The North Carolina swimming and diving teams cruised to easy first-place finishes this weekend at the annual Janis Hape Dowd Nike Cup Invitational held at Koury Natatorium.
The men ended the three-day meet with 1,334 points to put them well ahead of second-place Naval Academy and third-place Duke University.
The women, with a final score of 1,494, trounced second-place Duke University and third-place South Carolina.
“The meet was a very positive experience,” head coach Rich DeSelm said. “We need a high level of competition at this time of year, and we’re looking to compete in the best way we can.”
On Thursday night, the relay teams led the way for the Tar Heels. Both the men and women’s teams finished first in the 200-yard freestyle relay and the 400-yard medley relay.
“We are as good as we’ve ever been at this time of year,” DeSelm said. “I think we’re actually a deeper team than last year, in a lot of ways.”
Sophomore freestyler Stephanie Peacock set an example for the team on Thursday and Friday with new Nike Cup records in the 200- and 500-yard freestyle events. Peacock also anchored first-place relay teams in the 400- and 800-yard freestyle relays.
The Tar Heels’ long-distance swimmers opened the Saturday night session with first-place finishes from junior Brett Nagle and freshman Kelsey Cummings in the men’s and women’s 1,650-yard freestyle event.
The Tar Heel divers also shined, as senior David MacDonald turned in a first-place score in the men’s three-meter event, and senior Jenna Moore set a school record in the women’s one-meter contest.
