400 Free Relay Win Lifts Virginia Men Over UNC

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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. A Virginia victory in the 400 free relay, the final event of the afternoon, gave the No. 13 Cavalier men a 156-144 win over No. 14 North Carolina Saturday at the Aquatic and Fitness Center. The meet was broadcasted and can be archived via on the Internet online at www.ACCSelect.com.

Virginia’s team of John Azar, Peter Geissinger, Scot Robison and Matt McLean combined to finish in an NCAA provisional qualifying time of 2:58.33 to give the Cavaliers the win over their ACC foe.

“It was an incredibly exciting afternoon,” Virginia head coach Mark Bernardino said. “There was a great fan base and lots of support in the building. We got off to a rough start but were able to come back strong in the second segment of the meet. We found our character and our courage. We found what makes us the kind of team we have been these last several years. We knew it was going to be a fight and that it would come down to the last event. We had the right people in the right spots down the home stretch. We were able to come out with a great win.”

Ryan Hurley helped pace the Virginia men, taking first-place honors in the 100 breast (55.61) and the 200 breast (1:58.31).

McLean, meanwhile, went on to win the 200 and 500 freestyle events. He won the 200 free with an NCAA B time of 1:36.17 while clocking a mark of 4:19.84, another B time, in the 500 free. Teammate Taylor Smith earned a second-place finish in the 500 free with a time of 4:25.82.

Robison had a pair of individual wins in the 50 free (20.43) and the 100 free (44.23). Azar finished second in the 100 free with a time of 45.20. The Cavaliers also went 1-2 in the 100 fly, led by Robertson’s winning time of 49.04. Robison took second in 49.40.

David Wren placed second in the 200 back with a time of 1:47.69 while Pat Mellors also took second in the 200 IM with a time of 1:51.99.

The Cavaliers are back in action at 1 p.m. tomorrow against Duke. The meet will mark the final home event of the 2008-09 season for the Virginia swimming and diving teams.