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Feb. 26, 2000
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Fourth-year Doak Finch (Southern Pines, N.C./O’Neal)and third-year Troy Johnson (St. George, Utah/Dixie) led a group of 10Virginia swimmers that have advanced from four preliminary events toSaturday evening’s finals of the 2000 ACC Men’s Swimming and DivingChampionship at Maurice J. Koury Natatorium on the campus of the Universityof North Carolina. Ninth-ranked Virginia enters the last session of the47th annual ACC Championship with a 102.5 point lead over 21st-ranked NorthCarolina with seven final events remaining.
Finch led a top-three UVa sweep in the 100 butterfly as he posted apersonal-best and NCAA automatic qualifying time of 1:44.69. First-yearEvan Taylor (Issaquah, Wash./Issaquah) shattered his former PR with an NCAAautomatic qualifying time of 1:45.82 in finishing second. Third-yearMichael Fuller (Richmond, Va./Mills Godwin) was third in a career-best timeof 1:47.91.
Johnson was the lone Cavalier to qualify for the finals of the 100freestyle as he won the prelims with a personal-best time of 44.57 seconds.His time meets the NCAA “B” qualifying standard.
In the 200 backstroke, the ‘Hoos had three swimmers advance to the finals.First-year Chris Mousetis (Newport News, Va./Woodside) clocked a time of1:47.05 to grab second place in the prelims. First-year Guy Yimsomruay(Bangkok, Thailand/Germantown) finished right behind Mousetis in thirdplace with a time of 1:47.32. Both swimmers set PRs while meeting the NCAA”B” qualifying time. First-year Mike Wheeler (Lisbon, Md./McDonogh), whoalso set a personal-best time, was sixth in 1:48.48.
Virginia had a pair of swimmers make the finals in the 200 breaststroke.First-year Jonathan Baird (Nashville, Tenn./Montgomery Bell Academy) wasfourth in the prelims (2:01.12), while third-year Justin Capuco(Burtonsville, Md./Good Counsel) was sixth (2:02.12). Both swimmers setpersonal-bests in meeting the NCAA “B” qualifying standard. Second-year EdMoses (Burke, Va./Burke), the defending ACC champion in the 200breaststroke and favorite to win the title again this year, wasdisqualified in the prelims.
Other UVa competitors in Saturday’s preliminaries include:
| Jared Felker | 16th | 100 Free | 45.87 |
| Jimmy Blitzer | 28th | 100 Free | 46.69 |
The Cavaliers lead the ACC Championship with 520 points, while NorthCarolina is second with 417.50 points. Florida State and N.C. State arebattling for third place with the Seminoles holding a 338.50-311 edge.Maryland (269), Georgia Tech (184), Clemson (183), and Duke (94) round outthe field.
In addition to the 100 fly, 100 free, 200 back and 200 breast, finals willalso be conducted in the three-meter diving, 1650 freestyle, and the 400freestyle relay. Finals begin at 7:00 p.m. this evening. The entireresults of the ACC meet can be obtained on UNC’s website atwww.tarheelblue.com