Cardinals Finish Third At ACC Championships

Saturday, February 20

Greensboro, N.C.

All Day

University of Louisville

ACC Championships (Women)

Liberty Williams wins silver in the 1650 freestyle

February 20, 2021 | Swimming & Diving

2021 Women's ACC Saturday Finals Results 2021 Women's ACC full meet results

Liberty Williams, Tristen Ulett make the podium on the final day.

By: Chandler Brandes

GREENSBORO, N.C. - Highlighted by a silver and two bronze medals during the final day of competition, the University of Louisville finished third at the 2021 ACC Women's Swimming and Diving Championships in Greensboro, N.C.

Virginia defended their championship title, finishing with 1486 points ahead of runner-up NC State (1317). Louisville took third for the third-straight year with a score of 1006.5 followed by Virginia Tech (832), Notre Dame (716), Duke (647), Florida State (551), North Carolina (516.5), Georgia Tech (498), Miami (375), Pitt (360), and Boston College (177).

To start things off on a high note, Liberty Williams dropped 10 seconds from her lifetime best to post a time of 16:06.56 during the early heats of the mile. Her time, which broke Madison Luther's freshman record of 16:13.80 set last year, was fast enough to secure the silver medal.

The Cardinals had an additional pair of top-18 finishes in the 1650 freestyle, as Luther (16:34.54) and Paige McCormick (16:45.10) finished 13th and 18th, respectively. Paige Madden, who was named the meet's Most Valuable Swimmer, won the event in 15:45.45.

A third UofL freshman record of the weekend fell, this time in the 200 backstroke. Tatiana Salcutan powered home to a sixth-place finish in 1:54.04 to best Ashlyn Schoof's mark of 1:55.00 set in 2018. Emma Muzzy of NC State won the race in 1:50.12.

Swimming in the B-final, Paige Hetrick raced to 13th overall in a time of 1:56.80 while Schoof finished 16th in 1:59.14.

Christiana Regenauer sprinted to an 11th-place finish in the 100 freestyle, stopping the clock in 49.27 to earn more points for Louisville. Virginia's Kate Douglass secured her third individual gold of the meet after winning in 46.83, just shy of Mallory Comerford's 2019 meet record of 46.57.

Morgan Friesen was the top finisher for the Cardinals in the 200 breaststroke, clocking in at 2:11.00 to clinch 11th. Adeline Farrington was right behind her in 2:11.42 for 12th in the event, which was won by NC State's Sophie Hansson (2:04.87).

Kaylee Wheeler built a strong lead and never looked back in the C-final, winning the heat in 2:12.21 to finish 17th overall. Diana Dunn got her hands to the wall in 2:13.94 for 20th.

In what proved to be a tight race, Tristen Ulett hung on to grab the bronze medal in the 200 butterfly for the first individual ACC medal of her career. Abigail Hay (1:55.67) and Alena Kraus (1:55.89) also raced in the A-final, flying to fourth and sixth, respectively, as Virginia's Jessica Nava won in 1:54.49.

The impressive showing from the UofL freshmen continued as Gabi Albiero dominated the B-final, winning the consolation heat in 1:55.24 to take ninth. Carley Lowe was the fifth Cardinal back for finals, snagging 16th in 2:00.41.

The Cardinals found themselves on the podium yet again when Albiero (48.68), Ulett (49.12), Regenauer (48.79), and Kraus (48.67) earned bronze in the 400 freestyle relay with a combined time of 3:15.26. The Cavaliers won the final event of the meet in 3:10.14.

After posting 334.30 points during prelims of the platform diving event, Kivanc Gur dove to a score of 371.40 during finals to finish fourth. His score set a new program record, besting the previous mark of 350.70 done by Daniel Fecteau in 2017. Miami swept the podium with Zachary Cooper posting the top score of 421.50.

North Carolina's Aranza Vazquez was named the Women's Most Valuable Diver. The Tar Heel freshman from La Paz, Mexico, medaled in all three diving events, winning the 3-meter and platform competitions, and placing second on the 1-meter.

North Carolina's Anton Down-Jenkins was voted the Most Valuable Men's Diver after claiming two gold medals. The UNC junior from Wellington, New Zealand, won the 1-meter and 3-meter competitions.

The Cardinals will return to the Greensboro Aquatics Center on February 24-27 for the 2021 Men's ACC Championships. The 120 points Louisville earned from men's diving during this meet will be added to the total team score next weekend.

Tristen Ulett swims the butterfly