David Solarz

Position:
Diving
Weight:
null
Class:
Senior
Hometown:
Westlake, Ohio
High School:
Westlake

Collegiate Career Best Scores: 355.90 in one-meter diving (first in school history); 384.00 in three-meter diving (second in school history); 338.25 in 10-meter platfrom diving (School Record).

General: Carolina's top returning diver...a 2009 NCAA nationals qualifier, advancing from the zone meet for the first time in his career...three-year letterman who was an ACC finalist in his sophomore year in two events and in his junior year in three events...his career best scores rank first all-time in men's one-meter diving, second in three-meter diving and first in men's platform diving on the school's Top 10 list.

2008-09 (Junior): Qualified for the NCAA Championships after placing 11th in the platform competition at the NCAA Zone B Diving Championships in Knoxville, Tenn. ...at nationals, he placed 29th in the one-meter with a score of 277.20, 24th in the three-meter with a score of 317.75 and 19th on the 10-meter with a score of 307.95...placed fourth on the platform, fifth on the three-meter and seventh on the one-meter at the ACC Championships...won the David McInnis Award as the team's most valuable diver...named to the 2008-09 ACC Academic Honor Roll...qualified for the Dean's List in both semesters of his junior year...named to the 2008-09 ACC All-Academic Men's Swimming and Diving Team...made CSCAA Scholar-Athlete Team.

2007-08 (Sophomore): Set a career high score in platform diving by posting a tally of 276.90 at the ACC Championships...he qualified for NCAA Zone Championships in both the one-meter and three-meter diving events...finished third in coed synchronized diving at the ECU Invite with Erica Shiffler, posting a score of 448.35...took seventh at the ACC Championships in three-meter diving with a score of 317.45 and eighth in 10-meter platform diving with a score of 276.60...also finished 12th in one-meter diving at ACCs... named to the 2007-08 ACC All-Academic Men's Swimming and Diving Team, one of eight Tar Heels selected...named to the 2007-08 ACC Academic Honor Roll and to the Dean's List in both semesters of the school year.

2006-07 (Freshman): Was the most outstanding freshman men's diver for Carolina in 2006-07 based on dual meet scores, championship meet scores and ACC finishes...competed in both springboard diving events at the ACC Championships...earned 16th place on the one-meter springboard and 13th on the three-meter board...recorded a career best score in a one-meter dual meet format with 309.90 points against Johns Hopkins...set what was then a career best for a dual setting in the three-meter with a 324.65 tally versus Minnesota...both dual meet scores placed him third for the year on the team depth chart...named to the 2006-07 ACC Academic Honor Roll...merited a spot on the UNC Dean's List in both semesters of the 2006-07 school year.

Prep: Graduated on June 10, 2006 from Westlake High School...dove there and also swam the backstroke for fours years on his high school team...was a hurdler and pole vaulter on the track team for three years...also played a year of tennis...a first-team All-America and first-team All-State selection in diving...Junior National diving qualifier...sectional and district champion and conference record holder...captain of team and scholar-athlete award winner...led swimming team to conference championship...as a pole vaulter, he was first-team All-Conference choice and a district and regional qualifier...AP scholar...graduated Summa Cum Laude...National Honor Society member.

Personal: Given name is David Alan Solarz...son of Mike and Martha Solarz...was born September 15, 1987 in Fairview, Ohio...has one brother, Mike, 20, and two sisters, Sarah, 19, and Julie 14.

Sitting Down With Solarz
Academic Major at Carolina: Chemistry
Career Plans: Go to medical school
Hobbies: Tennis, reading, any recreational activity
Athlete I Most Admire: Roger Federer
Biggest Sports Thrill: Finaling on three-meter springboard and platform at ACCs in 2008
Person Who Has Had The Greatest Influence on My Athletic Career: my club coach, Jeff Arnold
Favorite Book: Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger; The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
Favorite Magazine: The Economist
Favorite Food: Chipotle
Favorite Movie: Napoleon Dynamite
Favorite TV Show: ESPN SportsCenter
Favorite Website to Visit: Go Tar Heels!
City I've Never Been To But Want To Visit: Nairobi, Kenya
Entertainment Figure I'd Most Like To Have Dinner With: Jack Bauer