Virginia Tech vs. Virginia
- Saturday, January 17, 2026
- Christiansburg Aquatic Center, Christiansburg, VA
- SCY
- Dual Meet Format
- Results on Meet Mobile: “Virginia Tech vs Virginia”
- Scores
- Women: Virginia 201, Virginia Tech 87
- Men: Virginia Tech 157, Virginia 104
The Virginia Cavaliers made the trip to Christiansburg Saturday to take on their in-state and ACC rivals, the Virginia Tech Hokies. The #1 Cavalier women improved to 7-0 in dual meets this season with a 201-97, while the Hokies men won 157-104.
The Virginia Tech men have now won five straight over UVA, bringing the all-time series record to 11 wins for the Hokies and 28 for the Cavaliers. The Virginia men are currently ranked higher in both the dual meet (#21 vs) and Power Rankings (#14), based on the strength of their freshman class, while the Virginia Tech men are unranked after losing most of their core to graduation. While UVA’s freshman class did close the gap on the roughly 90-point margins from the last two years, the Hokies’ win streak stayed alive.
Women’s Recap
The top-ranked Virginia women remained unbeaten on Saturday, winning 15 of 16 swimming events in a 201–87 victory over Virginia Tech and setting five pool records in the process.
The Cavaliers set the tone immediately in the 200 medley relay, as Claire Curzan (23.52), Leah Hayes (27.64), Carly Novelline (23.16), and Madi Mintenko (21.88) posted a 1:36.20 to establish a new facility record. The Cavaliers were largely racing amongst themselves, as their ‘B’ team touched in 1:36.68, highlighted by Zoe Skirboll’s 26.80, the best in the field, and the ‘C’ team finished in 3rd at 1:36.81, as Bryn Gerenwaldt anchored in a field-leading time 21.45.
Curzan, an Olympic silver medalist and multiple-time NCAA champion, followed with two more pool records of her own, going 50.25 in the 100 back and 1:51.00 in the 200 back. Curzan currently holds season-best times of 49.17/1:47.89, with both times leading the NCAA this season. Curzan wrapped up the meet with a 21.23 anchor leg on the 200 free relay, helping the Cavaliers to a 1:29.06 victory in that event.
Hayes, last year’s NCAA B-final champion in the 200 IM, erased one of the oldest marks on the pool record board in that event, clocking 1:57.46 to break a record that had stood since 2012. Anna Moesch added another pool record in the 50 free with a 21.58, giving Virginia five new pool records on the day.
Beyond the record-setting swims, the Cavaliers controlled the rest of the meet behind wins from Katie Grimes in the 1650 free (15:53.20), Mintenko in the 500 free (4:45.85), and Moesch in the 200 free (1:42.77).
Virginia also swept the breaststroke and butterfly events, with Hayes winning the 100 breast (1:01.03), Emma Weber taking the 200 breast (2:11.35), Sara Curtis claiming the 100 fly (52.53), and Lana Pudar winning the 200 fly (1:55.88).
Virginia Tech’s only swimming victory came in the 100 free, won by Emily Claesson in 48.78. With no Cavaliers diving this year, the Hokies swept the diving events with Grace Austin taking the 1m (272.40) and Peyton Guziec winning the 3m (288.53).
Men’s Recap
Virginia Tech made the most of Senior Day on Saturday, knocking off the #14 Virginia men 157–104 behind a dominant sprint performance from junior Brendan Whitfield and a strong showing across the lineup.
The Hokies jumped out to an early lead after a narrow victory in the 200 medley relay. Virginia actually outsplit VT on three of the four relay legs, but sophomore Eli Martin delivered the key split with a 23.59 breaststroke leg, as the Hokies touched in 1:25.16 to Virginia’s 1:25.23.
Whitfield, a U.S. Olympic Trials qualifier last summer and one of the top returning sprinters in the ACC, swept the sprint freestyle events. He won the 50 free in 19.12, the 100 free in 42.43, and the 200 free in 1:33.42, accounting for 27 individual points on his own. Whitfield also led off the 200 free relay with a 19.02, helping the Hokies to another narrow relay victory (1:17.23 to 1:17.37) despite a pair of 19.0 splits from freshmen Thomas Heilman and Maximus Williamson.
Martin added a breaststroke double, touching first in the 100 breast (51.93) and the 200 breast (1:57.38). His 100 breast time moved him to #4 on Virginia Tech’s all-time list and tied him for 25th nationally this season, continuing a breakout sophomore campaign. Martin came into the season with a 100 breast lifetime best of 53.10, and he’s lowered his best by over a second this season, putting him within striking range of a likely NCAA invite.
Distance specialist Jakub Poliacik added another key win in the 500 free, clocking 4:18.69 to move into 7th in program history, while Levente Balogh took the 200 back in 1:42.39. The Hokies also claimed both relays, opening the meet with a 1:25.23 in the 200 medley relay and closing with a 1:17.23 in the 200 free relay.
Virginia earned five individual wins despite the loss, led by Thomas Heilman in both butterfly events (45.57 in the 100 fly, 1:42.36 in the 200 fly). Heilman, a former World Junior champion and U.S. national team member, continues to anchor the Cavaliers’ lineup. Fellow freshman Maximus Williamson won the 200 IM (1:44.51), took 3rd in the 200 back (1:43.40), and took 2nd in the 100 breast (52.88). That 100 breast time was a new lifetime best. The Cavaliers’ other two wins came from sophomores Dillon Wright in the 1650 free (15:21.44) and Spencer Nicholas in the 100 back (46.36).
Virginia Tech’s Nathan Cox winning on the 1m (359.40) and Jacob Fisher taking the 3m (346.95). With Virginia not having a diving program, though, the diving events were not scored.
Virginia Tech head coach Sergio Lopez praised his team’s performance post-meet.
“Overall, in the last eight years, this is probably the best meet we’ve had as a team,” Lopez said. “I thought we had an outside chance to beat their men; they have such a good squad and a very talented squad, and we did it. We even exhibitioned the diving, we beat them by 50-something points. So we’re pretty excited, just with the Commonwealth Challenge and all that stuff.
“At the end of the season, it might not mean much, because the most important thing is NCAAs, but I’m pretty excited that, at the time of the year that we are, when we’re training hard, we’re able to show up and perform the way we performed.”
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Up Next
- The Cavaliers will face ACC rivals NC State in a two-day meet this Friday and Saturday, 1/23-1/24.
- The Hokies will head to Princeton, NJ, Saturday (1/24) to take on Princeton and Penn State.
Two things can be true 1) they kind of set themselves up for scrutiny due to their commitment announcements 2) Geeze you guys are brutal to a few kids figuring out their freshmen year, all the while still swimming fairly decently lol
Gretchen. Stop trying to make the UVA men happen.
She’s more worried about her pick for UVA president being ousted in just weeks.
that was supposed to be a Mean Girls reference but I am now realizing the name Gretchen and UVA have quite the association
Not an upset
The Gary Taylor Effect
I’m going to withhold judgment here. The UVA women were not particularly fast potentially indicating they are in heavy training. I think Grimes’s 1650 was promising, especially how much she beat Canny by. The men lost some close races (both relays) that would have shifted momentum had they gone the other way. I’m still a bit nervous, but not panicking yet as a UVA fan.
???
Canny isn’t a miler and Grimes has an Olympic medal in the LCM version of the event
When did Grimes get an Olympic medal in the 1500m?
Am I the only one that feels like UVA men deserve a taper meet before we decide their freshman class is a bust?
They deserve a diving team
The adjustment to college life is tough. They actually deserve a season and a half before we decide anything, though it won’t work that way.
But I have no reason to think Maximus and TH aren’t going to get some best times this season. They are swimming just fine. And with all due respect to the other freshman, the assessment will only be based on how they do by the peanut gallery.
They have a men’s team? Not on instagram
I’m here to see the UVA men’s team haters. It’s funnier because they’re proven with more valdiation every year that the Men’s team is not very good
I really don’t wanna sound negative but the results of the UVA Men’s Team are actually concerning. Curious to see how many leave after this year
It’s not negative in my opinion, it’s a fair take. The men’s program is objectively mediocre, they’re just victimized by people talking about them too much as if they have potential
Maximus to UT. What is inevitable and always should have been.
He won’t go somewhere he isn’t the main focus.
Gonna have to if he wants to grow
This is the same kid who has gotten people fired at both High Schools he was at because he wasn’t treated like a star or was inconvenienced.
I’ve known families like that in swimming and I don’t know if a single one hit their peak. Kinda a bummer, but I feel like it’s likelier Williamson ends up being a good college guy but nothing more.
He’s basic going to be the next Jack Levant. Not just because they both are from Southlake.
Didn’t Levant have lots of health issues?
bummer!
What’s the story there?
Well at Keller high school the coach was fired for how she operated with Maximus.
Southlake and NTN articles are on this site too for that history lesson.
Bruh wtf
Yuck, I don’t have any patience for diva behavior.