Aranza Vázquez takes home third consecutive ACC championship title in the 1-meter dive

UNC graduate diver Aranza Vázquez cracked open her copy of "Daydream" by Hannah Grace, a New York Times bestseller.

She wasn’t reading the book in a coffee shop, the library or at home. Instead, she was reading "Daydream" in between dives at the 2025 ACC Swimming & Diving Championships.

“When I read, the times go [by] so fast,” Vázquez said. 

As competitors paced and stretched around the Greensboro Aquatic Center, Vázquez was buried in a "cutesy book," doing what she had learned to do best: mentally prepare for her dives. It's one of the many routines she's developed to alleviate the pressure of the moment. 

If there’s a diving event, Vázquez has probably competed in it. The two-time Olympian and four-time national champion is one of the most decorated athletes to attend UNC. In her fifth season as a Tar Heel, Vázquez has tallied 16 podium finishes and 11 outright victories, the latest of which coming in February’s ACC Championships.

“Aranza is one of the best divers in the world,” first-year diver Lanie Gutch said.

Her mental fortitude has propelled her through an impressive final season at UNC. But it hasn’t always been that simple.

Vázquez competed in the 2024 Paris Olympics. After being thrilled to return to the largest stage in the sport, she left disappointed.

She finished 16th in semifinals after scoring a zero on her fourth dive. Vázquez said she heard a sound from the crowd that distracted her, causing her to enter the water on her back while attempting a two-and-a-half somersault pike. She tried to appeal it, but it was denied. Only 12 swimmers advanced to finals. 

The expectations and the ultimate failure weighed on her. The mental transition back to collegiate diving became even more challenging ahead of her final season. 

“I was putting so much pressure on myself," Vázquez said. "Everyone is expecting me to win and everyone needs me to win, so I took it in the wrong way."

Vázquez took two months off after the Olympics. The break allowed her to rediscover the value of diving. She started to find new routines. 

"After that [realization], I shifted to what I’m using now," Vázquez said. "I want to do it for myself.”

She has incorporated weekly meetings with a sports psychologist into her schedule, crediting much of her growth to those conversations. UNC head diving coach Yaidel Gamboa started talking to Vázquez before dives to describe where her arms, eyes and shoulders should be. 

“[I'm in a] good mental space, enjoying competition, enjoying being with my teammates and enjoying wanting to do better,” Vázquez said.

These strategies carried Vázquez to the ACC Championships, where she entered as the back-to-back winner of the 1-meter dive. While her diving résumé is nearly flawless, a three-peat was one of the few things Vázquez wanted to accomplish. 

But it wasn’t for another medal or a trip atop the podium. It was for something more.

“I just came into this competition wanting to do well to prove to myself that I could do it [and] that I was still good,” Vázquez said, before later adding, “What happened at the Olympics doesn’t define what I can do.”

So she picked up "Daydream," she chatted with Gamboa and she continued to feel the expectations of only one audience: herself. 

In the six-round 1-meter event, Vázquez trailed Miami’s Mia Vallée by 20 points after four dives. While she doesn’t typically check the score, Vázquez and Gamboa knew that Vallée had completed her dive with the highest difficulty early in the event. Vásquez had not performed hers, which she reserved for later. 

Gamboa approached Vázquez before her final two dives. 

“I didn’t want to talk too much detail, but I [told her], 'Let’s get your best one here,’” Gamboa said. 

Vázquez understood the stakes, and in round five, she delivered. She narrowed the deficit to single digits, leaving herself with a chance to secure the three-peat on her final dive.

Six months ago, Vázquez would have felt the pressure. She didn't know how to handle it then. 

She talked herself up. She felt confident. She felt ready. Even if she didn't win, Vázquez would have been OK with it. 

“I knew I could do it,” Vázquez said.

On top of the 1-meter platform, the adrenaline rushed and the nerves crept. She felt her heart beating out of her chest. This time, the pressure didn’t stop Vázquez. 

“She’s the greatest competitor I’ve ever coached or seen to be honest in our sport, especially on the women's side,” Gamboa said. “She’s just fearless, but on the back of that, it's also she’s human.”

Vázquez clinched the title with a perfect reverse two-and-a-half somersault, pushing her to a score of 69. 

When she hit the water, she thought she came up short. But as she surfaced and saw her teammates and coaches cheering from across the pool, she didn’t need to glance at the score to know she secured the three-peat. Vázquez celebrated with her teammates. 

“We bounce around a little bit, hug each other and big smiles," Gamboa said. "You get a lot of fist bumps. I’m a pretty emotional coach, so when those moments happen, I go a little crazy.”

Vázquez felt relief and exhaustion getting out of the water, but she knew she accomplished something special.

Her entire career has been defined by expectations. The ACC Championships and her three-year 1-meter reign will cement a legacy that's already long-lasting. 

Later this month, Vázquez will compete in the NCAA diving championships. Even before the biggest dive of her season, she'll sit by herself with a novel. She's found what works for her. 

“I’m freaking out every single time,” Vázquez said, before later adding, "I’ve learned how to deal with that and lean toward that adrenaline."

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