ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Dates:
- Diving: Sunday, February 15–Tuesday, February 17
- Swimming: Tuesday, February 17–Saturday, February 21
- Location: McAuley Aquatic Center, Atlanta, GA
- Defending champions: UVA women (6x); Cal men (1x)
- Live Results
- Live Video: ESPN+ ($)
- Schedule of Events (PDF)
- Championship Central
- Pre-Scratch Psych Sheet
- Teams: Boston College, Cal, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Miami (women swimming & diving/men diving), NC State, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, SMU, Stanford, Virginia, Virginia Tech
Women’s 200 Medley Relay – Timed Finals
- NCAA Record: 1:31.10- University of Virginia (Curzan, A. Walsh, G. Walsh, Moesch), 2025
- ACC Record: 1:31.10- University of Virginia (Curzan, A. Walsh, G. Walsh, Moesch), 2025
- ACC Championship Record: 1:31.73- University of Virginia (G. Walsh, A. Walsh, Cuomo, Douglass), 2023
- Pool Record: 1:32.16- Virginia (G. Walsh, Wegner, Cuomo, Douglass), 2022
- 2026 NCAA Championships Qualifying Time: 1:36.09
- 2026 NCAA Championships Provisional Time: 1:36.57
Top 8:
- Louisville – 1:32.26
- Virginia – 1:32.46
- Stanford – 1:32.94
- Cal – 1:33.29
- NC State – 1:33.56
- Duke – 1:35.67
- UNC – 1:35.99
- Florida State – 1:36.73
There was a shock in store in the very first race of the 2026 ACC Championships, as five-time defending champions Virginia were dethroned by a Louisville team who smashed their school record by over a second.
The Wahoos got out to a fast start thanks to a 22.91 leadoff from Sara Curtis, who now ranks as the 4th-fastest woman in history behind Gretchen Walsh, Maggie MacNeil, and Katherine Berkoff. However, Louisville’s 2021 SCM 50 breast world champion Anastasia Gorbenko outsplit Emma Weber by 0.87 seconds on the second leg, going 25.49 for the 3rd-fastest split in history.
That is tied with Jasmine Nocentini‘s split from 2024 ACCs, and behind only a pair of 25.3 splits from Indiana’s LCM 100 breast world record holder Lilly King. Gorbenko had already split under 26 seconds twice this season, going 25.75 at the Eddie Reese Texas Showdown and 25.98 against Indiana at the end of January.
The historic splits continued on the fly leg, as Claire Curzan swam 21.75 for the sixth-fastest split ever and the fastest by anyone not named Gretchen Walsh. Torri Huske was just behind in 21.78, shaving a tenth off her previous best from November. She leapfrogs Maggie MacNeil, but stays ranked third all-time.
At the final touch, Virginia led Louisville 1:11.02 to 1:11.63, with Stanford just behind in 1:12.03. Julia Dennis delivered yet another rapid anchor leg for the Cardinals as she split 20.63, outsplitting Brun Greenwaldt (21.44) by eight-tenths of a second to take the overall win by just two tenths. Stanford got a 20.91 anchor from Annam Olasewere to place 3rd in 1:32.94.
Louisville sliced over a second from the school record they set at last year’s NCAAs. Half the swimmers from that relay have been replaced, while Caroline Larsen switched from the breaststroke leg to fly. Freshman Julie Mishler clipped her best time in the 50 back on the leadoff, as all four swimmers swam lights out for the Cardinals
Split Analysis
| Leg | Former Louisville School Record – 2025 NCAAs | New Louisville School Record – 2026 SECs |
| Back | Abby Karl – 24.05 | Julie Mishler – 23.73 |
| Breast | Caroline Larsen – 26.28 | Anastasia Gorbenko – 25.49 |
| Fly | Gabi Albiero – 22.59 | Caroline Larsen – 22.41 |
| Free | Julia Dennis – 20.49 | Julia Dennis – 20.63 |
Louisville now rank second in the NCAA this season, just off Virginia’s 131.91 from the CSCAA Dual Meet Challenge. Stanford rank fourth after they shaved 0.35 seconds off their season best, sitting just behind Tennessee’s new SEC Record set just minutes before, while Cal, who took 4th, now rank sixth in the country. The Bears’ time of 1:33.29 also marked a new school record
Fully tapered at NCAAs……..
Given Louisville’s history of nailing their taper for NCAAs…could be something special.
Video available at https://youtu.be/iYT8R-6vl0E?feature=shared
I feel like something happened with greenwaldts start… I mean looking at UVAs video she had like a half second on Dennis then popped up half a body behind?? and then was catching back up on the second 25
It looked like she dove too deep to me and got a little lost down there. But that’s an easily fixable mistake.
the Hoo?
Those reaction times on the breaststroke leg (0.27) and the freestyle leg (0.38) by the University of Virginia won’t get the job done in the W 4 x 50 M-R. The aggregate reaction times of 0.65 (Weber, Greenwaldt) vs 0.17 (Gorbenko, Dennis) for the two aforementioned legs. That’s nearly half a second difference.
SwimSwam disrespects the University of Virginia.
That time for Cal was a school record too! What a fast first day!