UNC swimmers top Blue Devils

For most varsity athletes at North Carolina, beating Duke would be ample cause for a night of celebration.

But by the time UNC’s swimmers left Duke’s Taishoff Aquatic Center, victory in tow, their next meet lay less than 14 hours ahead back in Chapel Hill.

A number of solid performances might have helped them rest a little easier.

Divers Jenna Moore and David MacDonald both placed first at the one-meter height and second at three meters at Duke.

Steve Cebertowicz took the 50- and 100-yard freestyle events in addition to anchoring UNC’s winning 400-yard freestyle relay team. UNC’s Kelsey Cummings, Danielle Siverling and Jackie Rudolph swept the top three spots in the 500-yard freestyle.

While both of his teams won handily at Duke — the men 165-121 and the women 178-111 — coach Rich DeSelm said he didn’t see the same inspiration he saw last week against Virginia.

And any flatness Friday was only compounded by fatigue on Saturday.

UNC split the meet with the Wolfpack, as the Tar Heel women prevailed, 178.5-119.5, and the men fell, 151.5-145.5.

UNC’s men hadn’t lost to N.C. State in 12 years. But that figure is, in one respect, a sign of how far the program has come.

“When I was a swimmer, and for years prior to that, N.C. State was a top-10 team in the country,” said DeSelm, a ’78 UNC graduate and former varsity swimmer. “When I swam, we never beat them.”

Now, the shoe is on the other foot.

But one accomplishment that has eluded UNC in recent memory is an ACC title. For this group of swimmers, that goal takes precedence over any rivalry.

With the men atop the ACC and the women in third, UNC’s chances at a title seem as good as ever. Still, DeSelm remains wary.

“The dual meet is a very different animal,” he said. “Championship meets require, in addition to a strong front line, depth.”

The Tar Heel coaching staff intentionally scheduled back-to-back meets to get a feel for how a long-haul championship meet would wear on the team.

But on Saturday’s Senior Day, UNC’s seniors couldn’t keep a certain emotional aspect from mingling with their businesslike approach to the weekend’s competition.

For senior Evan Reed, swimming’s immersing lifestyle will be the hardest thing to leave behind.

“As freshmen we’re taken from our families and what we’re comfortable with and put in an environment we’re not used to,” he said. “That creates a family mentality. We do everything together. It’s going to be hard next year knowing that I won’t have that support that I’ve had, and that I won’t be around my best friends that I’ve had for four years.”

Senior Wil Singley said he’s trying to appreciate the little things as his swimming career comes to a close.

“It’s bittersweet,” he said. “As a senior, you’re doing the same things that you’ve done the previous three years, but everything’s the last time. … You’re really trying not to take it for granted.”

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