It was supposed to be a rebuilding year.
Having lost several of its best swimmers from the 2007-08 roster, the Virginia men's swim and dive team was not supposed to win the ACC Championship and it certainly was not supposed to do so by a margin of 273 points.
Nevertheless, during Spring Break the Cavalier men dominated the competition, captured the 2008 conference crown and -- for the first time since 2004 -- the Virginia swimming and diving program swept the ACCs, bringing home both the men's and women's titles.
"I was nervous going into this meet, especially after last year where I thought we were going to win for sure and we got kind of blown out," senior PJ Sullivan said. "If someone had told me that we would win by 250 points before the meet started, I would have told them they were crazy. It just goes to show that it really comes down to who actually swims the best."
The parallels between the men's experience in Atlanta and women's competition just a week prior are somewhat remarkable: Both captured first place by a margin of at least 225 points over runner-up North Carolina, both knew a full day and a half before the meet ended that they would return home victorious and both ended on a winning note, placing first in the four-day meet's final event, the 400 Free relay.
"It's the first time we have ever swept during my career," Sullivan said. "The women have had a rough three years but this year they had a great recruiting class, and it all came together. It is cool to share this all together."
In addition to capturing the team championship, the Cavaliers earned several individual titles. Junior Bjorn Falk earned top honors and his first career ACC title in the 200 Backstroke. Placing first with a time of 1:44.66, Falk led the way as senior Bryan Stahl finished third 1:45.61.
"Coach [Mark Bernardino] told us we needed to shut the door and not give anyone a chance to get back in it," Falk said. "So during my race Saturday I had that in my head, 'Shut the door,' and it felt great to come through."
Junior Pat Reams also claimed an individual title, winning the meet's penultimate event, the 200 Fly, in a time of 1:45.32.
Sullivan, in the last conference meet of his career, won his first ACC title in the 200 Breaststroke with a time of 1:58.03. With senior breaststroker Ryan Hurleyredshirting the season to focus on the upcoming Olympic trials, Sullivan had to step into an unfamiliar role this year. Swimming in relays and individual events where he claimed he had not imagined he belonged, Sullivan felt the pressure to perform and not let down his team.
"As far back as I can remember Virginia has won the 200 Breaststroke event at ACCs," Sullivan said. "So I put it on myself to keep the streak going, and it was really special when I did win."
The 2008 crown is Virginia's ninth title in 10 years, the longest stretch of supremacy in the ACC.After having their eight-year winning streak broken last year by Florida State, the Cavaliers proved once more that they are number one, collecting 833 points for the fourth-highest total in ACC history.
"After last year when we kind of let everyone down, alumni and the fourth-years especially, by not swimming up to our potential, it was really important to get the job done," Falk said. "It was definitely a surprise -- not many picked us to win it, and definitely not by such a large margin. The first- and second-year classes really stepped up, though, and we all swam lights out to come out on top"
Read More
Virginia annihilated 41-14 in a must-win contest versus North Carolina
By Peter Kriebel | 21 hours agoJust about everything that could have gone wrong for Virginia football went wrong.
No. 24 women’s soccer not to be denied in late win over Clemson
By Sam Chun | YesterdayThe Cavaliers topped Clemson 1-0 in front of a packed out Klöckner Stadium.
Men’s soccer, totally discombobulated, capitulates early to No. 5 Pittsburgh
By Michael Liebermann | YesterdayPittsburgh set a program record for the quickest cluster of three goals.
