North Carolina Swimming and Diving Sweeps East Carolina in Mark Gangloff Debut

Photo Courtesy: Jeffrey A. Camarti-UNC Athletics Communications

The North Carolina swimming and diving team opened the 2019-20 season with a pair of wins over visiting East Carolina Friday afternoon at Koury Natatorium in Mark Gangloff’s first meet as head coach. The Tar Heel women produced a dominant effort throughout the meet, topping ECU 170-115. On the men’s side, UNC held off a late Pirate rally with a thrilling win in the 400 freestyle relay to triumph by a count of 157-143.

RESULTS

North Carolina Swimming and Diving Press Release

“It was great because our team really stepped it up when they needed to at the end of the meet,” head coach Mark Gangloff said following his first meet in charge of the Carolina program. “The ECU men pushed us all the way to the end but they did what they needed to do to get the ‘W’.”

After entering the 400 relay with a 5-point lead, UNC’s Jack Messenger, Tomas Sungalia, Tucker Burhans and Daniel Koenigsperger teamed for a time of 3:00.51, besting ECU’s top relay by .48 seconds. Messenger and Burhans were also on the winning 200 medley relay that opened the day with a win, and Messenger triumphed in the 50 free in 20.79.

Carolina dominated the freestyle events, with Nick Palmer (1000), Sungalia (200) and Dimitrios Dimitriou (500) joining Messenger as individual event winners. Tyler Hill added a win in the 100 back, finishing in 49.21.

The Tar Heel women went 1-2 in the 200 medley relay to start the meet and never looked back en route to a one-sided victory.

“They were just dominant throughout, from the first relay all the way through the end,” Gangloff said. “Sophie Lindner was great, Allie Reiter was great, our relays were great, I’m really excited with where they are at.”

Lindner and Reiter with both double individual winners on the day. After swimming the first leg of the 200 medley relay, Lindner swept the backstroke events, winning the 100 in 54.52 and the 200 in 1:58.17. Reiter was victorious in both breaststroke events, taking the 100 in 1:03.00 and the 200 in 2:16.96.

Joining Lindner and Reiter as a double winner was graduate student Robyn Dryer. Dryer won the 1000 free to start the day and then tied teammate Bryanna Cameron in winning the 500. Emma Cole (200 free), Caroline Cooper (200 fly), Grace Countie (100 free) and Ellie VanNote (100 fly) were also winners on the day.

North Carolina Swimming and Diving will resume training ahead of its next home meet, a dual with Georgia at Koury Natatorium on Oct. 25.

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