Five swimmers suspended after party

Five members of the UNC varsity swimming and diving team received suspensions from the team after three were cited for alcohol violations, a fourth for disorderly conduct and a fifth for using a false ID last weekend, according to Chapel Hill police reports.

Police cited the swimmers early Sunday morning at a party at a team captain’s house where high school recruits were present, Department of Athletics officials said.

Senior captain Hank Browning, who rents the property where the party occurred, was cited for giving a malt beverage to a minor, reports state.

Senior captain Alison Clemens, junior Rebecca Kane and one other UNC student were cited for underage possession of alcohol, reports state.

Browning, Clemens and Kane have all been suspended from the team until Nov. 1, coach Rich DeSelm said.

Junior swimmer Tyler Smith was charged at 2:30 a.m. Sunday with disorderly conduct, reports state. Police said Smith was at the party but he was arrested later that morning at the corner of Rosemary and Church streets.

Smith was suspended from the team indefinitely, DeSelm said.

Freshman diver Michelle Mudge was also cited for using a false ID, reports state.

Mudge is redshirting this season, but DeSelm said she will receive a suspension next year.

Several high school recruits were present at the party, Deselm said, adding that he spoke to several recruits and their families about the incident. No other citations were listed for that address.

“There were questions, but certainly I think we’re moving forward with each and every recruit that was here this weekend,” Deselm said.

Police responded to a loud music complaint at 10:28 p.m. Saturday at 703 N. Columbia St, reports state.

Officer Mitch McKinney of the Chapel Hill Police Department was present and said Chapel Hill Police called Student-Athlete Services that night when they determined the party involved team members.

“If it’s a UNC student-athlete, we have agreed to make the athletic department aware of it also,” McKinney said. “Normally we’ve only done that after the fact. But we received a lot of resistance from everyone involved in that call.”

Once the athletics department was notified, senior associate athletic directors Larry Gallo and John Blanchard went to the house and helped break up the party, athletic director Dick Baddour said.

“They went to try to bring some calmness to the residents of the house, and that’s what they did,” Baddour said. “And they actually got cooperation from some of the swimmers who were there.

“To my knowledge, we’ve never been called out before.”

The swimmers suspended until Nov. 1 will miss the first six meets of the season.

DeSelm said the team plans to take part in community service.

“This is a strong swim program. It’s got good kids in it,” Baddour said. “Bad decisions were made the other night, and sometimes a program needs some guidance. And coach DeSelm and his staff are providing that.”


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