Meet of the Week Recap: North Carolina Women Rip Maryland, 205-83

By Jason Marsteller

CHAPEL HILL, North Carolina, January 27. IN the final home dual meet for North Carolina head coach Frank Comfort, the North Carolina women ripped Maryland, 205-83, for a SwimmingWorldMagazine.com Meet of the Week victory. UNC won 11 out of 16 events with several top-three sweeps.

Whitney Sprague and Alison Clemens led North Carolina with a pair of individual event wins. Sprague won the 200 free (1:51.32) and the 500 free (B-cut 4:53.95), while Clemens touched first in the 100 breast (1:05.36) and the 400 IM (4:26.43).

Meanwhile, Andrea Lehner paced Maryland with a daily double of her own by winning the 1000 free (10:05.75) and the 100 free (51.41).

200 medley relay
The Maryland women stepped out to an 11-6 advantage when Natalie Ferdinand, Sasha Malanina, Gigi de Toll and Yelena Skalinskaya touched first in 1:45.95. North Carolina's contingent of Meagan Eickman, Alison Clemens, Sarah Scott and Eliza Butts placed second in 1:46.58, while the squad of Megan Stevens, Marissa Nilon, Lindsey Marck and Aubrette Biegel took third in 1:46.99.

1000 freestyle
Maryland held onto the lead, 20-15, when Andrea Lehner cruised to victory in 10:05.75 for the Terps. UNC took second and third with Nicole O'Donnell touched second in 10:13.77 and Lindsay McIlvain taking third in 10:15.03.

200 freestyle
The Tar Heels countered in the 200 free with a 1-2-3 effort to take a 31-23 advantage. Whitney Sprague won the race in 1:51.32, while teammates Kristin Oxford (1:51.41) and Kelsey Morrissy (1:51.62) finished second and third, respectively. Yelena Skalinskaya recorded a fifth-place 1:55.46 for Maryland's top effort.

100 backstroke
Another top-three sweep gave UNC a 47-26 lead with Meagan Eickman hitting the wall first in 57.62, while Ashley Howard finished second in 58.96 and Kim Davis took third in 59.03. Annie Broome gave Maryland its top finish with a fourth-place 59.94.

100 breaststroke
North Carolina went up 63-29 with another 1-2-3. Alison Clemens grabbed the title in 1:05.36, while Marissa Nilon took second in 1:06.13. Barbara Thomas turned in a third-place time of 1:06.56, while Katarina Csomova posted Maryland's best effort with a fourth-place 1:07.33.

200 butterfly
UNC pushed its lead to 78-33 with a 1-2 finish when Lindsey Marck rolling to a win in 2:04.34, while Emily Reardon finished second in 2:06.89. Sasha Malanina of Maryland wound up with a third-place time of 2:08.45.

50 freestyle
The Terps stopped the bleeding in the sprint free when Yelena Skalinskaya hit the wall first in 23.66 to help Maryland cut the gap to 85-45. North Carolina's Eliza Butts (24.37) and Kim Davis (24.43) rounded out the podium.

100 freestyle
Maryland continued to chop away as Andrea Lehner scored her second title of the day in 51.41. UNC's Kelsey Morrissy placed second in 51.57, while teammate Sarah Stankavage finished third in 54.69. At the end of the event, UNC led by 92-56.

200 backstroke
North Carolina reached the century mark to take a 107-60 advantage with a 1-2 effort. Ashley Howard earned the win in 2:02.65, while Megan Steeves snagged second in 2:05.68. Maryland's Jackie Davidson picked up third in 2:07.16.

200 breaststroke
UNC won another title with Kelly Woodruff clocking a 2:23.06 for first. Teammate Jen Frazier finished second in 2:24.80, while Maryland's Nina Rossi took third in 2:26.27. At the end of the race, North Carolina held a 122-64 advantage.

500 freestyle
Maryland elected to surrender the middle distance event with no swimmers competing as North Carolina grabbed a 138-64 lead. Whitney Sprague claimed her second title with a B-cut time of 4:53.95. Her teammates, Kristin Oxford (4:58.86) and Nicole O'Donnell (5:07.06) closed out the top-three in second and third place, respectively.

100 butterfly
The Terps went 1-2 in the 100 fly to trail 144-77 when Jen Vogel won in 56.67, while teammate Annie Broome placed second in 56.84. Sarah Scott recorded UNC's top time with a third-place 57.46.

Three-meter diving
The Tar Heels picked up another freebie sweep with no Maryland divers to contend the three-meter diving points. After Erika Matheis (298.65), Laura Filip (296.40) and Katy Pritchett (221.03) swept the diving points, UNC led 160-77.

400 IM
North Carolina dominated the 400 IM with a 1-2-3 performance to take a 176-79 lead. Alison Clemens pocketed her second individual title with a first-place time of 4:26.43, while teammates Ashley Howard (4:27.42) and Kelly Woodruff (4:27.98) placed second and third, respectively. Nina Rossi gave Maryland its top finish with an eighth-place 4:32.70.

200 freestyle relay
North Carolina's foursome of Sarah Scott, Aubrette Biegel, Kim Davis and Sarah Stankavage won the 200 free relay in 1:34.64, while Maryland's quartet of Andrea Lehner, Yelena Skalinskaya, Maya Finkler and Emily Smoak took second in 1:35.45 as UNC took a 189-83 advantage.

One-meter diving
The Tar Heels finished the scoring at 205-83 with another freebie diving sweep. Lauren Karatanevski placed first with 287.85 points, while Laura Filip (287.78) and Erika Matheis (265.20) rounded out the top three.

MOTW, Maryland at North Carolina Map

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