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The Daily Tar Heel

Glavich showcases consistency in home meet return

For Dominick Glavich, not everything has gone according to plan.

Moving to France as a child? Unexpected. Failing to qualify for the 2012 NCAA tournament as a true freshman? Again, unforeseen. Medically redshirting sophomore year with a back injury? Certainly not a part of the plan.

But an integral part of the men’s swim team, Glavich has been forced to roll with the punches his entire life. This season though, his first time swimming competitively in more than a year, the Cary native has proven not only his flexibility, but also his consistency.

This weekend, in his first home meet this season, Glavich led No. 17 North Carolina to a 186-161 win against No. 13 and future ACC foe Louisville. Even after notching three individual victories in the 200-yard individual medley, the 200-yard butterfly and the 100-yard butterfly, Glavich remained focus on the team and acknowledging the group effort.

“I feel like the training that we have been doing as a team got me here, and as a whole team, we swam really well,” Glavich said. “I’m happy with winning, but overall I’m happy with the guys team winning — we needed that.”

Glavich, who began swimming when he was 6, took a three-year hiatus from the sport after his father’s job forced the family to move to France. Then, as a highly touted recruit out of in-state Green Hope High, Glavich made an immediate impact as a true freshman, being named both an All-ACC and All-ACC Academic selection in 2012. That same year, he was twice named the ACC Swimmer of the Week in addition to finishing 15th in the 200-yard butterfly at the 2012 US Olympic Trials.

After sitting out last year with a back injury, Glavich has excelled so far this season in the first of his three remaining years of eligibility. He has yet to lose the 200-yard butterfly this season, even against national powers Texas and Louisville.

“I was doing as much as I could (last year) with a back injury,” he said. “But when I came back officially this season, I felt like I was behind, so I just bumped up my training.

“Watching ACC (Championships) last year, I was like, ‘Man, I wish I was swimming.’ But definitely all that energy I had last year, I kept it inside and I’m bringing it out here this year.”

Even after the injury and a year of recuperation, Glavich remains as one of the Tar Heels’ most consistent performers.

After taking second in the 100-yard butterfly against Texas, Glavich went on to win the event against TCU and Louisville. Glavich, after his three wins this weekend, has increased his season total to seven individual victories .

Coach Rich DeSelm said through all the adversity, the redshirt sophomore has grown to be one of UNC’s most dangerous swimmers.

“(Dominick’s) a game day racer, he’s very good, and he knows how to get his hand on the wall,” DeSelm said. “It’s great to have that in your toolbox, so we appreciate what he’s doing, and I think he’ll be even better as we get further into the season.”

sports@dailytarheel.com

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