From the highest rafter in the back of the Koury Natatorium hangs a long white banner. The sign, filled with minuscule light- blue print, seems easily overlooked.
But for one man, it doesn’t go unnoticed.
“There was some great success in the past and I’m wishing for some of those successes to be part of what we do this year,” North Carolina swimming and diving coach Rich DeSelm said.
“We haven’t won very many ACC titles and there’s a whole lot of titles mentioned on those banners up there.”
With only the ACC and NCAA championships left on the schedule, both teams are diving head-first into the final races of the season.
During ACC Championship swims in mid-February, in addition to the team effort, the Tar Heels will focus on reaching NCAA qualifying times. Last year North Carolina sent nine women and five men to the NCAA Championship.
UNC will be able to bring a total of 18 men and 18 women to the conference swimming and diving championships held in Chapel Hill. Swimmers account for a whole person, while divers account for a half.
It’s been over a decade since the men won their last title while the women are looking forward to redeeming their 2007 ACC Championship win.
“It would be huge,” sophomore Laura Moriarty said. “It would show so many people that we are a top school and we can compete with anyone in the country.”
Moriarty, first on North Carolina’s depth chart in four different events, is likely to make a splash in the ACC Championship meet. Along with Moriarty, junior Katura Harvey and freshman Carly Smith are key swimmers for this year’s squad.
Last year during her rookie season, Moriarty finished second in the conference in the 200-yard breaststroke.
Junior Tommy Wyher will look to continue his streak in both the 100-yard backstroke and 100-yard butterfly in this year’s conference meet.
Last year, he took first place in both events, setting two ACC records, two UNC records and achieving career bests in each.
An ACC Championship win in the 100-yard backstroke this season would be his third straight triumph.
“He showed what he could do last year and he’s trained even better now,” DeSelm said. “He’s defending champion and he’s a great racer. He hates to lose, so he’s a guy you want on your side.”
Fellow juniors Chip Peterson and Tyler Harris will be in the hunt for an individual title as well. Peterson holds the school record in the 500-meter butterfly.
Although both teams lost to Virginia in January, UNC swimmers are looking forward to hosting the championship meet. They will be matched against the Cavaliers — UNC’s only ACC loss — and will have the chance to add a 2010 title to the record books.
The Tar Heels will be the underdogs, but don’t count them out. DeSelm certainly isn’t.
“Can they do it? It’d have to be a real special weekend,” DeSelm said.
“But that’s the great thing about athletics, nobody hands anybody anything. Anybody that thinks the outcome is set is making a huge mistake.”
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
