Swimmers Wrap Up Semester In Greensboro And Princeton

Wednesday, November 29

Greensboro, NC

All Day

North Carolina

U.S. Open

Elizabeth Sowards
University of North Carolina Swimming and Diving ACC Championship
Greensboro Aquatic Center
Greensboro, NC
Wednesday, February 15, 2023

Photo by: Jerome M. Ibrahim

December 3, 2023 | Swimming & Diving

By: UNC Athletic Communications

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The North Carolina swimming teams concluded competition for the 2023 semester at the US Open Championships and Princeton 'Big Al' Invitational over the weekend. The Tar Heels established three school records and registered three U.S. Olympic Trial qualifying times while posting eight NCAA B qualifying marks.

Lexi Rudolph and Skyler Smith posted a U.S. Olympic Trials qualifying time in the 100-meter breaststroke, as did Ellie VanNote in the 100-meter butterfly.

Smith also set the UNC record in the 100-meter breaststroke, posting a time of 1:08.02 in the championship finals, placing sixth – breaking her record time of 1:08.26 set earlier in the preliminaries.

Graduate transfer Katja Pavicevic set the new UNC standard in the 200-meter breaststroke at 2:29.89. She finished seventh in the championship final.

The Tar Heels tallied 19 individual finalist performances with Sebastian Lunak advancing to the finals of three events, while Louis Dramm, Patrick Hussey, Olivia Nel and Pavicevic reached the finals in a pair of races.

Those Tar Heels who didn't compete in the US Open Championships participated in the Princeton "Big Al" Invitational in New Jersey.

Elizabeth Sowards registered NCAA B qualifying times in the 200 IM, 100 backstroke and 100 fly at the Princeton 'Big Al' Invitational. She finished second in the 100 fly and 100 backstroke.

Michelle Morgan and Georgia Nel each posted NCAA B qualifying times in two events. Morgan met the standard in the 400 IM (4:15.92) and 500 free (4:45.43), finishing third in both events and fourth in the 200 freestyle, missing the podium by 0.51.

Nel placed second in the 200 free (1:46.82) and third in the 200 IM (1:58.93), hitting the NCAA B time standard in both events.

Delaney Carlton recorded the Tar Heels' lone individual win of the invitational, touching first in an NCAA B qualifying time of 22.67 in the women's 50 free.

Over a dozen student-athletes advanced to the A Championship Finals of the Princeton Invitational.

UNC will return to competition on Jan. 9, 2024, at Koury Natatorium for its lone home dual meet of the season. The men will host SMU, while the women will take on UNC Asheville. The diving competition will start at 2 p.m., and the swimming events will begin at 3 p.m.