With the ACC Swim & Dive Championships coming Feb. 15 – 21, the Canes will be arriving in Atlanta primed to score well.
Its path to points — and potentially the podium — is already well-defined.
Diving is the program’s anchor
On the boards, the Hurricanes have been nothing short of dominant. Alongside Chiara Pellacani, recent transfer Margo O’Meara has formed a reliable one-two punch in both springboard events, routinely sweeping or finishing directly behind Pellacani to maximize points.
On the men’s side, Mohamed Farouk and Jake Passmore have added valuable depth to the scoreboard, highlighted by a decisive 32–6 diving victory on Senior Day against Notre Dame. Freshman Matteo Santoro has been a welcomed addition, entering the collegiate ranks as a co–World Champion in the mixed 3-meter synchronized event alongside Miami teammate Pellacani.
With over half of Miami’s divers holding Olympic experience — and all having competed internationally — UM remains statistically stacked against ACC rivals once the meet turns to the boards.
Chiara Pellacani, a national champion in Miami’s ranks
The reigning NCAA Women’s 1-meter diving champion, Pellacani is one of the top female divers on the collegiate circuit.
She headlines Miami’s postseason push after another decorated season that included being named European Aquatic Awards’ Women’s Diving Athlete of the Year. A two-time Olympian, Pellacani has consistently delivered high-difficulty, high-reward performances that anchor Miami’s scoring across meets.
Butterfly and backstroke could be Miami’s strongest weapons
Freshman Phoebe Mayo has emerged as a key contributor in the butterfly events, while senior Sarah Sensenbrenner provides veteran stability in the backstroke. Sophomore Ashlyn Massey has consistently delivered top finishes across both disciplines, keeping Miami firmly in scoring position.
Senior Evelyn Meggesto recently made history, breaking into the All-Time Top 10 in the 200m butterfly.
These aren’t one-off swims — they’re repeatable scorers, which matters in a championship format where consistency often outweighs flash.
Distance is quietly reliable — and potentially lethal
Senior Kate Sommerstad and freshman Sophie Lenze don’t always headline meets, but they consistently place high and set the tone early — particularly in the 1,000-meter freestyle. Their ability to control tempo and stay composed in longer events gives Miami a steady stream of points before the meet ever reaches its most chaotic stages.
That reliability matters at ACCs, where early-session distance races can dictate momentum and force other teams to chase from behind. While distance rarely produces the loudest moments of a championship, it often determines which teams remain in contention. Miami’s roster depth in these events keeps the Hurricanes firmly in the conversation.
At ACCs, titles aren’t won in a single race — they’re built across sessions, events and noticeable margins. Miami doesn’t need everything to go perfectly in Atlanta. It just needs to do what it has done all season: stack points early, stay steady late and let depth do the talking.
The Hurricanes don’t need surprises to contend at the ACC Swim & Dive Championships. They just need to be themselves — and let the math work out for itself.
