2026 ACC Swimming & Diving Yearly Awards Introduced

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – California’s Yamato Okadome and Virginia’s Maximus Williamson shared Atlantic Coast Conference Men’s Swimmer of the Year honors, whereas Stanford’s Torri Huske was named the 2026 ACC Women’s Swimmer of the Year. SMU’s Luke Sitz and Miami’s Chiara Pellacani had been voted the ACC Men’s and Women’s Divers of the Year, respectively, to focus on the ACC’s yearly award winners for the 2025-26 swimming & diving season.

The 2026 ACC Women’s Swimming & Diving annual awards had been decided by a vote of the league’s head coaches.

California’s Claire Weinstein was chosen because the ACC Women’s Freshman of the Year, whereas Maximus Williamson of Virginia was named the ACC Men’s Freshman of the Year.

Virginia head coach Todd DeSorbo was voted the ACC Women’s Swimming Coach of the Year for the seventh consecutive season, whereas California head coach Dave Durden was chosen because the ACC Men’s Swimming Coach of the Year for the second straight season.

Miami’s Dario di Fazio was named the ACC Women’s Diving Coach of the Year for the second consecutive 12 months, whereas SMU’s Darian Schmidt was chosen because the ACC Men’s Diving Coach of the Year. 

In the 2026 ACC Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships, Huske gained the 200 IM and 100 fly titles earlier than sweeping all three particular person occasions during which she participated in her final NCAA Championships look, profitable the 50 free, 100 free and 100 fly. Huske closed out her collegiate profession a four-time ACC Champion, five-time NCAA champion and one among simply 4 28-time All-Americans in program historical past. Huske can also be a six-time Olympic medalist with three gold and three silver medals, and was named the 2026 CSCAA Women’s Swimmer of the Year.

Okadome was named the 2026 ACC Co-Men’s Swimmer of the Year after main California to its second straight ACC title in simply its second 12 months as a member of the league, whereas additionally incomes his second yearly award after being voted the 2025 ACC Men’s Freshman of the Year. The Chiba, Japan, native gained two titles on the 2026 ACC Swimming & Diving Championships and was named the Men’s Most Valuable Swimmer of the meet. Just a couple of weeks later, Okadome recorded the primary two nationwide titles of his profession, taking residence gold within the 100 breast and 200 breast.

Williamson was named the 2026 ACC Co-Men’s Swimmer of the Year and Freshman of the Year after closing out his freshman season as a six-time All-American and two-time nationwide champion. After incomes All-ACC accolades on the 2026 ACC Championships however not profitable any titles, the Keller, Texas, native shocked the swimming world, popping out of lane 8 to win the nationwide championship within the 200 free, profitable as a freshman for the primary time since 2016, additionally marking the second-fastest time ever for a freshman (1:30.03). This was the primary particular person title for the Cavalier males since 2011. Williamson went on to additionally win the 200 IM nationwide title, becoming a member of Ed Moses (2000) as simply the second males’s swimmer in program historical past to earn two particular person nationwide titles.

Pellacani was named the ACC Women’s Diver of the Year for the second straight season. She was chosen the Most Valuable Women’s Diver of the Meet on the 2026 ACC Championships after profitable the 3-meter dive. Pellacani went on to defend her 1-meter nationwide title within the 2026 NCAA Championships whereas incomes All-America honors on the 1-meter dive. She turned the primary Miami diver to win a number of nationwide titles since 2011 and is the primary girl in Miami diving historical past to win back-to-back titles in the identical occasion.
 

Sitz was named the ACC Men’s Diver of the Year in simply his sophomore season for the Mustangs. The 2026 ACC Swimming & Diving Championships Most Valuable Men’s Diver gained the 1-meter title on the ACC Championships to document his first convention title earlier than occurring to win his first nationwide title within the 1-meter on the 2026 NCAA Championships. He additionally earned silver within the 3-meter at NCAA’s. The Prosper, Texas, native was named the 2026 CSCAA Men’s Diver of the Year, turning into the primary Mustang to earn the respect.
 

Weinstein headlined the 2026 NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships for the Golden Bears, recording a person title for California, serving to push the crew to a fourth-place end. The freshman out of Las Vegas, Nevada, broke this system document with a time of 4:30.09 to win gold within the 500 free, turning into the primary Golden Bear to win a person title since 2019.

DeSorbo – the CSCAA Women’s Swimming Coach of the Year for the fifth straight 12 months – led Virginia to its sixth consecutive NCAA National Championship and seventh general. The Cavaliers are the primary crew in NCAA Swimming & Diving historical past – males’s or ladies’s – to win six nationwide titles in a row. At the 2026 NCAA Championships, Virginia gained eight occasions, together with three particular person titles whereas sweeping all 5 relays.

Durden was named the ACC Men’s Swimming Coach of the Year for the second straight season after main California to its second convention championship in its second season as a member of the league. The Golden Bears claimed the 2026 ACC Championship title after incomes gold in 5 occasions. In the 2026 NCAA Championships, Durden coached California to eight All-America finishes and two nationwide titles. The honor marks Durden’s 14th convention Coach of the Year honor in his collegiate teaching profession.

In simply his second season as the top diving coach for the Miami Hurricanes, di Fazio was named the ACC Women’s Diving Coach of the Year for the second straight 12 months. This season, di Fazio coached Chiara Pellacani to one more nationwide title as she defended her 1-meter title within the 2026 NCAA Championships. This season, Pellacani and Margo O’Meara had been named All-Americans underneath the management of di Fazio.

In his ninth season on the helm of the SMU Diving program, Schmidt was named the 2026 ACC Men’s Diving Coach of the Year. Schmidt coached 2026 ACC Men’s Diver of the Year Luke Sitz to turn out to be the Mustangs’ first-ever CSCAA Men’s Diver of the Year after profitable the nationwide title within the 1-meter, additionally the primary title in program historical past within the occasion.

2025-26 ACC Swimming & Diving Annual Awards

Women’s Swimmer of the Year: Torri Huske, Stanford

Men’s Co-Swimmer of the Year: Yamato Okadome, California

Men’s Co-Swimmer of the Year: Maximus Williamson, Virginia

Women’s Diver of the Year: Chiara Pellacani, Miami

Men’s Diver of the Year: Luke Sitz, SMU

Women’s Freshman of the Year: Claire Weinstein, California

Men’s Freshman of the Year: Maximus Williamson, Virginia

Women’s Swimming Coach of the Year: Todd DeSorbo, Virginia

Men’s Swimming Coach of the Year: David Durden, California

Women’s Diving Coach of the Year: Dario di Fazio, Miami

Men’s Diving Coach of the Year: Darian Schmidt, SMU