North Carolina State University Athletics
Outlook is Positive for NC State Swimming
2/7/2000 12:00:00 AM | Swimming
The new millennium has had fruitful rewards for the NC State swimming and diving squads. Entering the ACC Championships, which will be held at UNC's Koury Natatorium, both the Wolfpack men and women have found a renewed sense of accomplishment.
The NC State men are fresh off an upset of No. 20 North Carolina. That victory, which was the 501st in the program's history, snapped the Pack's seven meet losing streak at Chapel Hill. In fact, that victory was NC State's first ever in the Koury Natatorium, which was opened in 1987. Prior to the Wolfpack's 123.5-119.5 victory over the Tar Heels on February 4, they had last defeated UNC, 63-50, at the Bowman Gray Pool in 1984.
Following the victory over North Carolina, NC State returned home to the Willis Casey Aquatics Center and disposed of ACC rival Clemson, 152-91, in the final regular season meet of the year. That victory clinched the Wolfpack men's 23rd ACC regular-season title, the most ever for a league school.
Individual standouts for the Pack include Greg Solt and Andy Johnson. Solt's 20.33 in the 50 freestyle from the Cornhusker Shoot Out not only led NC State to victory in the invitational hosted by a nationally-ranked Nebraska squad, but is already a NCAA B Qualifying time. Look for Solt and his fellow 1999 All-Americans, Braden Holloway, Jarod Proto and Valter Magnusson, to make a return trip to this year's NCAAs. Not to be outdone by his teammates, diver Andy Johnson has the distinction of breaking the school mark on both the one (362.775) and the three-meter (369.00) boards in a 141-91 victory over UNCW.
The only blemish on the Wolfpack's record, which stands at 14-1, 6-1 in the ACC, is a defeat at the hands of No. 10 Virginia in Charlottesville. However, NC State has a 2-1 mark against ranked opponents this season, as they defeated the then No. 19 Florida State Seminoles, 152-148, on October 16, 1999.
The NC State men will enter the ACC Championships, which will be held from February 24-26, with the confidence necessary to capture its 24th ACC title, and first conference crown since the 1991-92 season.
This season has also been a profitable one for the Wolfpack women. They finished up the season with 10 victories in 1999-2000, twice as many as last season's tally. That win total is the most since the 1992-93 squad went 10-4 on it's way to a third place conference finish.
The NC State women posted a winning streak of six meets earlier in the season, as they started out the year by taking home victories in eight of the club's first 10 contests, including the dismantling of conference foe Duke, 153-88.
Diver Shelley Cavaliere will look to regain the form that saw her capture the 1997 ACC Championship on the one-meter diving board. Cavaliere has been successful for much of the season, highlighted by a school record 336.825 mark on the three-meter board versus Duke. Cavaliere hasn't been the only record breaker for the Pack this season. Freshman Erin Bailey had a 305.04 score on the one-meter board against UNCW, serving notice that she would be a force at the ACCs. Many of the Wolfpack's swimmers have seen improvements this season and newcomer Annamaria Gazda, whose first meet as a member of the NC State squad didn't come until January 7 against Denison, has solidified the Wolfpack's backstroke and IM events.
The NC State women will be participating in the ACCs from February 17-19. They will look to improve on last season's late surge that saw the women fall a mere 30 points out of the third place position. With the continued improvement that the women have already shown there's definitely optimism that the Pack will make its mark at the conference championships.
