Home Care In Chapel Hill, NC

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The University of North Carolina swimming and diving teams hosted their only home meet of the 2023-24 season Tuesday at Koury Natatorium, with the No. 20 UNC women posting a 211-83 victory over UNC Asheville and the Carolina men taking down No. 24 SMU, 184-114, in the final home meet for 16 Tar Heel seniors.

The UNC women won all 16 events and swept the top three places in 14 races, including both relays, while the men won 11 of 16 competitions.

"This was the perfect opportunity for us to see where we were at heading into the second semester," Tar Heel head coach Mark Gangloff said. "I'm really happy with how they competed and attacked the races.

"All in all, it was a team effort and a lot of fun to watch."

Senior Ellie VanNote swept the women's butterfly races, winning the 200 in a time of 1:59.44 and the 100 with a mark of 54.24, edging teammate Elizabeth Sowards by 0.36 seconds. She also swam the third leg for the victorious 200-yard medley relay team.

Junior Skyler Smith reached the wall 0.53 seconds before senior teammate Katja Pavicevic and won the 100-yard breaststroke. However, the duo touched at the exact moment in the 200-yard breaststroke at 2:13.88.

Senior Lily Reader posted the most lopsided win of the afternoon, recording a 10-second victory in the women's 1000 freestyle with a time of 10:07.94.

Delaney Carlton, a graduate transfer from UNC Asheville, won the 100-yard freestyle and swam the anchor leg for the triumphant 200-yard medley relay squad. Greer Pattison, who took first place in the 100-yard backstroke, swam leadoff in the relay before Smith took the second leg.

Georgia Nel (200 Free), Alexandra White (50 Free), Emma Karam (200 Back), Aislin Farris (500 Free), and Samantha Aramand (200 IM) also recorded first-place finishes.

In the diving well, UNC senior Aranza Vazquez Montaño won both women's springboard competitions, as did her younger brother, Rodolfo Vazquez Montaño, on the men's side.

Senior Patrick Hussey and freshman Ben Delmar also recorded two first-place finishes for the men's team. Delmar swept the breaststroke events, touching ahead of SMU's Colin Feehery by 1.8 seconds in the 100 and 5.81 seconds in the 200.

Hussey edged sophomore teammate Louis Dramm by 0.52 seconds in the 200-yard freestyle and Tyler Roberton by 0.26 seconds in the 50-yard freestyle. Hussey also swam leadoff for the winning 400-yard freestyle squad.

Walker Davis (100 Back), Sebastian Lunak (200 Fly), and Boyd Poelke (100 Fly) recorded individual wins.

UNC will return to competition Jan. 19 -20 with an ACC tri-meet against NC State and Virginia in Charlotteville, Va.

Coming off a convincing 76-60 win over Virginia, it looked like NC State men’s basketball was ready to upset one of the best teams in the country. Instead, the Pack squandered an opportunity for a signature win, losing 67-54 to No. 7 UNC-Chapel Hill.

With just over 10 minutes left in the second half, graduate guard Michael O’Connell made a layup to make it a two-point deficit, but then the Tar Heels went on a 15-2 run that stretched over five minutes to put the game away. It’s the third straight game Carolina has held an opponent under 57 points and has done so by disrupting the flow of its opponents’ offenses.

“I’ll just give [Carolina] credit for making us play a little different,” said junior guard Jayden Taylor. “It took us out of our flow and that ultimately led us to playing kinda slow.”

The red-and-white kept the game within reach for a majority of the contest, but it failed to overcome shooting 27% from the floor and an abysmal 2-21 from 3-point range. The Pack’s leading scorer — graduate guard DJ Horne — also had his worst performance of the season, scoring just six points on 2-16 shooting from the field.

“Whenever you’re not making shots, it’s never fun,” Horne said. “It felt like we were kind of even in the first half as far as making shots; in the second half they made more than us.”

While the Pack struggled to make shots, it still played hard defensively for most of the game and managed to hold the Tar Heels to just 39% shooting. The Wolfpack held Carolina guard RJ Davis — the ACC’s leading scorer — to 16 points on 6-19 shooting and completely shut down star Carolina center Armando Bacot, who finished with just nine points and five rebounds.

A sold-out PNC Arena was on its feet from the very first bucket of the game, when fan-favorite graduate forward DJ Burns scored a layup over Bacot to give the Pack a lead it maintained for a good part of the first 12 minutes of play.

UNC went on a 9-0 run later in the half to take the lead as the Pack struggled to knock down shots from distance and finished the first half 0-10 from beyond the arc. NC State moved the ball well and found open looks, but its shots were just not falling.

“I thought we got great looks in the first half, it just didn’t go,” said head coach Kevin Keatts. “It’s going to be tough for us to beat anybody when we shoot the ball that bad, … but we got to figure out how to make some shots.”

Despite shooting so poorly in the first half, the Pack headed to the locker room only down two thanks to the physical defense it played, especially on Bacot and Davis. Taylor did a phenomenal job of making Davis take tough shots, and Burns, along with junior forward Ben Middlebrooks, held it down in the paint to thwart Bacot.

Coming out of the half, both sides started slow offensively — much like the first half — but as time went on the Wolfpack continued to miss shots while the Tar Heels started to make them. The lack of production on offense affected the effort given on the defensive end.

“When you’re not making shots is when you got to become more connected on both ends of the floor,” Keatts said. “We were affected on the defensive end when our shots didn’t go in.”

Against teams like Notre Dame, NC State could afford to have an off night and rely on its defense, but when it plays upper echelon teams, it must find different ways to score when its 3-point shots are not falling.

On a positive note, graduate guard Casey Mosell entered the 1,000-point club when he knocked down a pair of free throws in the first half. But if the Pack wants to avoid another offensive letdown like this, it will need Morsell to step up as he went 0-6 from beyond the arc tonight and made just three of his 12 shots.

It’s still early in the season, and this is only NC State’s first ACC loss, but it needs to find a way to beat teams in the Quad 1 tier of college basketball or it will find itself on the wrong side of the bubble come selection Sunday.

The Pack will look to rebound against Louisville on Saturday, Jan. 13 at the KFC Yum! Center. Tip-off is set for 12 p.m. on the CW.

At Carolina, innovation efforts are converging in a central location called the Innovate Carolina Junction. With the Junction’s Sept. 27 dedication, Carolina became the nation’s only Top 4 public university with a hub located in a downtown innovation district immediately adjacent to its campus.

The Junction occupies 20,000 square feet on the ground and first floors of the seven-story building at 137 E. Franklin St./136 E. Rosemary St. The onetime home to NCNB and the Flower Ladies is being redeveloped as part of Chapel Hill’s Innovation District.

With its main entrance on Rosemary Street, the Junction will anchor the district as the home of Innovate Carolina, the Launch Chapel Hill startup accelerator and several University-linked ventures. BioLabs, a provider of lab and co-working space, leases the entire third floor.

Speakers at the Junction ribbon cutting event included leaders in education, government and innovation. More than 100 researchers, business professionals, students and citizens attended, eager to explore the Junction’s flexible workspaces and learn more about its services and programming.

Welcoming them was the person who shepherded the Junction project to its completion.

“The Junction is a result of the imagination, hard work and persistence of many people. We started down this path pre-COVID, and here we stand more than five years later, in deep gratitude,” said Sheryl Waddell, the Innovate Carolina director of economic development and innovation hubs.

The Junction will “bring our entire network of innovators and entrepreneurs together to solve problems, providing important connections between campus and the community,” said Chancellor Kevin M. Guskiewicz. “Today we are opening our new innovation home.”

The Junction is a key part of Carolina’s larger economic development strategy to amplify the University’s impact by translating research, creating jobs and serving the public, he said.

“It’s clear that commercialization and innovation initiatives at UNC are having the effect that we want to see happen at our universities,” said Jordan Whichard, chief deputy secretary of the North Carolina Department of Commerce. “The Junction is here to help catalyze more companies, more jobs and more economic growth.”

New partnership, new VC

Two of the Junction’s earliest tenants also spoke. J.B. Buxton, president of Durham Technical Community College, announced a partnership agreement with Carolina and the opening of a Junction office where Durham Tech staff will focus on workforce development initiatives. An apprentice program will build on an established UNC Research internship program that offers Durham Tech students experience as clinical trials research associates.

Dedric Carter of Washington University in St. Louis also attended the dedication. Named Carolina’s vice chancellor for innovation, entrepreneurship and economic development and chief innovation officer in June, he will move into his new office Oct. 30.

Carter looked beyond the Junction’s physical space to its opportunities for programming, like this fall’s Spotlight Signature Series on the future of work, and of services to help researchers impact “real lives and real people.”

“Through our partnerships we can find creative solutions that increase the speed of impact on the human condition — from patents to patients, from laboratories to life,” Carter said.

More to come

Mayor Pam Hemminger outlined more changes coming in the next two years:

The Junction will host an open house for the community Oct. 5 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Register online for a free bagel, coffee and a guided tour.

CHAPEL HILL – The University of North Carolina football program has hired 27-year collegiate coaching veteran Geoff Collins to serve as defensive coordinator. An Atlanta native, Collins most recently served as head coach at Georgia Tech for four seasons. In total, Collins has six years of head coaching experience and 11 years of experience as a defensive coordinator at the collegiate level, including six years in the SEC.

"We couldn't be more excited to welcome Geoff Collins, his wife Jennifer, and their daughter Astrid to the Carolina football family," said UNC head coach Mack Brown. "Geoff is brilliant defensive mind, who has been successful at a number of different locations as both a head coach and a coordinator. His experience shows that he knows what it takes to lead the men in our program, and he'll utilize that experience for the benefit of our defense. We were blown away when we interviewed Geoff. He was unbelievably prepared. He had watched all of our games, knew our personnel, and pinpointed the items he'd implement to improve our players and the defensive unit as a whole. I can't wait to get Geoff and his family to Chapel Hill and get to work."

Collins has recruited and/or coached more than three dozen players that have gone on to play in the National Football League. In addition to the five Yellow Jackets drafted under Collins' tutelage and running back Nathan Cottrell, who made the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent out of Tech in 2020, Collins' NFL pupils include Philadelphia Eagles All-Pro defensive tackle Fletcher Cox, a consensus All-American at Mississippi State and No. 12 overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, Pittsburgh Steelers safety Keanu Neal, the No. 17 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, and Baltimore Ravens cornerback Rock Ya-Sin, who earned first-team All-American Athletic Conference honors at Temple and went on to be selected in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft.

"My family and I want to thank Coach Brown and the staff at UNC for presenting us with this opportunity," Collins stated. "I've long admired Carolina and know what a truly special place it is. I feel honored and am very excited to get to work with the high-quality student-athletes in Chapel Hill. This past year has been a very valuable experience personally, studying the game from a unique perspective, following the trends, and preparing for my next coaching position. I'm ready for this challenge. I'm excited for this challenge, and I can't wait to get to Chapel Hill and get started."

While the head coach at Georgia Tech, Collins was faced with installing a pro-style spread offensive attack after 11 years of option football at Tech, all while battling the Covid-19 pandemic. An accomplished recruiter, Collins produced back-to-back nationally lauded recruiting classes. His first full recruiting class in 2020 was ranked No. 24 nationally by Rivals, then re-ranked No. 8 nationally by Bleacher Report during the '20 season based on the impressive play of Tech's newcomers, which included three true-freshman starters on offense. It was only the second top-25 recruiting class in Georgia Tech history, and the first since 2007, a class that was compiled when Collins served as the Yellow Jackets' director of player personnel. His second recruiting class at Tech in 2021 was also a top-20 class when including the rankings of eight highly ranked transfers. In all, Georgia Tech added 34 four- or five-star recruits and 18 of the 50 highest-ranked high-school recruits in program history.

Collins also led the development of five NFL Draft picks in four seasons – TE Tyler Davis (2020), WR Jalen Camp (2021), Ray Guy Award winner P Pressley Harvin III (2021), DB Tariq Carpenter (2022), and DE Keion White (2023). Davis, who was recruited by Collins to come to The Flats as a graduate transfer in 2019, became Georgia Tech's first NFL Draft pick at any position in three years and the first non-specialist to be drafted from Tech in four years. When Camp and Harvin were both selected in 2021, it marked the first time that Tech had multiple picks in the same NFL Draft since 2016. In 2022, Carpenter became the first defensive player drafted out of Tech since '16, and he was followed by White, who was selected in the second round by the Patriots.

During his time on The Flats, Collins and his squad produced a number of memorable victories, including a victory over No. 20 North Carolina in 2021, a thrilling 16-13 come-from-behind triumph at Florida State to open the 2020 season (the Yellow Jackets' first season-opening true road win since 2007), a 28-21 overtime win at Miami in 2019 (Tech's first-ever win over the Hurricanes at Miami's Hard Rock Stadium) and a pair of nationally televised primetime victories – a 28-26 win over NC State in 2019 and a 46-27 victory over Louisville in 2020.

Prior to taking the reins at Georgia Tech, Collins put together the most successful first two seasons by a head coach in Temple's 121-year football history in 2017 and '18. Collins compiled 15 wins and led Temple to two bowl games in his two seasons with the Owls, which are both school records for a coach in his first two campaigns at TU.

In his first season at Temple, Collins led the Owls a 28-3 win over Florida International in the 2017 Gasparilla Bowl, which was good for only the third bowl victory in school history and its first since 2011.

He coached the Owls to an 8-4 record and 7-1 mark in the American Athletic Conference in 2018, with Temple's only conference defeat coming at No. 8-ranked and undefeated UCF. The 8-4 campaign earned Temple a berth in the Independence Bowl.

Prior to becoming head coach at Temple, Collins was one of the nation's most respected defensive coordinators, serving in the role at Florida (2015-16), Mississippi State (2013-14, co-DC: 2011-12), FIU (2010) and his alma mater, Western Carolina (2002-05).

Highlights of his career as a coordinator included ranking among the nation's top 10 in total defense in each of his two seasons at Florida (No. 8 in 2015 and No. 5 in 2016), ranking among the top 25 nationally in total defense (18th – 2013) and scoring defense (23rd – 2014) during his two seasons calling plays at Mississippi State and leading the Sun Belt Conference in total defense, scoring defense and turnover margin in his lone campaign at FIU (2010).

At the time, Collins was the only coach to ever be nominated for the Broyles Award, given to college football's top assistant coach, at three different schools (FIU – 2010, Mississippi State – 2014 and Florida – 2015).

As a student-athlete, Collins totaled 194 career tackles as an outside linebacker and defensive back at Western Carolina (1989-92). He had 68 tackles and six tackles for loss as a junior and helped lead WCU to a 7-4 record with 62 stops, including five behind the line of scrimmage, as a senior.

Collins, 52, is married to the former Jennifer Haynes. They have one daughter, Astrid.

Coaching Experience 2019-22 – Georgia Tech (head coach) 2017-18 – Temple (head coach) 2015-16 – Florida (defensive coordinator) 2013-14 – Mississippi State (defensive coordinator) 2011-12 – Mississippi State (co-defensive coordinator) 2010 – Florida International (defensive coordinator) 2008-09 – UCF (linebackers coach/recruiting coordinator) 2007 – Alabama (director of player personnel) 2006 – Georgia Tech (recruiting coordinator) 2002-05 – Western Carolina (defensive coordinator) 2001 – Georgia Tech (tight ends coach) 1999-2000 – Georgia Tech (graduate assistant) 1997-98 – Albright (defensive coordinator) 1996 – Fordham (linebackers coach) 1995 – Franklin (N.C.) H.S. (assistant coach) 1993-94 – Western Carolina (student assistant)

For up-to-date information on Carolina football, visit GoHeels.com/Football and follow us on Twitter (@UNCFootball), Instagram (@uncfootball) and Facebook (Facebook.com/TarHeelFootball).

ANAHEIM, Calif. – The 2024 NWSL Draft presented by Ally takes place on Friday, Jan. 12, during the U.S. Coaches Convention in Anaheim, California. The Draft features four rounds, totaling 56 picks with 14 selections in each round.

Hosted at the Anaheim Convention Center, the first two rounds of the Draft will be televised live on ION from 8-10 p.m. ET (5-7 p.m. PT). All rounds will be streamed on ION Plus from 8-11 p.m. (5-8 p.m. PT).

The North Carolina women's soccer team has eight players registered for this year's Draft: Emmie Allen, Maycee Bell, Julia Dorsey, Savy King, Sam Meza, Emily Moxley, Avery Patterson and Ally Sentnor.

Players eligible to be selected are those who have registered for the Draft and have been vetted as meeting the eligibility requirements by the NWSL, which include:

A full list of all eligible players can be found here.

Friday will mark the 12th Draft in league history. In the event's 11-year history, the Tar Heels have had two No. 1 overall picks: Crystal Dunn in 2014 to Washington Spirit and Emily Fox in 2021 to Racing Louisville.

The Tar Heels were well-represented in the 2021 NWSL Draft with Fox going first, Brianna Pinto selected at No. 3 and Taylor Otto chosen at No. 11 overall. Last year, All-America defender Tori Hansen was chosen in the third round to become the 21st Tar Heel taken in the NWSL Draft.

In total, North Carolina has produced seven first-round selections since the inaugural NWSL Draft in 2013.

Carolina in the NWSL Draft2013Amber Brooks – No. 24 (Portland Thorns FC)

2014Crystal Dunn – No. 1 (Washington Spirit) *Kealia Ohai – No. 2 (Houston Dash) *Megan Brigman – No. No. 17 (Seattle Reign FC)

2015None

2016Katie Bowen – No. 16 (FC Kansas City)Paige Nielsen – No. 25 (Seattle Reign FC)Alexa Newfield – No. 28 (FC Kansas City)Summer Green – No. 30 (Seattle Reign FC)

2017Cameron Castleberry – No. 36 (Washington Spirit)

2018Megan Buckingham – No. 24 (Chicago Red Stars)Abby Elinsky – No. 30 (Houston Dash)Joanna Boyles – No. 32 (Boston Breakers)

2019Julia Ashley – No. 6 (Sky Blue FC) *Dorian Bailey – No. 8 (Washington Spirit) *Alexandra Kimball – No. 32 (Utah Royals FC)

2020Bridgette Andrzejewski – No. 18 (Houston Dash)

2021Emily Fox – No. 1 (Racing Louisville) *Brianna Pinto – No. 3 (Sky Blue FC) *Taylor Otto – No. 11 (Racing Louisville) *

2022Claudia Dickey – No. 20 (OL Reign)

2023Tori Hansen – No. 25 (Orlando Pride)

* denotes a first-round selection

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