PRESS RELEASE: VIRGINIA MEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING SINKS NORTH CAROLINA

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The 14th-ranked Virginia men's swimming and diving team had five different swimmers win individual events in a 130-113 victory over Atlantic Coast Conference rival North Carolina Saturday (Jan. 21) at Koury Natatorium. The victory for the Cavaliers is their seventh consecutive dual meet win over North Carolina. UVa improves to 7-3 overall and remains unbeaten in ACC action at 4-0. UNC falls to 4-3 overall and 2-1 in the ACC.

Fourth-year Fran Crippen (Conshohocken, Pa./Germantown Academy) was the only Cavalier to win a pair of individual events as he touched first in the 1000 and 500 freestyles and also claimed second place in the 200 individual medley. Crippen continued his dominance in the distance freestyle by recording an ACC best time of 9:04.28 in the 1000 free. His previous ACC leading time in the 1000 was 9:08.57. Crippen also won the 500 free in a time of 4:26.82 and took second in the 200 I.M. with a time of 1:50.67, which is another personal season-best time. Third-year John Millen (Lilburn, Ga./Parkview) was runner-up to Crippen in those two freestyle events with times of 9:11.22 in the 1000 and 4:28.61 in the 500.

The Cavaliers won the meet-opening 400 medley relay with a time of 3:18.35. Second-year Bryan Stahl (Woodlands, Texas/The Woodlands), third-year Vanja Rogulj (Zagreb, Croatia/ Split), first-year Lee Robertson (Waynesboro, Va./Waynesboro) and fourth-year Ethan McCoy (McMinnville, Ore./McMinville) swam legs on the winning relay. Rogulj also won the 200 breaststroke, leading a top three UVa sweep in the event. Rogulj clocked an impressive time of 1:58.82, while second-year PJ Sullivan (Franklin, Mass./Bishop Feehan) was runner-up in a time of 2:02.91 and second-year Ryan Hurley (Potomac, Md./Georgetown Prep) finished third (2:03.89).

Second-year Pat Mellors (Pittsburgh, Pa./Central Catholic) edged Crippen to win the 200 I.M. with a time of 1:50.67, compared to Crippen's time of 1:51.00. Mellors also finished second to first-year teammate Bjorn Falk (Wilton, N.H./High Mowing) in the 200 backstroke. Falk touched first with a personal season-best time of 1:49.08 and Mellors was seven-tenths of a second behind in 1:49.79. Third-year Stefan Hirniak (Highland Park, N.J./Princeton Day) rounded out UVa's event winners in the 200 butterfly. He posted a winning time of 1:49.15 in the fly and was also runner-up in the 200 freestyle with a personal season-best time of 1:39.99.

Fourth-year Andrew Barber (Vienna, Va./ Marshall) was runner-up in the two diving events. He scored 310.73 points in the one-meter competition and tallied a season-high 319.58 points on the three-meter board.

UNC's Ryan Funderburk swept the diving competition with scores of 320.70 and 322.20 on the one and three-mete boards, respectively. The Tar Heels' Casey Kott took the two sprint freestyle events with times of 20.84 in the 50 free and 45.78 in the 100 free.

The Cavaliers return to action on Sunday (Jan. 29) when they host Pittsburgh at noon at the UVa Aquatic and Fitness Center. One-meter diving will begin at 11:00 a.m. It marks the final home meet of the season for UVa.

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