Virginia Wins Three Events on Day Three of ACCs
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Feb. 20, 2015
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ATLANTA-The No. 8 Virginia women’s swimming and diving team won three events on the third day of the ACC Championships Friday (Feb. 20) at the Georgia Tech Aquatic Center.
With one day to go, Virginia sits in second place with 839.5 points. North Carolina is in first place with 862 points, while Virginia Tech is third (664.5), followed by Louisville (641), NC State (589), Notre Dame (449), Florida State (408), Miami (365), Pitt (330), Duke (325), Georgia Tech (137), Boston College (92) and Clemson (4).
The 400 medley relay of junior Courtney Bartholomew (Holland, Mich.), sophomore Laura Simon (Simmern, Germany), senior Ellen Williamson (Ft. Mitchell, Ky.) and sophomore Kaitlyn Jones (Newark, Del.) broke the ACC Championship record in a time of 3:28.79. The lead-off 100 back leg of 50.58 by Bartholomew was also a new championship record.
“Relays are the ultimate essence of team in the sport of swimming and what those four women did with very tired bodies was inspirational,” UVa head coach Augie Busch said. “It closed the day for us on an extremely high note, now we have to use that momentum and have a strong session tomorrow morning.”
Bartholomew captured her third-consecutive ACC title in the 100 back, winning in a time of 51.36. It was Bartholomew’s fifth individual ACC crown (200 back in 2013 and 2014). It is the 12th time in program history that a Cavalier has won at least three conference titles in a single event.
Sophomore Leah Smith (Pittsburgh, Pa.) captured the 200 free title in a time of 1:43.88, which ranks second on UVa’s all-time top-10 list and fourth in the country this year. It is Smith’s fourth individual crown (500 free in 2014 and 2015, 1,650 free in 2014) and second this meet.
Junior Hanne Borgersen (Frederick, Md.) placed seventh in the 500 free in 1:46.35. Freshman Cece Williams (Tallahassee, Fla.) won the consolation final in a time of 1:46.33, the seventh-fastest mark on UVa’s all-time top-10 list.
Jones broke the program record in the 400 IM, finishing second and earning All-ACC honors in a time of 4:06.62.
Simon earned All-ACC honors by placing second in the 100 breast in a time of 58.97, just 0.01 off of her own school record.
In the 100 fly, Williamson took fifth in 52.72, while freshman Jennifer Marrkand (Westford, Mass.) touched in a tie seventh in a time of 53.27.
In men’s 3-meter diving, senior JB Kolod (Pittsburgh, Pa.) earned All-ACC honors, taking third with a score of 383.95.
The meet concludes Saturday (Feb. 21) with the 1,650 free, 200 back, 100 free, 200 breast, 200 fly, men’s and women’s platform diving and the 400 free relay. Prelims are slated to begin at 10 a.m. with finals set to start at 6 p.m.