Swimmers beat N.C. State at Senior Day meet

Coach Rich DeSelm has been able to lead the North Carolina swimming and diving team to a triumph he never experienced when he competed for the Tar Heels in the 1970s.

“It reminded me of the old hard-fought N.C. State-UNC dual meets that I was a part of as a swimmer,” DeSelm said of Saturday’s meet against N.C. State. “We tried, but they always beat us when I was in school.”

The UNC men’s team (6-1, 3-1 ACC) outscored the Wolfpack 159.5-140.5 on N.C. State’s Senior Day.

The women also played spoiler with a 157-142 victory. They ended the regular season with a final record of 5-2 overall and 3-1 in the ACC.

The UNC women’s team didn’t win either relay event or diving event, but it relied on a core of four swimmers — each of whom won two individual events — to bring in the points.

Standout distance swimmer Stephanie Peacock did not compete.

Among the top finishers for the men was senior co-captain Brett Nagle, who won the 1,000-yard freestyle and the 500-yard freestyle — earning a career best and a season best, respectively.

Still, Nagle said the team’s victory was far more important than his individual accomplishments.

“I wasn’t really focused on myself individually today,” he said. “I was more invested in what we wanted to come in and do as a team.”

The men were successful in accomplishing their goal — redeeming their Senior Day loss to the Wolfpack last year.

“We wanted to come in as a team and get back at them for what happened last year,” Nagle said.

Though Saturday’s competition was especially meaningful in the context of the rivalry, it also served to prepare the Tar Heels for the upcoming postseason.

Saturday’s meet was the final regular season dual meet of the year for the Tar Heels.

Now, the team will begin to focus on postseason competition — the ACC and NCAA tournaments.

Junior Cari Blalock, who was one of the four members of the UNC women’s team to win individual events, said she thinks the team is ready for any challenges the tournaments may present — especially after the training trip the team took over winter break.

She said the trip solidified her team’s competitive edge.

“Being able to swim for 10 days straight with your team and your coaches is mentally challenging enough that you’re going to be mentally prepared for anything after it,” Blalock said.

Though the trip and the season thus far have been trying, Blalock said the struggle will be necessary for future success.

“We’ve worked really hard and put the mileage in the pool,” she said. “We’re ready to win.”

Contact the desk editor at sports@dailytarheel.com.