UNC Women, Men Both Win ACC Openers at Home Against Virginia Tech

The University of North Carolina men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams prevailed at home against ACC rivals Virginia Tech on Saturday. The Tar Heels women won 186-108, while the men won 182-118. Full results here.

Women’s Meet

The 400 medley relay began with an exciting race between two of UNC’s quartets. The “C” relay of Annie Harrison, Catherine Munch, Sarah Koucheki, and Allyn Hardesty beat the “A” team of Hellen Moffitt, Rachel Canty, Megan Bestor, and Lauren Earp, 3:43.13 to 3:43.52. The Hokies’ Holly Harper, Weronika Paluszek, Maggie Gruber, and Klaudia Nazieblo took third in 3:46.35.

Virginia Tech’s Jessica Hespeler won the 1650 with 17:02.36. North Carolina sophomores Liliana Casso (17:08.09) and Catherine Hulsey (17:10.12) took second and third.

UNC went 1-2 in the 200 free behind Danielle Siverling (1:48.35) and Hardesty (1:49.75); Nazieblo of Virginia Tech was third in 1:51.04.

The 100 back featured UNC’s Bestor (54.80), Moffitt (55.41) and Harrison (56.50) on the podium. The fastest Hokie was Gruber in 56.68. In the 100 breast it was Munch (1:02.99), Madison Burns (1:04.03), and Canty (1:04.24) of the Tar Heels all ahead of Virginia Tech’s Mackenzie Stewart (1:04.67).

North Carolina’s Emma Nunn (1:59.59), Madison Boswell (2:01.76) and Kendall Surhoff (2:02.68) led the field in the 200 fly; Viriginia Tech’s Fiona Donnelly went 2:03.98.

UNC’s Sarah Hitchens won both the 50 (23.06) and 100 (50.75) frees. Her teammates Hannah Lincoln (23.10) and Caroline Baldwin (23.50) finished second and third in the 50, while the highest-scoring Hokie was Harper (24.29). In the 100, Hitchens was followed by teammates Earp (50.82) and Hardesty (51.09); Caroline Buscaglia (51.67) came in first among the Hokies.

Baldwin led a 1-2-3 Tar Heels sweep of the 200 back; she touched in 2:00.52 ahead of Emily Slabe (2:00.96) and Harrison (2:01.16). Virginia Tech’s Donnelly went 2:02.73.

The Hokies’ Paluszek took the 200 breast in a comfortable 2:14.14. UNC’s Munch (2:16.58) and Emily Pfeiffer (2:18.61) were second and third.

UNC’s Nunn picked up her second win with a 4:53.74 in the 500 free. Second- and third-place points went to Virginia Tech’s Gabrielle Bishop (5:03.11) and Katie Rogers (5:11.26), while both Boswell (5:00.15) and Hulsey (5:01.59) swam exhibition.

Koucheki of North Carolina won the 100 fly in 54.27, just ahead of Virginia Tech’s Nazieblo (54.84). UNC’s Burns won the last event of the day, the 200 IM, in 2:03.76. Second and third went to the Hokies’ Stewart (2:08.36) and Jayme Katis (2:08.74). Munch (2:04.41) and Surhoff (2:04.88) exhibitioned for the Tar Heels.

Diving points were fairly evenly split, as UNC’s Elissa Dawson won the 3-meter event with 348.38 points ahead of Virginia Tech’s Kelli Stockton (336.38) and UNC’s Michole Timm (334.95); while Kalyea Arnett of the Hokies won 1-meter diving with 321.23 points, and Dawson (311.85) and Emma Villareal (273.38) of Virginia Tech were second and third.

The Virginia Tech 200 free relay of Nazieblo, Buscaglia, Margaret Parcell, and Hespeler went 1:34.70 to win the final event. The Tar Heels’ Hardesty, Lincoln, Baldwin, and Hitchens swam a 1:31.75 in exhibition.

Men’s Meet

The Tar Heels got off to a fast start with Nic Graesser, Kurt Wolhrab, Sam Lewis, and Logan Heck combining for a 3:13.14 win in the 400 medley relay. Virginia Tech’s Collin Higgins, Brandon Fiala, Morgan Latimer and Owen Burns went 3:14.96.

The Hokies went 1-2 in the 1650 with Michal Szuba (15:24.54) and Jake Ores (15:26.57); UNC’s Eugene Tee (15:41.57) took third.

The 200 free went to Burns of Virginia Tech in 1:38.70. His teammate Lucas Bureau touched in 1:39.56 for second, just ahead of the Tar Heels’ Phillip Perdue (1:40.04).

Virginia Tech went 1-3 in the 100 back with Higgins (48.75) and Robert Owen (50.57); UNC’s Patrick Myers split the two with his 49.50. Three Tar Heels were the first to touch in the 100 breast: Wolhrab (55.85), Michael McBryan (56.39), and David Speese (56.47). Virginia Tech’s Fiala (56.77) was fourth.

UNC’ Ben Colley won the 200 fly in 1:45.13; Latimer from Virginia Tech (1:47.16) came in just ahead of UNC’s William DeForest (1:47.84) for second.

In the 50 free, Lewis of the Tar Heels led the way in 20.20, with teammate Heck in second (20.49) ahead of Virginia Tech’s Fiala (20.65). Heck got the win in the 100 free, though, as he touched in 44.78; the Hokies’ Burns clocked a 45.03 and Lucas Popp of UNC went 45.37.

Owen (1:47.02) and Higgins (1:47.16) of Virginia Tech led the field in the 200 back. UNC’s Myers (1:48.41) took third.

McBryan led the Tar Heels on a sweep of the 200 breast, logging a winning 2:01.08. Speese was second in 2:02.39; Wolhrab, third with 2:03.09. Justin Edwards (2:04.34) was the fastest Hokie.

UNC’s Henry Campbell pulled off a come-from-behind victory in the 500 free, outsplitting Virginia Tech’s Szuba by .52 over the last 50 and winning 4:27.34 to 4:27.51. Ores of Virginia Tech was third in 4:32.02. The 100 fly was another close one, with UNC’s Lewis getting his second win, this time over teammate Colley, 47.30 to 47.77. The Hokies’ Latimer finished third in 48.79.

The Tar Heels’ Tee went 1:50.30 to win the 200 IM over Hokies Fiala (1:51.78) and Bureau (1:52.46).

Thomas Shinholser of Virginia Tech won 3-meter diving with 379.50 points and was second in 1-meter with 358.50. John Nyquist of UNC won 1-meter diving with 384.60 points and was second in 3-meter with 372.30.

The Tar Heels’ Heck, Lewis, Graesser, and Chris Gondek went 1:20.14 to win the 200 free relay.

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Hubert
9 years ago

I’d say VT limped back out of the jungle with a couple of scratches and bruises

About Anne Lepesant

Anne Lepesant

Anne Lepesant is the mother of four daughters, all of whom swam in college. With an undergraduate degree from Princeton (where she was an all-Ivy tennis player) and an MBA from INSEAD, she worked for many years in the financial industry, both in France and the U.S. Anne is currently …

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