Heading into the 500-yard freestyle on Friday night, the North Carolina men’s swimming team needed a spark.
After a monumental dual meet win against Virginia a week ago, the Tar Heels had struggled in the early stages of the dual meet against N.C. State, losing the medley relay and getting swept in the 50- and 100-yard freestyles.
Enter senior captain J.T. Stilley.
In a memorable swim, on senior night no less, Stilley provided the needed spark, coming from behind in the final laps to place first in the 500 and give the men a lead they would not relinquish, defeating the Wolfpack 154-144.
For Stilley, knowing the gravity of the situation and his history in close races, the victory was that much sweeter.
“Going into the last 50, I knew that I’d have to win for our team to be in it,” he said. “And to get practice with close races here is great.”
But Stilley was not alone in his come-from-behind victory status. Underclassmen long-distance freestylers Mitch DeForest and Eugene Tee both chased down Wolfpack leader Brian Via, passing him in the final three laps of the 1,000-yard race to finish in first and second, respectively.
For coach Rich DeSelm, seeing the come-from-behind swims was a dream come true.
“To see them execute and dig deep and find just a little bit more and come through for themselves and their teammates,” DeSelm said, “It’s just a great thing for everybody.”
