Tar Heels honor seniors, beat Duke

There was an air of sadness in the Koury Natatorium on Friday.

Though the North Carolina men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams raced to 168-107 and 163-122 wins against rival Duke respectively, it was the last time 14 Tar Heel seniors would compete together.

But despite the gloom associated with career-ending swims, an irrefutable energy filled the jam-packed natatorium as seniors celebrated a successful four years, and many Tar Heels swam the best performances of their lives.

“This is by far the most fun I’ve had in a dual meet during my entire career,” senior Vinny Pryor said. “It’s not just about the seniors, it’s about getting to see those guys go fast and I think that’s where a lot of the energy comes from.”

The men won every event, and the women won 12 of 16. Many of the typical top-finishers continued to put points on the board, as senior Tommy Wyher took home three victories, and Pryor demolished the rest of the field for the second meet in a row in the 200-yard breaststroke.

Their swims helped the Tar Heels come away with a win, but to coach Rich DeSelm, they also served as a reminder of what he’s about to lose.

“You can’t replace talent,” DeSelm said. “They’ve helped us shape and develop the program and grow it to where it is, and hopefully their positive impacts are going to be long-lasting.”

Except for the last-chance NCAA qualifying opportunity Saturday and Sunday in the College Cup, Friday’s meet was the conclusion of the season for many Tar Heels, as North Carolina is only allowed to take part of the team to the upcoming ACC Championships.

For those not moving on, the meet against Duke served as a last-ditch effort to end the 2010-11 campaign on a high note. Ten UNC swimmers did exactly that by earning lifetime best-times.

Senior Chandler Thomas slashed his 100-yard breaststroke best-time by more than a second, and sophomore Jackie Rudolph shaved her career-best by seven seconds to earn a second-place finish in the 500-yard freestyle.

The extent to which his team excelled might not have been surprising to DeSelm, but it wasn’t exactly expected.

“As a coach you want to say, ‘Oh well, I knew we’d swim fast,’” he said. “But no, I didn’t know.”

Enthusiasm poured out of UNC swimmers all night, as their lead against Duke continued to increase and seconds came tumbling off their teammates’ best times.

Though the seniors were pleased with their own performances, watching their younger teammates succeed was just as rewarding. In the 500-yard freestyle, freshman Dan O’Connor cruised to a first-place finish, knocking three seconds off his career-best time and solidifying an NCAA consideration cut in the process.

The future of UNC swimming appeared to be in good hands, and the eruption of cheers from O’Connor’s teammates was almost their way of acknowledging that the torch had been passed.

O’Connor beamed with delight.

“His jaw dropped, and a lot of other people’s jaws dropped,” DeSelm said. “It’s fun. That’s what you live for as a coach and a swimmer, those sort of mind-boggling, jaw-dropping performances.”

Contact the Sports Editor at sports@dailytarheel.com.