Virginia Captures 12th ACC Crown

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COLLEGE PARK, Md. The Virginia men’s swimming and diving team captured its 12th Atlantic Coast Conference crown, including its 10th in the past 11 years, Saturday at the Eppley Recreation Center Natatorium in College Park, Md. Sophomore Matt McLean was named the meet’s most valuable swimmer for the second consecutive year with three individual event wins in the 200, 500 and 1650 freestyle events.

Virginia finished with 832 points, in front of second-place Florida State (640) and third-place North Carolina (504.5).

“What a great accomplishment,” Virginia head coach Mark Bernardino said. “Our team rose to the highest level in every race. They battled their hearts out. All the credit goes to the athletes and to my staff. We try and do everything we can to make them be all they can be. There is such pride in the tradition of Virginia swimming and the family we have built.”

McLean is the first men’s swimmer in conference history to win the award in consecutive years and only the third to win it twice, joining former Cavalier Luke Anderson and Brendon Dedekind of Florida State.

Virginia’s 400 freestyle relay team of Scot Robison, Peter Geissinger, John Azar and McLean capped the 2009 championship meet with an NCAA A cut and a conference, school and meet record. The Orange and Blue finished with a time of 2:51.50 to break Florida State’s time of 2:54.53, set in December. The previous meet record stood for 12 years. In 1997, the Seminoles clocked a time of 2:55.22. Virginia’s previous school record in the event was set in 2002 by Adam Kerpelman, Luke Anderson, Luke Wagner and Jonathan Haag.

In the first event of the evening, McLean posted an NCAA A time in the 1650 freestyle and set a conference, school and meet record in the event, finishing in 14:35.12. The previous ACC record was held by former Cavalier Fran Crippen, who clocked a mark of 14:46.05 in 2003. Teammate Taylor Smith also notched an NCAA A mark to take second in 14:45.00. John Snawerdt took eighth (15:09.58, B) and Darren Ankosko (15:14.04, B).

Robison claimed his first ACC individual title in the 100 freestyle. After breaking the conference record in the preliminaries, Robison clocked an NCAA B time of 43.14 to take first-place honors. Freshman Peter Geissinger finished sixth overall with a mark of 43.94.

Senior Ryan Hurley also won his first individual championship Saturday in the 200 breaststroke. He recorded a winning time of 1:55.14, an NCAA B mark, to lead a quartet of Cavaliers in the finals heat. John Azar placed fifth (1:56.77, B) while Ian Vogt was seventh (1:58.43) and Tim Hayes finished eighth (1:59.30).

Senior Pat Reams defended his title in the 200 butterfly, taking first in 1:43.82, an NCAA B time. Robertson went on to place third (1:45.42, B) and Vogt finished sixth (1:46.41, B).

Rookie David Wren led Virginia in the 200 backstroke, placing fifth in the event with a time of 1:43.74, an NCAA B mark. Eric Olesen finished seventh after touching in 1:46.34.