UNC Swimming and Diving Teams Claim Sound Victory over ECU

GREENVILLE — The North Carolina men and women’s swimming and diving teams dominated the East Carolina Pirates at a meet Thursday at Minges Aquatic Center.

The UNC women’s team took first place in 15 of 16 events, while the men’s team won 14 of 16.

The men’s team won 187-105. The women won 183-105.

“It was nice to start out with a bang,” said sophomore Layne Brodie. “We know we have challenges ahead. It was a good setup for the meets ahead.”

Head coach Rich DeSelm said he was proud of the Tar Heels’ effort.

“We were very aggressive in racing,” DeSelm said. “We didn’t let up. It was especially good for the freshman to understand what college meets are all about before conference competition. To see where we are now will help us over the next few weeks.”

DeSelm also pointed out that in the wake of the suspension of five team members due to alcohol-related charges, it was important to put on a strong performance.

“We’ve had a lot of challenges this fall,” DeSelm said. “It was good to represent the University in a positive fashion.”

The Tar Heels begin a tough stretch of meets as they face South Carolina, conference foe Virginia Tech and perennial powerhouse Georgia.

But team members said they feel confident heading into the tougher part of their schedule.

“We are gaining the confidence to compete for an ACC title,” said junior Tyler Harris, who was feeling sick, missed practice and still won three events. “We have some excellent athletes with positive attitudes. We feel like we could win an ACC Championship this year.”

Some of Harris’ teammates are thinking of even greater achievements for the season.

“We have bigger dreams than that,” Brodie said. “Our ultimate goal is to finish in the top 10 at the NCAA Championships. It’s there if we can get it all together at the right moment. We believe we can.”



Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.