UNC V. South Carolina
- January 24, 2021
- Koury Natatorium, Chapel Hill, NC
- SCY (25y)
- Results of the meeting
- Team Score
- Men: UNC 212 – South Carolina 81
- Women: UNC 184 – South Carolina 111
UNC Tar Heels did some quick swims against the South Carolina Gamecocks at the Koury Natatorium on Chapel Hill. The Boht UNC men’s and women’s teams won 10 events each, including the 400 medley relay, in which both relays were the best of the season in the national ranking. Meanwhile, South Carolina just won a double win against Gardner-Webb on Thursday.
Female recap
UNC started its winning streak in the 400 medley relay, where Sophie Lindner (52.52), Lilly Higgs (1: 00.66), Ellie VanNote (53.18), Grace Countie (48.67) combined to 3: 35.03, cutting 0.03s from his best UNC Janis Hope Dowd Invitational season in December. They currently remain in 8th place in the NCAA this season.
Three UNC women won two events each during Sunday’s meeting. Addison Smith kicked off with a win in the 1000 freestyle at 10:07.35. She then took the 500 free at 4: 52.61, just two seconds ahead of teammate Lindner (4: 54.11). Lindner continued to win the 200 free at 1: 47.07.
Then, UNC junior Countie won the 100 back at 52.33, ranking his 17th on the NCAA this season. Lindner is currently 16th with his best season of 52.27 last December. Countie won the 200 back to 1: 56.06. UNC teammate Heidi Lowe was the third Tar Heel to win two events, sweeping the 50/100 free at 22.80 / 49.42.
South Carolina’s only victory came from the second year Taylor Steele, who won the breast 100 to 1: 01.45 Higgs from UNC came in second in the event at 1: 01.66. Higgs took his revenge on the chest 200, turning him over in the last 100 to defeat Steele, touching in 2: 14.89 to 2: 15.12 of Steele.
Male recap
Tar Heels kicked off the 400 medley relay. Tucker Burhans (47.62), Valdas Abaliksta (51.72), Boyd Poelke (47.25), and Tomas Sungaila (43.26) combined for a winning time and best of the season at 3: 09.85, taking his best from the previous season of 3: 10.24 at Janis Hope Dowd Invitational. UNC now jumps Arizona to 11th place in the NCAA this season.
UNC men continued to be dominant in the group, placing 1-2-3 hits on the 200 free, 100 on the back and 200 on the back. UNC’s Sungaila won the 200 free in 1: 36.40, just four tenths ahead of the teammate Dimitrios Dimitriou (1: 36.87). Dimitriou later won the 500 free in 4: 25.67. Sungaila won her second victory in the event in the 100 freestyle (44.04), playing teammate Daniel Koenigsperger (44.08).
Two more UNC Tar Heels were the two winners on Saturday:
- Valdas Abaliksta: 100 breast (53.91), 200 breast (1: 57.34)
- Santos Villalon: 100 fly (47.43), 200 fly (1: 46.44)
The last individual event, 200 IM, had a beautiful battle between the Chase Allison and UNC’s Jacob Rauch. Allison led in Rauch in the middle mark, until Rauch beat Allison in the breaststroke. Rauch achieved the best time with 1: 50.18, while Allison’s second narrow time with 1: 50.35.
South Carolina can be seen next in the SEC 2021 championship, which will be held February 17-20 in Columbia, MO. UNC will host rival Duke this Friday (January 29) at the Koury Natatorium.