Bold takeaway: Miami’s Chiara Pellacani dominates the 3-meter dive, while SMU’s Luke Sitz shocks the field to claim the 1-meter crown as ACC action kicks off in Atlanta. If you’re curious how the opening day reshapes the conference’s diving power dynamic, you’ll want to read this smooth, beginner-friendly recap that keeps all the key details intact and adds context where helpful.
The Atlantic Coast Conference Swimming and Diving Championships began in Atlanta at the McAuley Aquatic Center, with diving events running Sunday through Tuesday and the swimming portion following Tuesday through Saturday. The defending champions entering this meet were UVA’s women for six straight titles and Cal’s men for one. Here are the essentials you need to know to follow along: live results, streaming options, event schedule, championship hub, and the psych sheet for teams including Boston College, Cal, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Miami (women’s swimming & diving and men’s diving), NC State, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, SMU, Stanford, Virginia, and Virginia Tech.
Women’s 3-Meter Diving – Key results and context
- ACC record and championship record for 3-meter remain at 439.70, set by Abby Johnston of Duke in 2010, with the pool record at 429.05, also by Johnston in 2011. The NCAA qualifying target sits around 280/235 depending on dive lists.
- Top eight finishers were led by Chiara Pellacani of Miami with 352.50, followed by Margo O’Meara (Miami) at 323.60, Molly Gray (Stanford) at 318.65, Kayleigh Clark (Florida State) at 300.15, Grace Courtney (Notre Dame) at 294.80, Sofia Knight (North Carolina) at 290.10, Elisabeth Rockefeller (Georgia Tech) at 270.30, and Peyton Guziec (Virginia Tech) at 247.60.
- Miami swept the podium? Not exactly, but Pellacani and O’Meara were the standout duo for the Hurricanes, combining for the lion’s share of their team’s points. Pellacani, who won this event last year with 403.15, opened a decisive gap by the second round, finishing with a sizable lead after the fourth round.
- Impact on team scoring: Pellacani’s 32 points and O’Meara’s runner-up finish with 323.60 (28 points) give Miami a strong early edge in the team race from women’s diving.
- Other finalists who crossed the 300-point threshold included Molly Gray (Stanford) at 318.65 and Kayleigh Clark (Florida State) at 300.15. Notably, in 2025 all eight finalists finished above 300, underscoring the event’s depth this year.
Men’s 1-Meter Diving – Standout performances and drama
- ACC and championship records mirror the 2010 standard of 499.95 set by Nick McCrory (Duke), with NCAA qualifying goals around 300 points.
- The top eight were: Luke Sitz (SMU) at 429.75, Max Fowler (Georgia Tech) at 410.25, Matteo Santoro (Miami) at 389.35, Jake Passmore (Miami) at 386.30, Farouk Farouk (Miami) at 367.50, Rocky Ramsland (Virginia Tech) at 310.90, Mackenzie Molloy (Louisville) at 309.35, Joshua Thai (Cal) at 293.45.
- The battle came down to two returning finalists from last year: Luke Sitz (SMU) and Max Fowler (Georgia Tech). Sitz, who finished third in 2025, and Fowler, fifth in 2025, carried the momentum into 2026.
- After three rounds, Fowler led by just over eight points over Matteo Santoro of Miami. Sitz, hovering in third, delivered a dramatic fourth-round dive to swing the momentum, closing the gap to within five points of Fowler. By the fifth round, it was a two-man race between the 2025 top finishers. Fowler held a slim lead heading into the final dive, but Sitz executed a clean final attempt to overtake Fowler and seize the 1-meter title in a dramatic finish.
- Miami’s divers still tallied strong team contributions, finishing 3-4-5 for 78 points on the day and helping the Hurricanes establish an opening-day advantage in the overall standings.
Day 1 Team Standings (Diving)
- Women: 1) Miami 60, 2) Stanford 56, 3) Notre Dame 48, 4) Georgia Tech 46, 5) Florida State/Cal 26, 7) North Carolina 24, 8) Virginia Tech 22, 9) Louisville 19, 10) Pittsburgh 18, 11) SMU 17.
- Men: 1) Miami 78, 2) SMU 47, 3) Virginia Tech 42, 4) Georgia Tech/Stanford 37, 6) Louisville 34, 7) Cal 22, 8) Florida State 19, 9) Notre Dame 17, 10) North Carolina 15, 11) Pittsburgh 14.
Want the full schedule, streaming options, and live results at your fingertips? Here are the official reference points used by fans and media:
- Live Results: https://sidearmstats.com/acc/swimming/
- Live Video: ESPN+ (availability may vary by event)
- Event Schedule (PDF): swimswam.com link embedded in schedule section
- Championship Central: theacc.com feature page
- Pre-Scratch Psych Sheet (PDF): swimswam.com
- Teams list: includes Miami, SMU, Stanford, Cal, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, NC State, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Virginia, Virginia Tech, and Boston College.
Bottom line for the opening day: Pellacani’s commanding performance in the women’s 3-meter and Sitz’s late surge to win the men’s 1-meter set the tone for a charged ACC meet, with Miami leading the early standings on both sides and a trio of schools—Miami, SMU, and their pursuers—ready to challenge for the title over the next several days.
What do you think will reshape the rest of the championships—Pellacani’s dominance, Sitz’s clutch finish, or another wave of breakthrough dives from a rising star? Share your predictions and thoughts in the comments.
