Diving into the Deep End: Highlights from This Week in ACC Swimming & Diving

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – The Atlantic Coast Conference kicks off the swimming and diving week early with two teams entering the pool on Tuesday, January 7.

Georgia Tech and Miami initiate the week as Miami welcomes Iowa, and the Yellow Jackets host Auburn and Carson-Newman. In their last outing, Miami achieved a clean sweep in a tri-meet against Cincinnati and FAU, tallying 330.5 points compared to 90.5. Georgia Tech secured fourth place in both the men’s and women’s divisions during the Georgia Tech Invite held from November 22-24.

 

Notre Dame is set to face Kentucky and Purdue in West Lafayette, Indiana, during a tri-meet on Friday and Saturday, January 10-11. The Fighting Irish finished fifth in the Ohio State Fall Invitational on November 24, marking their last competition of 2024.

 

Pitt will host George Washington and West Virginia in a two-day tri-meet commencing this Friday. In their latest meet, the Panthers established five school records and achieved multiple top-10 placements in Austin, Texas, at the Texas Invitational.

 

SMU travels to Austin, Texas, to compete against the Longhorns on Saturday. The Mustangs participated in the UGA Diving Invitational last week. For the men, freshman diver Luke Sitz clinched two top-three finishes in the diving event. On the women’s front, senior diver Jaclynn Fowler secured second in the 1-meter while Reagan Evans also registered a top-10 finish.

 

In-state rivals Duke and North Carolina will compete against each other on Friday. In the Mid-Season Invitational in November, the Blue Devils garnered 10 finishes within the top 10. During the UGA Diving Invitational, North Carolina had six divers from both the men’s and women’s teams reach the finals.

 

Another pair of in-state rivals, Virginia Tech and Virginia, will clash in a one-day competition on Saturday. Last weekend, the Hokies split their Senior Day meet against South Carolina, with the men prevailing 204-96 and the women succumbing 175-125. The Virginia men were defeated by Tennessee at the Tennessee Invite in November while the No. 1 ranked Cavalier women’s team continued their unbeaten run.

 

Stanford will make its way to Los Angeles, California, on Saturday for the UCLA Diving Invite. This is a four-day event that will continue until Tuesday, January 14.

Weekly Schedule (All Times Eastern)

Tuesday, January 7

Auburn and Carson-Newman at Georgia Tech | Noon | ACCNX

Iowa at Miami | 2 p.m.

 

Friday, January 10

Notre Dame vs. Kentucky and Purdue | 2 p.m.

George Washington and West Virginia at Pitt | 2 p.m. | ACCNX

Duke at North Carolina | 5 p.m.

Saturday, January 11

George Washington and West Virginia at Pitt | All Day | ACCNX

Virginia Tech at Virginia | All Day | ACCNX

SMU at Texas | All Day

Stanford at UCLA | All Day

 

Sunday, January 12

Stanford at UCLA | All Day

Noting ACC Swimming and Diving

• The ACC had eight teams in the latest CSCAA Division I Women’s Top 25 Poll, led by Virginia in the No. 1 position and Stanford at No. 3. Louisville, NC State, and Cal completed the top 10 at No. 8, No. 9, and No. 10. North Carolina was ranked No. 17, Duke at No. 20, and Florida State at No. 25.
• The ACC boasted 10 teams in the most recent CSCAA Division I Men’s Top 25 Poll, with California at No. 5, NC State at No. 6, Stanford at No. 8, and Louisville at No. 10 within the top 10. North Carolina was ranked No. 12, Virginia at No. 17, Virginia Tech at No. 19, Georgia Tech at No. 21, Florida State at No. 22, and SMU at No. 25.
• At the 2024 World Aquatics 25m Championships, Virginia secured 10 World Championships titles and established 11 Individual World Records, three Relay World Records, and 18 American Records.
  • Virginia’s Gretchen Walsh alone set nine Individual World Records, two Relay World Records, and 12 American Records.

• ACC men excel in the nation for the following events:
  • Men’s 200 breast: Carles Coll Marti, Virginia Tech (1:50.09)

• ACC women lead the country in the following events:
  • Women’s 50 free: Gretchen Walsh, Virginia (20.54)
  • Women’s 100 back: Gretchen Walsh, Virginia (49.31)
  • Women’s 200 back: Claire Curzan, Virginia (1:46.87)
  • Women’s 200 breast: Kaelyn Gridley, Duke (2:05.71)
  • Women’s 50 fly: Gretchen Walsh, Virginia (22.18)
  • Women’s 100 fly: Gretchen Walsh, Virginia (48.26)
  • Women’s 100 IM: Gretchen Walsh, Virginia (50.72)
  • Women’s 400 IM: Caroline Bricker, Stanford (3:59.88)
  • Women’s 200 free relay: Virginia (1:24.68)
  • Women’s 400 free relay: Virginia (3:06.93)
  • Women’s 200 medley relay: Virginia (1:32.58)
  • Women’s 400 medley relay: Virginia (3:25.35)

• The 2024-25 ACC Swimming & Diving Championships are scheduled to be held from February 18-22 at the Greensboro Aquatic Center in Greensboro, North Carolina.
• Boston College commenced the 2024 season under the new guidance of head swimming and diving coach Dara Torres. Torres is a five-time Olympian, six-time World Record holder, and a four-time gold medalist.
• Dario di Fazio was appointed as the head diving coach for Miami before the 2024 season. Di Fazio has served as the assistant diving coach at Miami for the past 28 years.
• Stanford’s women’s swimming and diving program is the only one in the nation to consistently finish in the top 10 in every NCAA Championship since the 1975-76 season.
• During the 2024 Paris Olympics, ACC swimming and diving student-athletes contributed to bringing home 18 gold medals, 22 silver medals, and 4 bronze medals for Team USA. NC State’s David Betlehem secured a bronze medal for Hungary.