Virginia Wins Three Events and Extends Lead on Third Day of ACCs
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Feb. 21, 2014
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GREENSBORO, N.C.–The No. 7 Virginia women’s swimming and diving team won three events and extended its lead on day three of the ACC Championship Friday (Feb. 21) at the Greensboro Aquatic Center.
With one day to go, Virginia leads with 946.5 points, followed by North Carolina (767), Florida State (706.5), NC State (659), Virginia Tech (619), Notre Dame (543.5), Duke (363), Miami (351.5), Pittsburgh (324.5), Georgia Tech (221.5), Boston College (130) and Clemson (35).
“Our team’s energy was fantastic today and it translated into some fantastic efforts tonight,” UVa head coach Augie Busch. “The 400 medley relay crushed the conference record and we followed that with several outstanding swims including titles for Ellen Williamson and Courtney Bartholomew. Tomorrow will be a grind as it is in any four-day meet, but we have to carry the momentum we have built the first three days and feed off it to finish the job.”
The 400 medley relay of sophomore Courtney Bartholomew (Holland, Mich.), freshman Laura Simon (Simmern, Germany), junior Ellen Williamson (Ft. Mitchell, Ky.) and senior Emily Lloyd (Severna Park, Md.) broke the Virginia and ACC record by almost three seconds in 3:29.94. The previous mark was 3:32.74 set in 2009. It is the third relay the Cavaliers have broken school and conference records this week (200 medley relay and 800 free relay on Wednesday).
Williamson won the 100 fly in a time of 52.19, a new school record. Williamson has now captured two individual conference titles (200 IM in 2013). Freshman Shannon Rauth (Glenmoore, Pa.) placed 12th overall in 53.94, the ninth-fastest time on UVa’s all-time list.
Bartholomew won the 100 back for the second consecutive year in 51.50, a new ACC Championship record, while senior Charlotte Clarke (Adelaide, Australia) touched sixth in 53.42. Freshman Kaitlyn Jones (Newark, Del.) won the consolation final to finish ninth overall in 53.44, the eighth-fastest time on the Cavaliers’ all-time list.
“I did it for my team tonight,” Bartholomew said. “After watching Laura Simon go 58 in the breaststroke, Caroline Kenney and Leah Smith in the 200 free and seeing so many life-time bests all day long, I just wanted to win it for my teammates and keep the momentum going.”
Simon broke the UVa record in the 100 breast, placing second in 58.96. Simon and champion Emma Reaney from Notre Dame (58.46) became the first two ACC women to break 59 seconds in the event. Sophomore Natalie Martin (Haymarket, Va.) placed eighth in 1:02.16, but her prelim time of 1:01.24 ranks fourth on Virginia’s all-time list.
Freshman Leah Smith (Pittsburgh, Pa.) followed up her 500 free championship Thursday evening with a second-place finish in the 200 free in 1:44.79. Senior Caroline Kenney (Suwanne, Ga.) also earned All-ACC honors with a third-place finish in 1:45.65. Kenney’s prelim time of 1:45.59 ranks as the fifth-fastest mark on UVa’s all-time list. Sophomore Hanne Borgersen’s fifth-place time of 1:46.21 ranks sixth on that same list.
In women’s 3-meter diving, sophomore Katie Warburg (Wilton, Conn.) placed 15th with 308.00 points, while classmate Becca Corbett (Louisville, Ky.) was 21st with 277.15.
On the men’s 1-meter diving boards, junior JB Kolod (Pittsburgh, Pa.) broke the Virginia record with a score of 387.95 points, good enough for fourth place. Sophomore Carl Buergler (Arlington, Va.) placed 19th with 316.75 points.
The ACC Championship concludes Saturday with prelims at 11 a.m. and finals at 7 p.m. of the 1,650 free, 200 back, 100 free, 200 breast, 200 fly and 400 free relay. Men’s and women’s platform diving will also be contested with men’s at 1 p.m. and women’s at 4:30 p.m.