Video Interviews: Courtney Bartholomew and Leah Smith Approaching ACC and NCAA Championships

The University of Virginia Cavaliers travelled south on Friday to Chapel Hill to take on rivals North Carolina and NC State in a triple dual meet. UVA had originally been scheduled for two separate duals against the two teams the previous weekend, but they were postponed due to winter weather. After the meet, Swimming World’s David Rieder talked to Virginia’s Courtney Bartholomew and Leah Smith, both expected to contend for multiple titles at the upcoming ACC Championships (Feb. 17-20 in Greensboro, N.C.) and NCAA Championships (March 16-19 in Atlanta).

Bartholomew spoke about her experience in front of a packed house in Chapel Hill and how she feels heading into championship season of her senior year. She spoke about seeking to move up from a pair of second-place finishes at NCAAs last season and how her record-breaking performance at the Duel in the Pool in December has propelled her. She also discussed why her experience interning with Swimming World has been so positive.

Smith, who won both the 500 and 1650 free at the NCAA Championships last season, explained why she skipped out on a dual meet in January to swim at the Arena Pro Swim Series in Austin and how she is balancing her goals for the college season and for Olympic Trials. She discussed how she balances a wide spectrum of distances – from the 200 to the mile – and gives some insight into the unique Golden Goggles speech she and Katie McLaughlin put together this past November.

Name*

Email*

Welcome to our community. We invite you to join our discussion. Our community guidelines are simple: be respectful and constructive, keep on topic, and support your fellow commenters. Commenting signifies that you agree to our Terms of Use