North Carolina State University Athletics
Swimming & Diving Opens Season With Victories
10/17/2002 12:00:00 AM | Swimming
Oct. 17, 2002
Raleigh, N.C. - NC State opened its swimming and diving season Thursday night with wins against ACC foe Duke, while the women also posted victories over Richmond and Gardner-Webb. The diving squad had three women qualify for Zone Championships, while sweeping first, second and third place honors in both diving events.
NC State's Molly Culberson, Erin Bailey and Amber O'Reilly posted qualifying scores for March's Zone Diving Championships. Culberson posted the top score on the 3-meter board with a total of 319.45 and finished second on the 1-meter to Bailey. Bailey, the current Wolfpack 1-meter record holder, posted a 293.55 on the board, and finished second on the 3-meter. Culberson finished in third in both events. Ashley Lamberton was fifth on the 1-meter. Richmond, Duke and Gardner-Webb rounded out the top 10. TJ Ferguson swept the diving events for the men with scores of 271.6 and 281.40 on the 1- and 3- meter boards, while Steve House finished third for the Wolfpack.
The men's team defeated Duke, 147.5 - 74.5. Solid swimming in the freestyle events put the meet away for the Wolfpack. NC State took first, second and third place honors in the 50-, 100-, 200- and 1000-free events. Duke's Teddy Helfer's was the only swimmer stopping the Pack from the complete sweep in the freestyle events. He finished first in the 500, followed in second and third by Robert Terrell and Dan Kesler. Freshman John Hudson won the 50-free with a time of 21.79, while Cristian Rojas took first place honors in the 100. Jorge Gutierrez touched the wall first in the 200, and freshman Seth Hoffman came out on top in the 1000-free race.
NC State also picked up wins in the 200-IM, 200-fly and 200-back. NC State squads swept the 400-Medley Relay as well. Sophomore Rob Yeager finished first in the 200-IM with a time of 1:53.77, just over a second of his career best. Sophomore Charlie Hughes finished the 200-fly in a time of 1:56.79, beating out Duke's Helfers by just under six tenths of a second. Freshman Steven Cowling got his first collegiate win in the 200-back with a time of 1:56.01.
NC State's women defeated Duke, Gardner-Webb and Richmond, despite not finishing first in any event other than diving. The Pack had numerous second, third and fourth place finishes, including a close race in which Anna Maria Gadza finished a quarter-stroke behind Richmond's Elizabeth Cook for second place. Freshman Kendall Smith had a solid performance, finishing second in the 100-free and third in the 50-free, while leading off the first leg of the second place 400 medley relay team. Claire Nicholls and Allison Marks finished second and third respectively in the 1000-free, and Jessica Koenig and Karen Burbella took third and fourth in the 200-IM. The Pack also finished strong in the 500-free with Carolina Curran and Nicholls taking third and fourth in that event.
The Wolfpack has no time for celebration, as the team will travel to College Park, Md. for a showdown at 12-noon with the Maryland Terrapins in ACC dual meet action.
Men's Results NC State def. Duke 147.5-74.5Women's Results NC State (3-0) def. Duke 135-108 def. Gardner-Webb 188-49 def. Richmond 132-111
Richmond (2-1) lost to NC State 132-111 def. Duke 135-108 def. Gardner-Webb 204-33
Duke (1-2) lost NC State 108-135 lost Richmond 135-108 def. Gardner-Webb 192-45
Gardner-Webb (0-3) lost to NC State 188-49 lost to Richmond 204-33 lost to Duke 192-45
