Clemson Men’s Swimming and Diving Finishes 5th in ACC Championships

Feb. 25, 2001

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Clemson men’s swimming and diving team finished with 360 points to earn fifth place in the ACC Swimming and Diving Championships that concluded Saturday in Charlottesville, VA. The University of Virginia men’s swimming and diving team won its third consecutive Atlantic Coast Conference Championship Saturday (Feb. 24) at the Aquatic and Fitness Center. The Cavaliers’ 883.5 points were the most all-time at an ACC Championship meet, breaking the record set by North Carolina in 1991 with 852.

Virginia won 13 of 20 events en route to its first-place finish, including all the swimming events on the last day of competition. North Carolina finished second in the team standings for the second straight year with 594.5 points, 289 behind the Cavaliers. Georgia Tech was third with 434.5 points, while Florida State finished fourth with 401.5. Clemson (360), N. C. State (346.5), Maryland (397.5) and Duke (141) rounded out the team scores.

The Tigers’ Matt Wilson won two ACC titles and set two Clemson records as he won both the 200 and 400 individual medley events. Wilson’s winning time of 3:51.68 set a new Clemson record, breaking the previous 400 IM record of 3:53.71 set in 1992 by Henry Faris. His 200-yard individual medley title time of 1:48.10 set another new Clemson record. Wilson’s time broke Faris’ previous record of 1:49.07 in the 200 IM also set in 1992. This is the first time a Clemson swimmer has won two events since 1997 when Rick Aronberg won the 500 free and 1650 free. Wilson is Clemson’s first winner of the 200 IM at the ACC Championships and the Tiger’s second 400 IM champion. Both of Wilson’s times are also NCAA provisional qualifying times.

Two other Clemson swimmers met provisional qualifying standards for the NCAA Championships at the conference meet. Gregor Govse recorded a provisional qualifying time of 56.17 in the 100 breast and a qualifying time of 2:01.51 in the 200 breast. Ryan Cassella also recorded a provisional qualifying time of 2:01.14 in the 200 breast. Cassella and Govse finished sixth and seventh respectively in the 200 breast while Govse was tenth in the 100 breast.

Clemson diver Craig Thomas was also instrumental in the Tigers’ success as he claimed All-ACC honors on the one-meter board with a second place finish. Thomas scored 286.40 points in the preliminaries and 260.60 in the finals of the one meter. He also posted a sixth place finish on the three meter board with 463.10 points, a personal and team-best season score.