University of North Carolina head coach Rich DeSelm announced today that former Tarheel and current U.S. National Team member Chip Peterson has been named volunteer assistant swimming coach for the combined program.
Peterson, a 2010 graduate of the school, was an ACC Champion, two-event NCAA All-American (500 and 1650 freestyles), and U.S. National Team member while competing for the Tar Heels. The Pine Knoll Shores native received All-American honors every year he represented North Carolina collegiately (2007, 2009, 2010… he sat out 2008 to train full-time with the U.S. National Open Water Team), and excelled in the classroom along the way. Outside of the pool, Peterson was named ACC Men’s Swimming Scholar Athlete of the Year in 2010, and also received the Patterson Medal, given to UNC’s most outstanding male senior student-athlete.
“We are elated to announce that Chip Peterson will serve as a volunteer swimming coach with us at North Carolina,” DeSelm said in a press release on the university athletic site (GoHeels.com) . “Chip was a highly accomplished member of the UNC team, excelling in the classroom and pool. He is currently on the USA Swimming National Open Water team and earned many accolades both prior to arriving at UNC as a freshman in 2006 and during his highly successful career at UNC. Our swimmers will definitely benefit from Chip’s input.”
Internationally, Peterson first made his mark before he even left high school, winning the U.S. and world championships in the open water 10 km back in 2005. Following his freshman year at UNC, Peterson won gold in the men’s 1500 and silver in the open water 10 km at the 2007 Pan American Games. Three years later, he came away with the 10km title again at 2010 Pan Pacs. After battling illness and taking some time out of the water, Peterson was in solid form for the first time in three years, leading to a sixth place finish in the 10 km and eighth place finish in the 5 km this summer at U.S. Nationals, earning himself a National Team birth for the first time in three years.
