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GREENSBORO, N.C. - Virginia Tech head diving coach Ron Piemonte and Tech diver Kaylea Arnett were honored by the ACC with two end-of-season awards, as announced by the conference Monday.

Piemonte was named ACC Women’s Diving Coach of the Year for the second-straight year, and Arnett was named ACC Women’s Diver of the Year for the second year in a row and third time in her career, cementing her status as the most decorated H₂Okie in program history.

Arnett already laid claim to the ACC Championship’s Most Valuable Diver Award - an honor she has received four times - so it was no surprise that the senior garnered the diver of the year recognition. At the ACC Championships, Arnett won gold medals in both the 3-meter and the platform event, completing the career sweep, and took a bronze medal in the 1-meter. She won her sixth gold medal, the most by any diver in ACC history and the most by any Virginia Tech swimmer or diver. She also became the only diver in conference history to be named the most valuable diver four times.

She continued her dominance at the Zone A Championships, automatically qualifying for all three events at the NCAA Championships. That paved the way for her third all-America honor at the NCAA Championships when she finished sixth in the 3-meter. She also took ninth in the platform at NCAAs for her sixth honorable-mention all-America honor of her career.

This is Arnett’s third ACC Women’s Diver of the Year award, after winning the honor as a freshman and a junior. She is now the only diver in ACC history to win the award three times.

Piemonte coached the H₂Okies to another impressive diving season, dominating both the ACC Championships and the Zone A Championships. Tech divers won four medals at ACCs and placed in the top-eight seven times across three events. Led by Arnett, Tech also had quality finishes from Kelli Stockton and Emma Villarreal, who earned top-five finishes, and Ashley Buchter, who earned a seventh-place finish. Tech dominated the Zone A Championships a week later, qualifying four divers for the NCAA Championships with eight automatic bids.

The ACC Women’s Diving Coach of the Year award is only a three-year old honor, but in two of the three years, the award has been given to Piemonte.

ACC Awards:

Men’s Swimmer of the Year – Simonas Bilis, NC State
Men’s Diver of the Year – Samuel Dorman, Miami
Men’s Freshman of the Year – Anton Ipsen, NC State
Men’s Swimming Coach of the Year – Braden Holloway, NC State
Men’s Diving Coach of the Year – Randy Ableman, Miami

Women’s Swimmer of the Year – Kelsi Worrell, Louisville
Women’s Diver of the Year – Kaylea Arnett, Virginia Tech
Women’s Freshman of the Year – Jennifer Marrkand, Virginia
Women’s Swimming Coach of the Year – Augie Busch, Virginia
Women’s Diving Coach of the Year – Ron Piemonte, Virginia Tech

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