March 27, 2007

GREENSBORO, N.C. - Recipients of the 2007 Atlantic Coast Conference individual awards in swimming and diving include three different schools with Miami claiming two of the honors, as announced today by the league office. Virginia Tech's Jessica Botzum has been named ACC Swimmer of the Year, Miami's Jenna Dreyer and Brittany Viola have been voted ACC Diver and Freshman of the Year, respectively, and North Carolina's Frank Comfort was given the nod as ACC Coach of the Year.

All of the awards were determined by a vote of the league's head coaches.

Botzum, who was the first Virginia Tech swimmer to earn the league's top rookie accolade in 2005, returns two years later to become the first Hokie to garner ACC Swimmer of the Year honors. The junior was the only ACC swimmer to earn All-America status in two events (100 and 200 breaststroke) at the NCAA Women's Swimming and Diving Championships. The Raleigh, N.C., product was a three-event All-ACC performer at the league championships in February, as she captured both the 200 breast and 200 individual medley titles and was runner-up in the 100 breast.

For the third year in a row, Miami continued its dominance in diving as Dreyer claimed the hardware as ACC Diver of the Year. The honor is the second for the junior, who won the league award in its first year of inception in 2005. The native from Port Elizabeth, South Africa, turned in a third-place finish at the 2007 NCAA Championships and garnered All-America status in the 1-meter diving event. At the ACC Championships, Dreyer was named the ACC Most Valuable Diver after sweeping both the 1- and 3-meter springboard events and became the first Hurricane in ACC history to win the 3-meter.

The league's ACC Freshman of the Year award goes to Viola, the first Miami diver to capture the honor for the Hurricanes. The rookie picked up her first All-America certificate at this year's NCAA Championships with a sixth-place showing in platform diving. Viola was also an honorable mention NCAA All-American in the 3-meter diving springboard event as she finished 14th overall.

After leading the Tar Heel women to a league-best 16th championship crown this past season, North Carolina's Frank Comfort was selected by his peers as the league's Coach of the Year. Comfort, who will retire from coaching this summer, has been tabbed for the top coaching honor a league-best 11 times including four in the past eight years.

ACC Swimmer of the Year
Jessica Botzum, Virginia Tech

ACC Diver of the Year
Jenna Dreyer, Miami

ACC Freshman of the Year
Brittany Viola, Miami

ACC Coach of the Year
Frank Comfort, North Carolina

--ACC--