Paige Madden of Virginia and Louisville’s Nicolas Albiero were named the ACC Swimmers of the Year Wednesday in the conference’s yearly awards.
North Carolina’s Aranza Vazquez and Anton Down-Jenkins were voted the women’s and men’s diver of the year, respectively. Their diving coach, Yaidel Gamboa, won both Diving Coach of the Year honors.
The Freshman of the Year awards stayed in the state of Virginica, with the Cavaliers’ Alex Walsh winning the women’s award and Youssef Ramadan of Virginia Tech the men’s. Both championship-winning coaches – Todd DeSorbo of Virginia and Arthur Albiero of Louisville – took home Swim Coach of the Year recognition.
The ACC Swimmers of the Year are both seniors who lifted team titles this season. Madden, a senior, was the Most Valuable Swimmer at the women’s ACC championships for a second straight year. After winning five ACC titles, she won the 200 free, 500 free and 1,650 free at NCAAs to help the Cavaliers to their first team crown. She also swam on the NCAA title-winning 800 free relay.
Nicolas Albiero; Photo Courtesy: Mike Comer / NCAA Photos via Getty Images
Nicolas Albiero helped Louisville win its first ACC crown with three ACC titles. He went on to win the 200 butterfly at NCAAs.
Vazquez was the Most Valuable Diver at Women’s ACCs, the freshman from Mexico winning the 3-meter and platform events and earning silver in the 1-meter. She went on to pick up silver medals at NCAAs in the 1-meter and 3-meter events.
Down-Jenkins, a junior from New Zealand, won the 1-meter and 3-meter events at ACCs. He finished fourth in the latter event at NCAAs. Down-Jenkins was named the Most Valuable Diver at Men’s ACCs.
The four ACC gold medals and six All-Americas earned by that diving duo makes Gamboa the diving coach of the year. He’s just the second diving coach to win both awards in the same year, joining Miami’s Randy Ableman in 2019.
Walsh started her NCAA career by winning the 200 individual medley and leading the Cavaliers to the team title. A four-time ACC champion, she joined Madden on the Cavaliers’ winning 800 free relay.
Ramadan was a revelation at the ACC Championships, winning the 100 butterfly in one of the 10 fastest times ever and medaling in all three individual events. The native of Egypt earned All-America honors in four swims at NCAAs.
DeSorbo piloted UVA to its third ACC championship in four years and 17th overall. He then added the crown jewel to the Cavaliers’ recent dominance with the NCAA title triumph, the storied program’s first. UVA won six individual and relay titles at NCAAs. DeSorbo was also named the CSCAA Women’s Swimming Coach of the Year.
Albiero capped a long rise to the top of the ACC for the Cardinals with the first title in program history in a family affair with Nicolas. The Cardinals went on to win the 200 medley relay at NCAAs.
2020-21 ACC Swimming & Diving Annual Awards
- Women’s Swimmer of the Year: Paige Madden, Virginia
- Men’s Swimmer of the Year: Nicolas Albiero, Louisville
- Women’s Diver of the Year: Aranza Vazquez, North Carolina
- Men’s Diver of the Year: Anton Down-Jenkins, North Carolina
- Women’s Freshman of the Year: Alex Walsh, Virginia
- Men’s Freshman of the Year: Youssef Ramadan, Virginia Tech
- Women’s Swimming Coach of the Year: Todd DeSorbo, Virginia
- Men’s Swimming Coach of the Year: Arthur Albiero, Louisville
- Men’s & Women’s Diving Coach of the Year: Yaidel Gamboa, North Carolina