July 7, 2009
INDIANAPOLIS, IND. -
Rising juniors Joe Kinderwater of Lancaster, Pa. and Vinny Pryor of Jaffrey, N.H. started off competition for the University of North Carolina men's swimming and diving teams Tuesday in the 2009 Conoco Phillips USA Swimming National Championships and World Championships Trials at the IUPUI Natatorium in Indianapolis, Ind.
Kinderwater earned a berth in the "C" Final of the 400-meter freestyle where he set a personal best time in the event by a margin of almost two full seconds. In the prelims of the event Tuesday morning, Kinderwater swam a 3:57.00 to finish 25th as he was 7.03 seconds behind first-place finisher Peter Vanderkaay. Kinderwater smashed his previous career best of 3:58.39 in the prelims.
Because of scratches, Kinderwater returned to compete in the "C" Final Tuesday evening where he placed 22nd in a time of 3:56.41, taking more than a half second off his preliminary time. Kinderwater was also 25th in the 400-meter individual medley Tuesday as he registered a time of 4:30.09. Kinderwater qualified for the "C" Final and swimming his second final of the evening he placed 24th in 4:33.17.
Pryor competed in the 100-meter breaststroke where he ended up in a tie for 28th place with a time of 1:04.96, 5.07 seconds behind the top prelim time turned in by Eric Shanteau.
Additionally, 2001 Tar Heel alumna Erika Acuff Erndl placed ninth in the women's 200-meter individual medley, winning the "B" final. She was clocked in 2:13.89, a career best time by nearly three seconds. A year ago, Erndl set the UNC women's long course record in the 200 IM at 2:16.05 at the 2008 U.S. Open. She eradicated that time Tuesday. Erndl had qualified in 14th place with a time of 2:16.24. Also swimming the 200-meter IM on the women's side was rising sophomore Sarah Tanner who finished 63rd in a time of 2:23.34.
Several more Tar Heel swimmers will be in competition during the next few days of the Championships. Junior
Tommy Wyher (New Port Richey, Fla.) and senior
Jeff James (Chapel Hill, N.C.) will both compete in the 100-meter backstroke Wednesday. Wyher and junior
Rebecca Kane (Toms River, N.J.) will be in action Thursday in the 100-meter butterfly and 50-meter freestyle, respectively. Kinderwater will swim in the 1500-meter freestyle Friday and on Saturday, Kane will swim the 100-meter freestyle, Pryor the 200-meter breaststroke and James the 200-meter backstroke.
