Cavalier Women Look to Defend ACC Title
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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.- The Virginia women’s swimming and diving team will look to defend its 2008 Atlantic Coast Conference championship this week in College Park, Md. Ranked 12th in the nation, the Cavaliers are the highest-ranked school in the ACC. The event begins Wednesday and runs through Saturday at the Eppley Recreation Center Natatorium on the Maryland campus. Finals of all events will be broadcast live for free on ACC Select and live stats of all sessions will be available through VirginiaSports.com.
“It’s such a long meet with seven very intense sessions, we want to be able to use our emotion carefully,” Virginia head coach Mark Bernardino said. “The training for the women this week has been very relaxed, very low-stress.
“North Carolina and Florida State have proven themselves on a very consistent basis, not only through the course of this season, but if you go back and look historically.”
In 2008, Virginia won the conference meet with 800 points to top the second-place Tar Heels (572) and third-place Seminoles (544.5).
In addition to defending the team title, the Cavaliers will look to defend three relay titles (400 medley, 400 free, 800 free) and three individual titles. A year ago, Liz Shaw claimed the 200 IM and 200 fly while Claire Crippen won the 400 IM.
Junior Mei Christensen has already made ACC history this season, setting conference and school records in both the 100 (52.58) and 200 (1:54.71) backstroke events.
Other Virginia women who top the conference’s top time list this season include Shaw in the 200 IM (2:00.11) and 200 fly (1:56.79), Crippen in the 400 IM (4:11.91) and Kristen Moores in the 100 free (49.78).
In the relay events, the Cavaliers have posted the fastest time in the conference in four of the five relays: the 200 medley, 800 free, 400 medley and 400 free.
During the dual meet season, Virginia posted a 9-1 record, with the team’s only setback on the road to Florida. The Cavaliers were a perfect 5-0 in dual meets against ACC schools with wins over Clemson, Virginia Tech, Florida State, North Carolina and Duke.
Both the men’s and women’s diving events will take place during the ACC Women’s Championships, as well.
Competition will begin Wednesday evening with the 200 medley relay and the 800 free relay. The men’s championships will take place from February 25-28 in College Park.
2009 Women’s ACC Championships
Schedule of Events
Feb. 18-21
College Park, Md.
Wednesday, Feb. 18
Finals – 6 p.m.
200 Medley Relay
800 Free Relay
Thursday, Feb. 19
Prelims – 11 a.m.
500 Free
200 IM
50 Free
3 Meter Dive (Men) – 1 p.m.
1 Meter Dive (Women) – 3:15 p.m.
3 Meter Dive Finals (Men) – 5:15 p.m.
Finals – 7 p.m.
500 Free
200 IM
50 Free
1 Meter Dive Finals (Women)
200 Free Relay
Friday, Feb. 20
Prelims – 11 a.m.
400 IM
100 Fly
200 Free
100 Breast
100 Back
1 Meter Dive (Men) – 1 p.m.
3 Meter Dive (Women) – 3:15 p.m.
1 Meter Dive Finals (Men)
Finals – 7 p.m.
400 IM
100 Fly
200 Free
100 Breast
100 Back
3 Meter Dive (Women)
400 Medley Relay
Saturday, Feb. 21
Prelims – 11 a.m.
200 Back
100 Free
200 Breast
200 Fly
Platform Dive (Men) – 12 p.m.
Platform Dive (Women) – 2 p.m.
1650 Free – 4 p.m.
Platform Dive Finals (Men) – 3:30 p.m.
Platform Dive Finals (Women) – 4:30 p.m.
Finals – 7 p.m.
1650 Free – Final Heat
200 Back
100 Free
200 Breast
200 Fly
400 Free Relay