Jessi Perruquet, Stephanie Peacock and Lauren Earp.
In the men's three-meter diving competition, junior Jack Nyquist took second place in the championship final, the best individual performance of his conference career. Nyquist scored 435.60 points finishing just behind Miami's Briadam Herrera who won the event with 440.00 points. Dominic Giordano of Pitt was third with 407.75 points.
In the diving preliminaries Wednesday, both sophomore Elissa Dawson and freshman Maria Lohman earned spots in the one-meter championship final by finishing fourth and sixth, respectively. In a tightly bunched field with only 14 points separating first and eighth places, Dawson was fourth with 305.55 points and Lohman was sixth with 299.05.
In the men's one-meter diving preliminaries, it was UNC junior Jack Nyquist who put on an impressive show as he turned in the top score of the afternoon with 421.20 points. Senior Ozzie Moyer finished 22nd in the event with a point total of 294.60.
“We finished day one of ACC Championships and we had a terrific day,” said UNC head coach Rich DeSelm. “On the diving side we probably had one of best days in UNC history. We had both of our women's divers in the meet in the finals of one meter diving and both were very competitive. Either one (Elissa Dawson and Maria Lohman) could have won event. Jack Nyquist, after qualifying first, had a tremendous round of six dives tonight and finished second by just a few points on the three-meter board. Our divers did great, with senior Ozzie Moyer also scoring on the three-meter borad. I commend (diving coach) Abel Sanchez and his assistant Brandon Robinson on a great job with those student-athletes.”
Action will continue Thursday with preliminary events at 10 a.m. and finals at 6 p.m. Tomorrow's schedule includes the 500 freestyle, 200 IM, 50 freestyle, 200 free relay and men's 1-meter diving.
“The second relay of the night was the 800 free relay and our first two legs were really solid,” said DeSelm. “We started off with Hardesty and Earp, two very solid seniors. Emma Nunn did a good job on the third leg, just off her career best, and newcomer Macey Arnold had a solid swim. We got the “A” cut and I know we can swim faster in the future in the event.
“Tomorrow is a big day. We have to come ready to bring our “A” game in the morning and get ourselves prepared for a big evening performance.”
Players Mentioned
