It was coach Dave Allen’s birthday, and what would be a better birthday gift than a win for his UNC Wilmington men’s and women’s swimming teams? The Seahawks were in the Seahawk Natatorium Saturday afternoon, going up against the Bulldogs from Gardner-Webb. They handled business easily, winning 25 of 28 events.

The team swept eight of their events, including the 50-yard and 100-yard freestyles, the two events where both the men and women swept. UNCW has incredible depth this year, and that talent is surprisingly young: 15 of the 30 swimmers on the men’s team are freshman.

When asked about the depth of his team, Coach Allen had only positive things to say. “We have a lot of depth,” Allen said. “Right now we are trying to explore that depth a little bit. We’re moving people around, putting them in different events, trying to get a good balance so as we get further and further into our season, we’ll know where to put people in order to be competitive.”

The Seahawk relay teams looked particularly strong. “We put a lot of emphasis on relays, and the guys and girls really get up for them,” Allen said. “It’s the biggest ‘team’ part of the meet, and the kids love that.”

UNCW looks to build on this victory next Saturday, when they’re back in the pool for a dual-meet against Emory.