Gretchen Walsh, Matt King Tabbed as ACC Swimmers of the Week

Gretchen Walsh -- Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

Gretchen Walsh, Matt King Tabbed as ACC Swimmers of the Week

In recognition of their performances at the University of Virginia’s two-day dual meet against Texas, Virginia second-year swimmer Gretchen Walsh and third-year Matt King are the Atlantic Coast Conference Swimmers of the Week. Although Virginia fell to the Longhorns in a combined-gender dual meet Friday evening and then again in both the women’s and men’s competitions Saturday morning, Walsh continued her hot start to the season. On Friday alone, she clocked 21.16 in the 50 freestyle, 52.09 in the 100 IM Friday and with a 46.20 anchoring Virginia’s mixed 400 free relay.

The highlight swim for King on the weekend was an impressive effort in the 100 free when he went 42.46 to edge out Texas’ Danny Krueger. Meanwhile, Georgia Tech’s Ruben Lechuga was named the Men’s Diver of the Week, while North Carolina’s Aranza Vazquez won the women’s honor.

Read the full press release from the ACC below:

Virginia swept the Atlantic Coast Conference Swimmer of the Week awards with Matt King and Gretchen Walsh named the ACC Men’s and Women’s Swimmers of the Week. Georgia Tech’s Ruben Lechuga earned the ACC Men’s Diver of the Week for the third time this season and North Carolina’s Aranza Vazquez collected her second ACC Women’s Diver of the Week award of the season.

ACC MEN’S SWIMMER OF THE WEEK
Matt King, Virginia, Jr., Snohomish, Washington
King holds the third-fastest time in the NCAA this season in the 100 free, earning a ‘B’ zone time with his first-place mark of 42.46 in No. 9 Virginia’s meet against No. 2 Texas. He was also a part of the 200 free relay that won first place in 1:17.07, a NCAA ‘B’ cut time, and currently the fastest finish in the country this season. The junior added a 3:06.33 NCAA ‘A’ zone time in the 400 medley relay that placed second against the Longhorns. King was also a part of the first-place mixed 400 free relay in 2:58.50 that also featured ACC Women’s Swimmer of the Week, Gretchen Walsh.

ACC WOMEN’S SWIMMER OF THE WEEK
Gretchen Walsh, Virginia, So., Nashville, Tennessee
Walsh holds the fastest times in the nation in the 50 free, 100 free, the 200 free relay and recorded the fastest time ever recorded in the 100 IM at No. 1 Virginia’s meet against No. 3 Texas. Her 21.16 in the 50 free, 47.11 in the 100 free and the 1:28.34 as part of the 200 free relay earned NCAA ‘A’ cut times. Walsh placed first in all of those events, as well as the 100 IM (not an NCAA event) in 52.09. She was also a part of the first-place mixed 400 free relay in 2:58.50 that also featured ACC Men’s Swimmer of the Week, Matt King.

ACC MEN’S DIVER OF THE WEEK
Ruben Lechuga, Georgia Tech, Sr., Tijuana, Mexico
Lechuga swept his two diving events, scoring a 388.95 in the 1-meter and a 416.70 in the 3-meter. Both marks earned zone scores in the Yellow Jackets’ tri-meet win over Pitt and Boston College. His 3-meter score currently sits as the fifth highest in the NCAA this season.

ACC WOMEN’S DIVER OF THE WEEK
Aranza Vazquez, North Carolina, Jr., La Paz, Mexico
Vazquez won the 3-meter event for the second straight meet scoring a 351.00 as the No. 17 Tar Heels took down No. 23 South Carolina. She scored over 300 points in both events, adding a zone score of 312.00 in the 1-meter.

2022-23 ACC Swimming & Diving Performers of the Week

ACC Men’s Swimmer of the Week
Oct. 4 – Youssef Ramadan, Jr., Virginia Tech
Oct. 11 – Peter Varjasi, Sr., Florida State
Oct. 18 – Kacper Stokowski, Sr., NC State
Oct. 25 – Quintin McCarty, Fr., NC State
Nov. 1 – Peter Varjasi, Sr., Florida State
Nov. 8 – Matt King, Jr., Virginia

ACC Men’s Diver of the Week
Oct. 4 – Reuben Lechuga, Sr., Georgia Tech
Oct. 11 – Jesco Helling, Jr., Florida State
Oct. 18 – Reuben Lechuga, Sr., Georgia Tech
Oct. 25 – Anton Down-Jenkins, Sr., North Carolina
Nov. 1 – Darwin Nolasco, Jr., Florida State
Nov. 8 – Ruben Lechuga, Jr., Georgia Tech

ACC Women’s Swimmer of the Week
Oct. 4 – Grace Countie, Sr., North Carolina
Oct. 11 – Deniz Ertan, Fr., Georgia Tech
Oct. 18 – Katharine Berkoff, Sr., NC State
Oct. 25 – Gretchen Walsh, So., Virginia
Nov. 1 – Julia Mansson, Fr., Florida State; Emma Atkinson, Jr., Virginia Tech
Nov. 8 – Gretchen Walsh, So., Virginia

ACC Women’s Diver of the Week
Oct. 4 – Anna Bradescu, Jr., Georgia Tech; Izzi Mroz, Sr., Virginia Tech
Oct. 11 – Mia Vallee, Jr., Miami?
Oct. 18 – Helene Synnott, Sr., NC State
Oct. 25 – Aranza Vazquez, Jr., North Carolina
Nov. 1 – Samantha Vear, Jr., Florida State; Izzi Mroz, Gr., Virginia Tech
Nov. 8 – Aranza Vazquez, Jr., North Carolina

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