Sofia Knight Lands on ACC Podium Again as UNC Divers Make Waves in Atlanta
ATLANTA - Sofia Knight is making a habit of standing on the podium, and Monday night at the ACC Championships, she did it again. The North Carolina standout secured third place in the women’s 1-meter springboard, notching a score of 300.25 to earn her second career ACC podium finish and All-ACC honors. That performance didn’t just add hardware to her resume - it also delivered 27 key points to the Tar Heels’ team total.
It was a strong bounce-back showing after Knight finished sixth in the 3-meter event the day before. Her consistency across both boards is exactly what you want from a veteran diver in championship season - calm under pressure, clean entries, and the ability to rack up points when it matters most.
On the men’s side, Chris Booler came heartbreakingly close to joining the finals in the 3-meter. He finished just 3.3 points shy of the eighth and final qualifying spot, settling for ninth overall. Still, that effort brought in 20 points for UNC, and given how tight these team races can get, every bit counts.
Carter Loftin followed with an 11th-place finish, contributing 16 points to the team total. Rodolfo Vazquez added 11 more with his 16th-place showing, while Ciro Mejia chipped in two points after finishing 23rd.
Altogether, it was a solid day for the Tar Heel divers - not flashy, but productive. These kinds of performances build the foundation for a successful week at the conference championships.
Next up, both the men and women take to the platform on Tuesday. Prelims are set to begin at 10:30 a.m., with finals scheduled for 5:50 p.m. And it’s not just diving anymore - the swimming portion of the ACC Championships kicks off as well, with a finals-only session starting at 5:30 p.m.
Plenty of action still to come in Atlanta, and if Monday’s results are any indication, UNC’s divers are ready to keep making noise.