UNC Invite Preview: Wolfpack Elite Swimmers Join ACC Powers In Chapel Hill

2020 Janis Hape Dowd Invitational

Several of the top ACC schools will be in action this weekend at the 2020 UNC Invitational, being held in Chapel Hill by the University of North Carolina, with NC State, Virginia Tech and Duke joining the Tar Heels. In addition, the Wolfpack Elite squad will be competing, with multiple members just a few weeks out of the 2020 International Swimming League season.

Women’s Preview

Among the female swimmers highlighting the psych sheets include NC State seniors Kate Moore and Julia Poole, juniors Kylee Alons and Emma Muzzy, and sophomore Katharine Berkoff.

This will only be the second collegiate competition for the Wolfpack this season, following a dual at UNC in early November that featured several non-traditional NCAA events, though they did compete later in the month long course at the U.S. Open.

Moore holds down the top seed in the women’s 500 free, 1650 free and 400 IM, and also sits third behind teammates Muzzy and Berkoff in the 200 back. Berkoff, whose converted LCM time from the U.S. Open (2:10.12) has her sixth on the NCAA rankings this season, also tops the 100 back field with her 51.21 from the 2020 ACC Championships. Muzzy is the only swimmer seeded sub-1:52 in the 200, having been 1:50.79 at last season’s conference meet.

Poole holds the top seed in the 200 free, 200 breast and 200 IM, and Alons stands as the women to beat in the sprints with #1 seeds in the 50 free, 100 free and 100 fly.

The lone non-NC State top seed on the women’s side comes from Duke’s Mia Bullock, who sits atop the 200 fly in 1:57.50.

Men’s Preview

On the men’s side it’s hard to ignore the presence of several professionals representing Wolfpack Elite, including Justin Ress and Coleman Stewart who are both coming off standout ISL performances for the league-champion Cali Condors.

Also competing unattached will be Michael Chadwick, who was also in the Budapest bubble representing the Toronto Titans.

The 23-year-old Ress holds down top seeds in the 50 and 100 free, with Chadwick and Stewart also entered in both, while Stewart and Ress rank 1-2 in the 100 back. Stewart, the 2019 NCAA runner-up in the 100 back, ranked first in the country in 2020 prior to the cancellation of the National Championships in his senior season.

Also repping Wolfpack Elite will be Towson grad Jack Saunderson, seeded first in the 100 and 200 fly, and former Missouri State swimmer Paul Le, who ranks first in the 200 IM.

Among the collegiate athletes, NC State’s Eric Knowles holds down three #1 seeds in the 200 free, 1650 free and 400 IM, while his teammate Ross Dant ranks first in the 500.

North Carolina’s Valdas Abaliksta and Virginia Tech’s AJ Pouch highlight the breaststroke fields.

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Breezeway
3 years ago

the “Live results” link is old. it forwards to a November 6th meet.

Admin
Reply to  Breezeway
3 years ago

https://swimswam.com/psa-what-to-do-when-hy-tek-live-web-results-arent-updating/

Most schools reuse the same URL over and over again (I don’t know why), so there are always caching problems.

Breezeway
Reply to  Braden Keith
3 years ago

tried to clear the page data with Chrome/Edge on my Surface and cleared the data/history with Safari on my iPad with no luck. Hell, I even tried a computer that I know I never visited swimswam or hytek from with no luck. I’ll roll with the Meet Mobile app for now.

HokieFan
3 years ago

No respect for the Hokies on either side:(

aj pouch
Reply to  HokieFan
3 years ago

ouch I was in there

NC Fan
3 years ago

James!!! Gamecocks?!?!? Come on man!

Snarky
3 years ago

Go PACK!

Swimdude
3 years ago

Stewart tryna take out Murph’s record as revenge for ISL beef

Last edited 3 years ago by Swimdude
Breezeway
Reply to  Swimdude
3 years ago

😜 🤐🐺🐺

Anonymous
3 years ago

Is there a way to watch this?

Pack Fan
Reply to  Anonymous
3 years ago

They had a live stream for the UNC duel meet but it might have only been for family members

Admin
Reply to  Pack Fan
3 years ago

UNC says no live stream this week.

NC Fan
Reply to  Braden Keith
3 years ago

Which is especially sad considering the UNC broadcast studio literally adjoins the pool. How hard would it have been to stick a camera in? I’ll volunteer to head to Chapel Hill and do commentary.

About James Sutherland

James Sutherland

James swam five years at Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario, specializing in the 200 free, back and IM. He finished up his collegiate swimming career in 2018, graduating with a bachelor's degree in economics. In 2019 he completed his graduate degree in sports journalism. Prior to going to Laurentian, James swam …

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