Grace Countie Hits 51.8 100 Back as UNC Overpowers Duke on Senior Night

DUKE V. UNC WOMEN

• January 29, 2021
• Chapel Hill, NC
• Results
• Scores
  • North Carolina 190, Duke 110
• Notable absences
  • UNC: Paige Burrell (diving)
  • Duke: Mia Bullock, Connie Dean, Melissa Pish

The North Carolina women triumphed over Duke at home on Senior Night, led by a huge 100 back performance from junior Grace Countie.

Popping a 51.89, Countie put up her second-fastest performance ever behind her 51.59 from 2019, making it her second time under 52 seconds ever. Nationally, she now checks in at #10 this season. In the 100 free, Countie clocked a 49.30 to add a second win, while she was 24.62 leading off the winning 200 medley relay (1:37.90) and 49.09 on the second leg of the winning 400 free relay (3:18.53).

Princeton transfer and sophomore Addison Smith and junior Sophie Lindner contributed double wins yesterday, too. Smith clocked a 4:51.57 in the 500 free and 9:56.67 in the 1000 free, setting a new personal best in the latter. Lindner, meanwhile, won the 200 free (1:46.59) and 200 back (1:54.24), adding a big 23.35 fly leg on UNC’s winning medley relay.

Other winners for the Tar Heels included junior Heidi Lowe in the 50 free (22.70), sophomore Ellie VanNote in the 100 fly (53.56) and freshman diver Aranza Vazquez on both boards.

Duke snagged a few victories, led by star freshman Sally Foley, who tripled up. She was 1:00.45 in the 100 breast, 2:09.68 in the 200 breast and 1:58.60 in the 200 IM to make up the majority of the Blue Devil wins. Foley clocked a lifetime best in the 100 breast, taking over three-tenths off of her old best of 1:00.81 from high school.

In the 200 fly, Duke junior Cabell Whitlow went 1:57.20 for the win, a little over a second off of her best.