Tar Heels Maintain Lead After Day Two of ACC Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships

CHAPEL HILL, North Carolina, February 15. NORTH Carolina notched top-three finishes in four of the five events and combined for 262 total points to hold onto a solid lead in the team standings after day two of the 2007 Atlantic Coast Conference Women's Swimming and Men's and Women's Diving Championships at Koury Natatorium in Chapel Hill, N.C.

Defending league champion Florida State remains in second place with 200 points after seven events, followed by Virginia in third with 198 points. Clemson tallied 168 points to climb to fourth, while Miami and Virginia Tech are tied in fifth with 141 points each.

Maryland heads into day three of the ACC Championship with 119 points, while Georgia Tech (68), NC State (64), Duke (51) and Boston College (48) complete the remainder of the field.

UNC's Whitney Sprague became the second-ever Tar Heel and first since Chrissy Miller in 1998 to win the 500 freestyle at the ACC Championships. The sophomore from Bronxville, N.Y., was the first swimmer on the day to post an NCAA automatic qualifying mark, turning in a winning 4:45.25 time.

Jen Guyler from Florida State and Virginia's Jenn Narum improved their times in the championship final of the 500 free, as the two recorded NCAA "B" times of 4:49.98 and 4:51.58 to place second and third, respectively.

In the 200-yard individual medley, Virginia Tech claimed two of top three spots. Triangle native Jessica Botzum won the race in 2:00.53, barely missing the NCAA automatic qualifying mark of 2:00.52. It is the second year in a row that a Hokie swimmer has won the 200 IM.

Alison Clemens of UNC came in second with an NCAA "B" time of 2:01.51, while sophomore Sara Smith of Virginia Tech also recorded a "B" cut finishing in third with 2:02.06.

For the second straight year, FSU's Christie Raleigh won the 50 freestyle clocking an NCAA "A" cut time of 22.67. Clemson's Rachel Regone followed in second place with an NCAA B standard time of 22.83, while UNC's Eliza Butts also turned in an NCAA "B" mark (23.26) to round out the top three in the event.

The first ACC meet record was shattered in the 200-yard freestyle relay Thursday night, as Clemson won the event for the third all-time and second since 2002. The Tiger foursome of Rachel Regone, Lauren Sindall, Michelle Parkhurst and Kallie Deters won the race in 1:31.09. That time also broke the Koury Natatorium pool record, set in 2000 by UNC.

FSU's quartet of Lauren Brick, Kylsie Grimes, Abbie Kind and Christie Raleigh combined for a runner-up finish in the 200 free relay with a time of 1:31.12, while the Virginia squad of Stephanie Glover, Jess Lewis, Amber Bialas and Katy Bland came in third at 1:31.54.

The finals for the women's one-meter and men's three-meter were also held Thursday, as Miami made a sweep of both titles. Junior Jenna Dreyer posted 336 points, becoming the third straight Hurricane diver to win the women's one-meter title. Teammate Heather Bounds tacked on 284.35 points for a runner-up finish, while UNC's Laura Filip took third with 280.25.

In the men's three-meter diving competition, freshman Ruben Ross took first place to earn his first career league championship title. FSU's Terry Horner placed second and Hurricane senior Derek Starks rounded out the top three.

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