Paige Madden Repeats as ACC Swimmer of the Championships

2021 ACC WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIPS

• When: Wednesday, February 17th – Saturday, February 20th | Prelims: 11:00 am | Finals: 7:00 pm (EST) (Except Wednesday’s timed finals, which begin at 5:15 EST)
• Where: Greensboro Aquatic Center, Greensboro, NC
• Defending Champion: University of Virginia (x1) (results)
• Format: 25 Yards/Short Course Yards (SCY)
• Championship Central: Here
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• Psych Sheets (uncut)
• Live Results
• Complete Results

The conclusion of the women’s portion of the 2021 ACC Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships on Saturday saw the University of Virginia clean up with a 169-point victory over their rivals from NC State.

It’s no surprise, then that the Cavaliers’ top scorer Paige Madden was named the Most Valuable Swimmer by vote of the conference’s coaches for the 2nd-straight year.

In total, Madden scored the maximum 96 individual points by winning the 200 free, 500 free, and 1650 freestyles, defending her ACC titles in all three races. She was also on the winning 400 and 800 free relays, finishing her ACC career as a perfect 4-for-4 in the 800 free relay.

Madden was the only swimmer to pick up a perfect triple at the meet. Her sophomore teammate Kate Douglass came as close as one can come to that, earning 92 points via wins in the 100 fly and 100 free and a 2nd-place finish in the 200 IM (behind teammate Alex Walsh).

ACC Top Scorers, Individual Events:

1. Paige Madden, Sr., Virginia – 96 (200 free – 1st; 500 free – 1st; 1650 free – 1st)
2. (TIE) Kate Douglas, So., Virginia – 92 (100 fly – 1st; 100 free – 1st; 200 IM – 2nd)/Aranza Vazquez, Fr., UNC – 92 (3 meter – 1st; platform – 1st; 1 meter – 2nd)
4. Kylee Alons, Jr., NC State – 87 (50 free – 1st; 100 free – 2nd; 100 fly – 3rd)
5. Katharine Berkoff, So., NC State – 85.5 (100 back – 1st; 200 back – 2nd; 50 free – 4th)

The top women’s diver of the meet was North Carolina freshman Aranza Vazquez, who made an instant-impact as part of a diving onslaught from both the UNC men and the UNC women this week. She won the 3-meter and platform events and was the runner-up on 1 meter.

Her 92-point effort helped support UNC in an 8th-place overall effort at the meet. While that’s a drop from the team’s 4th-place finish last year, the Carolina women made an admirable effort given that they were missing many of their top swimmers because of COVID protocols.

For that effort, Vazquez was named the Women’s Diver of the Meet.

The ACC runs men’s diving concurrently with women’s swimming & diving, and Vazquez’s teammate Anton Down-Jenkins was voted men’s MVP after sweeping the springboard events. He took the honor even though he placed just 22nd on platform.

Down-Jenkins is another newcomer for UNC, though he’s a junior eligibility wise. He spent the first two seasons of his career at South Carolina before transferring to North Carolina last spring.

The ACC will give out annual superlatives, including a Coach of the Year and Freshman of the Year, after the NCAA Championship meet.

FINAL TEAM SCORES – Women’s Swimming & Diving

1. UVA, 1486
2. NC State, 1317
3. Louisville, 1,006.50
4. Virginia Tech, 832
5. Notre Dame, 716
6. Duke, 647
7. Florida State, 551
8. UNC, 516.50
9. Georgia Tech, 498
10. Miami, 375
11. Pittsburgh, 360
12. Boston College, 177

Men’s Scores – After Diving

1. UNC – 214
2. Miami – 207
3. Virginia Tech – 142
4. Louisville – 120
5. Florida State – 110
6. Georgia Tech – 85
7. Duke – 72
8. NC State – 62
9. Pitt – 40
10. Notre Dame – 34
11. Virginia – 0