Virginia Returns to top of ACC

The final day of the 2008 Atlantic Coast Conference Women's Swimming and Men's and Women's Diving Championships ended in a big splash for the University of Virginia, as the Cavaliers clinched their sixth championship title and first since 2004.

A total of 13 records fell and seven student-athletes collected at least two individual titles at this year's championship, held at the Aquatic Center on the campus of Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Ga. Clemson's Michelle Parkhurst and Miami's Brittany Viola the only pair to win three individual events each.

Parkhurst was selected ACC Most Valuable Swimmer by a vote of the 11 head coaches, becoming the first Tiger since Mitzi Kremer in 1989 to earn the honor. The senior from Vienna, Va., set four NCAA "A" marks, set a new conference and ACC meet mark in the 200 backstroke and shattered the conference and ACC meet records swimming the leadoff leg in the 800 freestyle relay on opening day of the league championship. Parkhurst also anchored the winning 200 freestyle relay team that set a new conference record with an automatic qualifying time of 1:30.60.

Diving competition concluded Saturday afternoon with platform diving being conducted for the first time in ACC history. Viola, a sophomore from Orlando, Fla., was named ACC Most Valuable Diver after becoming the league's first platform diving champion. In addition, she earned a place in the league record books also winning both the one- and three-meter springboard events to become the first to sweep all three diving championship events.

In the men's diving competition, Florida State's Terry Horner was tabbed ACC Most Valuable Diver. Earlier this week, the sophomore from Orlando, Fla., became the first Seminole since 2003 to sweep both the one- and three-meter diving events.

Miami's JJ Kinzbach became the first men's platform champion, as the event was also held for the first time in league history. Florida State's Dan Frebel followed with a runner-up finish, while Virginia Tech's Mikey McDonald placed third.

The five other student-athletes to notch two individual gold medals at this year's Championship included Florida State's Terry Horner (men's one- and three-meter dive); North Carolina's Whitney Sprague (500 and 1650 freestyle); Virginia's Liz Shaw (200 individual medley and 200 butterfly); and Virginia Tech's Jessica Botzum (100 and 200 breaststroke) and Sara Smith (50 and 100 freestyle).

Botzum and Smith were also part of the Hokies' winning 200 medley relay squad that broke the Georgia Tech Aquatic Center pool record on the first day of competition.

Up next is the ACC Men's Swimming Championship, which takes place Wednesday-Saturday, February 27-March 1. Georgia Tech plays host for the second straight week at the Aquatic Center.

Raycom Sports, in a partnership with Turner Broadcasting, will produce the ACC Swimming & Diving Championships for broadband video streaming on www.ACCSelect.com, providing live coverage of the final events only.

Below are the final team standings, results and list of All-ACC performers at the 2008 ACC Women's Swimming and Men's and Women's Diving Championships.

Team Standings Points
1. Virginia 800
2. North Carolina 572
3. Florida State 544.5
4. Virginia Tech 362
5. Clemson 350
6. Duke 267
7. Georgia Tech 261
8. NC State 228
9. Maryland 223.5
10. Miami 182
11. Boston College 52