Joe Kinderwater

Position:
Distance Freestyle
Class:
Senior
Hometown:
Lancaster, Pa.
High School:
Hempfield

Career Best Times: 4:22.10, 500 free (9th in school history); 8:56.28, 1000 free (2nd in school history); 14:46.06, 1650 free (school record); 1:56.55, 200 fly; 3:52.70, 400 IM (9th in school history).
General: 2010-11 team tri-captain...three-year returning letterman...one of the nation's premier distance freestylers.
Long Course Highlights: Took seventh in the 1500-meter free at the 2010 U.S. Nationals in 15:19.57...finished fourth in the 1500-meter free at the 2009 U.S. World Championship Trials with a career best 15:13.83...named to the 2009 U.S. Swimming National Team...finished eighth in the 2008 Olympic Trials in the 1500-meter free with a then career best time of 15:21.84... finished fifth in the 1500-meter free at the 2008 U.S. Open with a time of 15:23.26...took fourth in the 800-meter free at the 2008 U.S. Open with a time of 8:06.78, a career best...was a finalist in two events at the 2007 U.S.S. Nationals, placing seventh in the 1500-meter free and 12th in the 800-meter free.
Open Water Highlights: In 2010, he was named to the U.S.S. Open Water National Team for the fourth straight year...placed seventh in the 25-kilometer race at the 2010 World Open Water Championships in Quebec...at the 2008 U.S. Open Water Championships in Minneapolis, he had a third place finish with a time just under two hours in the 10k event...finished third in the 2007 U.S. 10k Open Water Swimming World Championship Trials...that earned him a spot to compete in the 2008 Open Water World Championships in Seville, Spain in the 5k race where he finished 15th with a time of 55 minutes, 21 seconds...was the ninth-place finisher in 2007 in the 5k event at the U.S. Championships.
2009-10 (Junior): Copped first-team All-America honors for the third straight year...placed sixth in the 1650 free at NCAAs in 14:51.88...All-ACC selection...at 2010 ACC Championships, he placed second in the 1650 free, sixth in the 500 free and 12th in the 400 IM...named ACC Swimmer of the Week on October 27, 2009...keyed a dual meet win over Georgia with a victory in the 1000 free, edging 2009 NCAA 1650 free champion Troy Prinsloo, 9:05.20 to 9:05.98...won the team's Hill Carrow Spirit Award for the second straight year...named to All-ACC Academic Team for third straight year...tapped for the ACC Academic Honor Roll for a third straight year as well.
2008-09 (Sophomore): Qualified for the NCAA Championships for the second straight season in the 1650 free where he finished eighth in a school record time of 14:46.06, earning him first-team All-America honors for the second consecutive year in the event...also competed in the 500 free and 400 IM at the NCAA meet...at the ACC Championships, he finished 10th in the 500 free (4:22.10), 13th in the 400 IM (3:52.70) and fourth in the 1650 free (14:46.93)...selected as the ACC Performer of the Week on November 11, 2008...won the team's Hill Carrow Spirit Award...named to 2008-09 All-ACC Academic Team.
2007-08 (Freshman): ACC champion in the 1650 free with a time of 14:57.78...also finished fifth in the 500 free with a time of 4:24.41...earned All-ACC honors... honored as a first-team All-America...fifth-place finisher in the 1650 free at the NCAA Championships, the highest individual finish for a Tar Heel at the NCAA meet since 1993...set career bests in the 500 free (4:24.12) and in the 1650 free (14:53.57) at the NCAA Championships...set a career best in the 1000 free (8:58.09) in the dual meet against Virginia...his times in the 1000 and 1650 freestyles set school records...named the ACC Men's Swimmer of the Week two straight weeks in January 2008 after winning two events each against both Clemson and Virginia in dual meet action...honored by College Swimming.com as the National Collegiate Swimmer-of-the-Week on both January 16 and January 23, 2008...selected as the UNC Progress Energy Performer of the Week after setting two career bests and winning two events in the Tar Heels' first dual-meet victory against Virginia in 10 years...earned ACC Men's Swimmer of the Week honors for a third time on February 5, 2008 after earning a pair of first-place finishes in dual meets against NC State and a tri-meet with Johns Hopkins and Emory...was the only men's swimmer in the ACC to receive the weekly conference honor three times in 2007-08... received the team's Richard E. Jamerson Memorial Award as the most outstanding swimmer... named to the 2008 All-ACC Academic Men's Swimming Team ...2007-08 ACC Academic Honor Roll selection.
Prep: Graduated from Hempfield High School in Landisville, Pa., on June 5, 2007...swam four years for his high school team as a 200 and 500 freestyler and 200 IMer...a brilliant swimmer from ages 9-18 for the Trident Swim Club...currently swims club under Mike Gobrecht at the West Shore YMCA...2007 state champion in the 500 free...a high school All-America in the 500 free his sophomore through senior campaigns...All-State selection in the 500 free and 200 IM in 2005-07...captained his high school and club teams in 2007...member of U.S. Swimming's 2007 National Junior Team...as a high school swimmer, he already was a 2008 Olympics Trials qualifier...a high school academic All-America...National Honor Society member...member of National Foreign Language Honors Society.
Personal: Given name is Josef Henry Kinderwater...son of Craig and Pamela Kinderwater...was born March 31, 1989 in Baltimore, Md. ...has one sister, Kate, 18...exercise and sports science major.

20 Questions With Senior Joe Kinderwater
Section #1: Swimming & Diving
1. The best thing about being a Tar Heel swimmer is getting to represent our GREAT school and uphold the Tar Heel swimming tradition.
2. My favorite thing about competing for Coach DeSelm is that he gives you the confidence you need to truly believe that you will succeed both in and out of the water.
3. Since my last competitive season, the aspect of my training I've worked on the most is lengthening my stroke.
4. My best friend on another college swimming team is assistant coach Catherine Vogt at USC.
5. My greatest strengths as a swimmer are my optimism, endurance and perseverance.
Section #2: Hobbies & Interests
1. Away from the pool and academics, I like to spend time playing tennis, hanging out with friends, napping, eating and visiting home.
2. On a long bus trip, I'd like to watch anything in the comedy genre.
3. If I could compete in another sport at UNC it would be basketball for sure.
4. If I received free concert tickets via a radio or internet promotion I would love to see the Police in a special reunion tour!
5. The interest/hobby I have that people would be surprised to know is I love geography and learning about different parts of the world. I also play the clarinet.
Section #3: Food
1. After a big meet I'd love to see a buffet spread that included soda, chicken fingers, any dessert and fries.
2. My favorite beverage is V8 Splash.
3. I'm allowed to enter a room with unlimited snacks, one room has the salty stuff, the other sweet stuff? Which room do I enter and why? Salty because when I think of a snack, pretzels and chips come to mind and I love them. I do have a huge sweet tooth though.
4. My favorite food made by a relative is my Mom's chicken lasagna.
5. On my birthday, I'd love to be treated by my friends to dinner at Kanki.
Section #4: Personality
1. If I possessed the gift of time travel I would go to a Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack concert. That time period and their lifestyle just seem so cool to me. Chillin' with them would be sweet.
2. My most prized personal possession is my 2008 Olympic Trials medal.
3. My iTunes library includes 1,435 songs with rock, pop and country being the main genres.
4. In a perfect world where making money was not a consideration my dream job would be -- even with money not being a consideration, my dream job would still be a professional tennis player.
5. The most interesting people I've met in my time at UNC are definitely, and for all good reasons, Frank Comfort and Dave Lohse!!