Courtesy: The ACC
GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) – National champions Paige Madden of Virginia and Nicolas Albiero of Louisville highlight the Atlantic Coast Conference’s yearly award winners for the 2020-21 Swimming and Diving season.
The honors, announced Wednesday afternoon, were determined by a vote of the league’s head coaches.
Madden was voted the ACC Women’s Swimmer of the Year for the second consecutive season, while Albiero was selected as the Men’s Swimmer of the Year.
North Carolina swept the diving awards, as Aranza Vazquez was named the ACC Women’s Diver of the Year and Anton Down-Jenkins was the voted Men’s Diver of the Year.
Virginia’s Alex Walsh was selected as the ACC Women’s Freshman of the Year, while Youssef Ramadan of Virginia Tech was named the Men’s Freshman of the Year.
Virginia head coach Todd DeSorbo was voted ACC Women’s Swimming Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season, and Louisville head coach Arthur Albiero was named the Men’s Swimming Coach of the Year for the first time in his career.
North Carolina’s Yaidel Gamboa was named the ACC Men’s and Women’s Diving Coach of the Year, becoming only the second coach to sweep the diving coach honors, joining Miami’s Randy Ableman (2019).
Madden was named the Most Valuable Swimmer at the 2021 ACC Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships for the second year in a row. The senior from Mobile, Alabama, won the NCAA Championships in the 200, 500 and 1650 freestyle events to help Virginia win its first team national championship. Madden was also part of Virginia’s 800 freestyle relay national champion team and won five ACC titles at the 2021 ACC Championships.
Nicolas Albiero helped the Cardinals to their first ACC Championship this season and won three ACC titles. The senior from Louisville, Kentucky, also captured the 200 butterfly at the 2021 NCAA Championships, winning the third straight title in the event by an ACC swimmer.
A freshman from La Paz, Mexico, Vazquez was named the Most Valuable Diver at this year’s ACC Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships. The rookie earned the silver medal in the 1-meter and 3-meter competitions and was a finalist on platform at the NCAA Championships. Vazquez is also the reigning ACC Champion on the 3-meter and platform and placed second in the 1-meter competition.
Down-Jenkins was selected as the Men’s Most Valuable Diver at the ACC Men’s Swimming & Diving Championships. The junior from Wellington, New Zealand, swept the springboard events at the ACC Championships and placed fourth in the 3-meter competition at the NCAA Championships.
A native of Nashville, Tennessee, Walsh is the reigning NCAA champion in the 200 individual medley. The Cavalier rookie was also part of Virginia’s national champion 800 freestyle relay team and won four ACC titles at the ACC Championships.
Ramadan medaled in three events at the ACC Championships, winning the gold in the 100 butterfly. The rookie from Cairo, Egypt, earned four All-America honors at the NCAA Championships, placing in the top 16 in four events.
DeSorbo, the CSCAA Women’s Team Coach of the Year, led the Cavaliers to the league’s first NCAA Championship, securing the 2021 NCAA title. Virginia won six national titles in individual and relay events at the NCAA Championships, the most ever by an ACC team. The Cavaliers also won their third women’s ACC Championship in four years, and league-record 17th overall.
Arthur Albiero led the Cardinals to the ACC Men’s Swimming & Diving Championship, the program’s first. Louisville also won two titles at the NCAA Championships, securing the gold in the 200 butterfly and the 200 medley relay.
Gamboa guided the Tar Heel divers to two silver medals and six All-America honors at the NCAA Championships. North Carolina divers also posted four ACC titles at the ACC Championships.
2020-21 ACC Swimming & Diving Annual Awards
Women’s Swimmer of the Year – Paige Madden, Virginia
Men’s Swimmer of the Year – Nicolas Albiero, Louisville
Women’s Diver of the Year – Aranza Vazquez, North Carolina
Men’s Diver of the Year – Anton Down-Jenkins, North Carolina
Women’s Freshman of the Year – Alex Walsh, Virginia
Men’s Freshman of the Year – Youssef Ramadan, Virginia Tech
Women’s Swimming Coach of the Year – Todd DeSorbo, Virginia
Men’s Swimming Coach of the Year – Arthur Albiero, Louisville
Men’s & Women’s Diving Coach of the Year – Yaidel Gamboa, North Carolina
