ACC CHAMPS! Cardinals Win First ACC Championship Title

Saturday, February 27

Greensboro, N.C.

All Day

University of Louisville

ACC Championships (Men)

Cardinal Swim Team poses with ACC Trophy

Photo by: Jaylynn Nash

ACC CHAMPS! Cardinals Win First ACC Championship Title

February 27, 2021 | Swimming & Diving

2021 Men's ACC Championship Saturday Finals Results 2021 Men's ACC championship Full Meet Results

Louisville captures first-ever ACC title on record-setting fourth day.

By: Chandler Brandes

GREENSBORO, N.C. - For the first time in program history, the No. 7 University of Louisville men's swimming and diving team has won the Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Swimming and Diving Championship title.

The Cardinals broke five school records and produced eight gold-medal performances throughout the four-day meet, finishing with 1181 points. Their score marked the highest point total in program history, besting the previous mark of 1178 set in 2015 during their first year in the ACC.

"I want to give a big shout-out to the ACC Conference," said Arthur Albiero, UofL head coach. "What a meet all around. I am proud to be part of this conference. It has been a crazy year for all of us. I am so proud of the guys. They found a way to be resilient. Plenty of things weren't pretty but this group has so much fight. I love their passion and pride. We are who we are because of the people who came before us. This is such a special group. We do it the Louisville way, with heart and with not dwelling on past mistakes."

Louisville came out on top of what proved to be one of the tightest team races in recent ACC history, snapping NC State's six-year winning streak. The Wolfpack were the runners-up with a score of 1179 - just two behinds behind UofL - with Virginia Tech getting third in 1085.

Virginia (921), Florida State (740), North Carolina (729), Notre Dame (639), Georgia Tech (639), Pitt (453), Duke (341), Miami (207), and Boston College (180) rounded out the 12-team field competing at the Greensboro Aquatic Center in Greensboro, N.C.

Ilia Sibirtsev got the night started on a fast note in the 1650 freestyle. Swimming in the early heats, his time of 14:51.33 was fast enough to secure the bronze medal. His time was a personal best by five seconds and moved him to No. 2 all-time in program history.

Hayden Curley also had a big performance for UofL, finishing sixth in 15:01.30. T.C. Smith raced to 16th in 15:19.84, and the event was won by Notre Dame's Jack Hoagland in 14:31.83.

After finishing second in the 200 backstroke the last two seasons, Mitchell Whyte found himself on the top of the podium this year. He stopped the clock in 1:39.98 as the only swimmer in the field under the 1:40-barrier.

Jack Wever also competed in the championship final, clocking in at 1:42.66 for sixth. Nikolaos Sofianidis powered home in 1:42.71 for 11th.

Haridi Sameh Kamel, who earned bronze in the 50 freestyle on day two, claimed silver in the 100 freestyle after dropping a time of 42.07. His time pushed him up to second all-time in school history in the event, which was won by Virginia's Matt Brownstead in 41.87.

Colton Paulson (43.01) and Tanner Cummings (43.05) finished 13th and 14th, respectively. Kyle Worrell won the C-final in a best time of 43.35 en route to take 17th overall with Mihalis Deliyiannis close behind in 43.54 for 19th.

Evgenii Somov made it a breaststroke sweep for the third time in his career this weekend by winning the 200 breaststroke. His swim, which was his third title in this event, set a new school, pool, and meet record with a time of 1:51.26, which is also the second fastest time in the country this season.

Swimming in the first ACC final of his career, Aidan Kreiley knocked off almost three seconds from his best time to win the C-final. His time of 1:55.95 moved him into eighth in the UofL record books as he finished 17th overall.

Nicolas Albiero captured his fourth-consecutive 200 butterfly title, getting his hands to the wall in 1:39.08. His time was just off his own school, meet, and pool record of 1:38.65 set last year and is currently the fastest time in the NCAA.

The Cardinals capped off the meet by earning silver in the 400 freestyle as the team of Sameh (42.03), Albiero (41.71), Eastman (42.35), and Cummings (42.28) combined in 2:48.37, just .02 off their school record. NC State won in 2:48.19, but it was not enough to take the lead away from Louisville.

The Cardinals return to the Greensboro Aquatic Center for the NCAA Championships on March 24-27.