July 5, 2008

OMAHA, NEB. - Joe Kinderwater, a rising sophomore All-America swimmer for the University of North Carolina from Lancaster, Pa., became the Tar Heels' first 2008 U.S. Swimming Olympic Trials finalist as he went over nine seconds faster than his previous personal best to claim the last spot in the field for the 1500-meter freestyle championship heat Sunday night.

Kinderwater went 15:22.45 to place eighth in the prelims of the 1500 meters, over nine seconds off his personal best of 15:31.86. Kinderwater will swim in the finals of the event live on NBC Sunday night beginning at 8 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time with coverage from Omaha's Qwest Center. The top two swimmers in the championship final will make the 2008 Olympic Team.

UNC redshirt junior Chip Peterson of Pine Knoll Shores, N.C., also had a brilliant swim in the 1500-meter preliminaries as he finished 12th in a time of 15:27.17. He became the fourth different Tar Heel in the meet to earn a placing of 12th or above -- Kinderwater and Peterson in the 1500 meter free, Whitney Sprague in the 800 meter free (11th) and Tyler Harris in the 400 IM (12th).

In the women's 50-meter freestyle, recent graduate Kelsey Morrissy had her second career best of the meet with a time of 26.11, bettering her previous personal best of 26.38. Morrissy finished 38th, improving 51 spots over her No. 89 seeds. Rising sophomore Rebecca Kane swam a 26.55 to place 77th.