Tar Heels Fall To Cavaliers In Dual Meet Competition

Saturday, January 21

Chapel Hill, N.C.

12:00 PM

North Carolina

Virginia

January 21, 2017 | Swimming & Diving

By: UNC Athletic Communications

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - The North Carolina men's and women's swimming and diving teams returned to Koury Natatorium for the first time since October 7, falling short against a pair of nationally-ranked teams from the University of Virginia.

The fifth-ranked Cavalier women defeated the Tar Heels 173.5-121.5 while the 13^th-ranked Virginia men downed the Tar Heels 170-130. The UVA women improved to 6-0 overall and 4-0 in the ACC. The Cavaliers' men's squad is now 5-1 overall and 4-0 in the conference. The Tar Heel teams moved to both 1-4 overall and 0-2 in the ACC.

On Saturday, the Carolina women took first place in five of 16 events while the Tar Heel men took first place in six events and tied in one relay.

UNC's divers were stellar again as they swept all four events. For the women, Elissa Dawson won the three-meter with 354.08 points and she captured the one-meter event with 309.68. Senior Jack Nyquist swept the men's boards, scoring 357.85 in one-meter and 394.73 in three-meter diving.

Hellen Moffitt captured a pair of individual events for Carolina as she touched first in the 200 backstroke in 1:56.65 as well as in the 100 fly where she recorded a time of 53.79. UNC's Sarah Hitchens won the 50 freestyle in 22.87.

For the men, senior Jorden Merrilees continued his excellent season by winning the 200 free in 1:37.61 and the 500 free in 4:26.67. In the latter race, he touched out teammate Henry Campbell by just one one-hundredth of a second. Junior Craig Emslie won the 100 breaststroke in 54.64 and the Tar Heels made a sweep of the breaststroke events when Michael McBryan captured the 200-yard event in 1:59.79.

UNC's 400-yard freestyle relay of J.T. Casey, Philip Perdue, Lucas Popp and Jorden Merrilees tied for first place with a time of 2:59.33.

“We had a lot of things that were trending positively today,” said UNC head coach Rich DeSelm. “UVA's women are a Top 5 team in the country. Their men have a historically successful program. We've had some great battles with them. I had hoped that we might have the better battle with them today.

“We've got to keep the long view, and keep working on what we need to work on. We'll get back Monday and look forward to next week when we have two more big opponents. Duke is a much improved (Saturday at 1 p.m.) and the NC State men and women are Top 10 teams (Friday at 5 p.m. in Raleigh. We have a big week ahead and some great opportunities.

In his post-meet comments, DeSelm highlighted the work of transfer Jorden Merrilees and well as the consistency of UNC's diving corps.

“Jorden's extremely talented. It's a bit of an unusual situation with a first-year swimmer here being a senior. Jordan missed by just hundredths of a second making his 2016 Olympic Team for Australia. He has brought talent and a great work ethic to us and he is a veteran and a great racer. He knows how to get his hand on the wall which you saw today in winning those close races.”

Carolina swims in Raleigh Friday against NC State at 5 p.m. The Heels will host Senior Day next Saturday at 1 p.m. with pre-meet festivities starting at approximately 12:30 p.m.

WOMEN'S TEAM SCORE: VIRGINIA 173.5, NORTH CAROLINA 121.5

TOP CAROLINA FINISHERS IN EACH EVENT—WOMEN

200-Yard Medley Relay – 2nd Place, North Carolina “A” relay, 1:42.02 (Sarah Hitchens, Katie Munch, Hellen Moffitt, Brooke Bauer)
1000-Yd. Freestyle – Macey Arnold, 2^nd Place, 10:01.44
200-Yd. Freestyle – Macey Arnold, 4^th Place, 1:50.36
100-Yd. Backstroke – Susan LaRochelle, 2^nd Place, 55.87
100-Yd. Breaststroke – Abby Fisher, 5^th Place, 1:04.06
200-Yd. Butterfly – Brianna Cameron, 4^th Place, 2:02.01
50-Yd. Freestyle – Sarah Hitchens, 1^st Place, 22.87
Three-Meter Diving – Elissa Dawson, 1^st Place, 354.08
100-Yd. Freestyle – Sarah Hitchens, 4^th Place, 50.64
200-Yd. Backstroke – Hellen Moffitt, 1^st Place, 1:56.65
200-Yd. Breaststroke – Abby Fisher, tied 3^rd place, 2:16.21
500-Yd. Freestyle – Macey Arnold, 2^nd Place, 4:57.08
100-Yd. Butterfly – Hellen Moffitt, 1^st Place, 53.79
One-Meter Diving – Elissa Dawson, 1^st Place, 309.68
200-Yd. Individual Medley – Caty Hulsey, 3^rd Place, 2:04.15
400-Yd. Freestyle Relay – 3^rd Place, North Carolina “A” relay, 3:24.52 (Sarah Hitchens, Brooke Bauer, Kate Boyer, Caty Hulsey)

MEN'S TEAM SCORE: VIRGINIA 170, NORTH CAROLINA 130

TOP CAROLINA FINISHERS IN EACH EVENT—MEN

200-Yard Medley Relay – 2^nd Place, North Carolina “A” relay, 1:29.65 (Jorden Merrilees, Craig Emslie, Greg Brocato, J.T. Casey)
1000-Yd. Freestyle – Henry Campbell, 2^nd Place, 9:15.08 (season best time)
200-Yd. Freestyle – Jorden Merrilees , 1^st Place, 1:37.61
100-Yd. Backstroke – Patrick Cusick, 3^rd Place, 49.55
100-Yd. Breaststroke – Craig Emslie, 1^st Place, 54.64
200-Yd. Butterfly – Michael Meyer, 4^th Place, 1:49.18
50-Yd. Freestyle – Lucas Popp, 2^nd Place, 20.83
Three-Meter Diving – Jack Nyquist, 1^st Place, 394.73
100-Yd. Freestyle – Philip Perdue, tied 2^nd Place, 45.64
200-Yd. Backstroke – Michael Meyer, 2^nd Place, 1:46.60
200-Yd. Breaststroke – Michael McBryan, 1^st Place, 1:59.79
500-Yd. Freestyle – Jorden Merrilees, 1^st Place, 4:26.67
100-Yd. Butterfly – Patrick Cusick, 5^th Place, 49.95
One-Meter Diving – Jack Nyquist, 1^st Place, 356.85
200-Yd. Individual Medley – Michael Meyer, 3^rd Place, 1:49.75
400-Yd. Freestyle Relay – Tied 1^st Place, North Carolina “A” relay, 2:59.33 (J.T. Casey, Philip Perdue, Lucas Popp, Jorden Merrilees)