UNC swimming and diving competes beyond pool in Blue vs. White meet

As the North Carolina swimmers raced to the wall in the men’s 100-yard free, another competition was brewing at Saturday’s Blue vs. White meet.

Lucas Popp, a member of the White team, finished first, sparking a bellowing “U-N-C” chant from his side. The Blue team would not be outdone that easily, though. As two Blue team members took the next two spots, their teammates returned an even louder “U-N-C” chant.

The two sides would continue their back-and-forth for the rest of the match — a competition within the competition.

“We’re all very competitive,” junior Caroline Baldwin said. “No matter if it’s against each other or another team.”

The intrasquad meet had no record implications, but the swimmers treated it just like a regular-season matchup. Whether it was for loudest cheer or top spot in an event, the Tar Heel swimmers battled to best one another.

But Saturday’s meet was no different from the competition that goes on each day.

“We push each other,” senior Macey Arnold said. “We race during everything. We challenge each other in the weight room, on dry land, anything.”

The meet was yet another chance for the players to one-up one another, in and out of the pool. While that competition manifested in a cheering contest, the fun and games were over when it was time to hit the pool.

The players knew their fate going forward rested on beating their own teammates.

“They’re competing in practice every day to help one another be better for the team,” Coach Rich DeSelm said. “But they’re also competing for spots in the lineup.”

This dynamic pushes the players to compete against one another, because losing might mean losing their place in an event. So while all the players chant “U-N-C,” they root for themselves when it’s time to race.

“It speaks to the nature of this sport,” DeSelm said. “When the gun goes off, or it’s time for you to dive, it’s pretty much you.”

Competition is as much a part of UNC’s team culture as anything. It has to be. But the players don’t let themselves lose sight of what they are competing for.

“They all want to be number one,” DeSelm said. “But they all also want the team to do well.”

The players know they are pushing one another to be better, so the team will be better. Events such as the Blue vs. White meet, and even practices every day, push the players to improve.

And even though the players have to compete against one another to do so, the battle helps prepare UNC for when another team sits on the other side of the pool.

When that time does come, the players will still compete — against adversaries and against one another. There will really be only one difference.

When the team meets Georgia on Oct. 7, they’ll all be cheering “U-N-C” together.

@_Brohammed

sports@dailytarheel.com