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March 28, 2007
CHARLOTTESVILLE – Virginia junior swimmer Pat Mellors (Pittsburgh, Pa.) was the named the ACC Men’s Swimmer of the Year as the conference announced their men’s swimming awards Wednesday. Mellors, who set new ACC records in the 200 I.M. and 400 I.M. this season becomes the seventh Cavalier in the past eight years to win the award.
“Pat Mellors has been a man on a mission for the last 12 months,” said Virginia head coach Mark Bernardino. “His improvements this season are a testimony to his focus, determination, dedication and extra work in the pool and in the weight room. His selection as ACC Swimmer of the Year is well deserved both for his stellar performances at the ACC Championship Meet and his record-breaking performances at the NCAA Championship Meet. Pat stands on the verge of historic greatness as next year he will try to become the first swimmer in ACC history to win four consecutive ACC titles in both the 200 and 400 individual medley events. Those of us associated with the Virginia swimming program could not be happier for Pat and the recognition he has received.”
At the NCAA Championship meet earlier this month, Mellors shattered two ACC records. In the 200 I.M., he swam an ACC record 1:44.99 in the preliminaries to break the conference record he had set weeks earlier. In the finals, he swam 1:45.61 to finish seventh, earning first-team All-American honors. The following day, he set a new conference record in the 400 I.M. In the preliminaries, his time of 3:44.61 broke the record set by Cavalier Bo Greenwood (3:44.99 in 2002). In the evening, Mellors shattered the record he set earlier in the day by swimming a 3:42.03 in the finals for a third place finish and another first-team All-American accolade.
In February, Mellors won three ACC Championships at the conference championship meet. He won his third consecutive conference title in the 200 I.M. as he broke his own ACC record in the event. He also won his third consecutive conference title in the 400 I.M. Mellors was also a member of the Cavaliers’ 800 free relay team that won the conference title, setting a new conference record in the process.
Mellors becomes the ninth different Cavalier to win the honor, which is the most of any school in the conference.