UNC Men, Women Top East Carolina in First Meet Under Gangloff

University of North Carolina vs. East Carolina

• Friday, October 4, 2019
• Koury Natatorium, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
• SCY
• Full Results
• Scores
  • Women – UNC 170, ECU 115
  • Men – UNC 157, 143

Both the University of North Carolina men and women defeated in-state rivals East Carolina University Friday in Chapel Hill. This was the first meet for the Tar Heels under new head coach Mark Gangloff, who was hired in May in the wake of longtime head coach Rich DeSelm’s retirement.

On the women’s side, UNC nearly made a clean sweep of things. Sophie Lindner took both backstrokes with times of 54.52/1:58.17. Likewise, Allie Reiter swept the breaststrokes, going 1:03.00/2:16.96. Robyn Dryer also earned multiple victories for the Tar Heels, first winning the 1000 free by nearly seven seconds with a time of 10:08.71, then tying for gold with teammate Bryanna Cameron in the 500 as both touched in 4:56.52.

Discounting exhibitioned events, only Adela Vavrinova‘s 2:04.79 victory in the 200 IM prevented the UNC women from winning every swimming event, as UNC won 170-115.

It was much closer on the men’s side, where UNC won the first four events, but ECU stormed back, keeping things close heading into the final relay.

Lyubomir Epitropov‘s win in the 100 breast (55.35) ended UNC’s initial streak and  kicked off six straight victories for the ECU Men. Epitropov was the only double event winner on the men’s side, also taking the 200 breast in 1:59.78.

ECU’s comeback meant that the 400 free relay would decide the meet. Both teams were evenly matched, with no more than half a second separating any opposing leg. In the end UNC came out on top with a 3:00.51, to 3:00.99, led by Tucker Burhans‘ 44.71 split, the only sub-45 in the field, as UNC took the meet 157-143.

East Carolina Release

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — The East Carolina men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams dropped dual meets to North Carolina on Friday at Koury Natatorium with the men falling 157-143 and the ladies 170-115.

“This was a good test for us and we responded well,” Pirate head coach Matthew Jabs said. “In most cases we swam faster today than we did last week [against Old Dominion].

“On the men’s side, it was a tight meet and even though we fell behind early, we came roaring back to take it down to the last relay. The ladies showed a lot of improvement as well. We’re excited to open our home schedule next weekend.”

ECU sophomore Lyubomir Epitropov collected a pair of victories, touching first in the 100-yard breaststroke (55.35) and the 200-yard breaststroke (1:59.78). He was also part of the second-place 200-yard medley relay team along with Marek Osina, Gustavo Santos and James Ward.

Epitropov’s win in the 100-yard breaststroke was the first of six consecutive individual victories for the Pirates, who won eight of the final nine races before the deciding 400-yard freestyle relay, which UNC claimed by 0.48 seconds to send ECU its first loss of the season.

Osina (200 IM), Santos (100 Fly), Ward (100 Free), Magnus Andersen (200 Back), Adam Mahler (200 Fly) and Ray Romero (1M Diving) each won a single event.

On the women’s side, Adela Vavrinova posted a trio of medal finishes, placing first in the 200 IM and third in the 200 and 1000-yard freestyle.

Lise-Lotte Bentin finished third in the 100-yard butterfly as did Kristen Stege in the 500-yard freestyle and Lily West in the both the 100 and 200-yard breaststroke.

Freshman Jodi Ogle touched second in the 200-yard backstroke, while Shannon Stott finished as runner-up in the 200-yard butterfly.

Marianna Vignoli and Meghan French finished second and third in 1000-yard freestyle with Keyla Brownclaiming the final spot on the medal stand in the 50-yard freestyle.

The Pirates will open their home schedule Saturday, Oct. 12, against William & Mary with the meet scheduled for a 1 p.m. start.

UNC Release

CHAPEL HILL — The North Carolina swimming and diving teams opened the 2019-20 season with a pair of wins over visiting East Carolina Friday afternoon at Koury Natatorium. 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.

“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.

Carolina also had a great showing in diving, winning three of the four events contested. Emily Grund paced the Tar Heel women with the top score of the day at both the 3-meter (335.40) and 1-meter (284.33) heights. Andrew Owsiany was a winner for the men at 3 meters (335.03) and took second at 1 meter (292.95).

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