10/10/2026
🏊♀️🌟 BIG NEWS FROM CVAC! 🌟🏊♀️
We are incredibly proud to celebrate Lucy Gott, who has earned the prestigious honor of being named a 2026 North Carolina Swimming All-Star! 🏆
Just how big of an accomplishment is this?
🏊 Approximately 12,000 competitive swimmers across North Carolina.
⭐ Only about 1.6% earn North Carolina Swimming All-Star recognition.
💙 Lucy was the ONLY swimmer from the Hickory area to earn 2026 NCS All-Star honors!
So, what does it take to become a North Carolina Swimming All-Star?
This isn't an award swimmers are simply nominated for. It is EARNED IN THE POOL through exceptional competitive performances!
North Carolina Swimming recognizes swimmers who meet at least one of several elite qualification standards:
🥇 STATE TOP FIVE: Achieve Top Five times in North Carolina in at least TWO different stroke categories, with times meeting USA Swimming's AAAA standards.
🇺🇸 NATIONAL TOP TEN: Earn a National Top Ten ranking for their individual age in a short-course or long-course event.
🌊 OPEN WATER: Meet North Carolina Swimming's Open Water All-Star qualification criteria.
An important distinction: Earning a Top Five time in an individual event is an outstanding accomplishment, but it does not automatically qualify a swimmer for All-Star recognition. The All-Star standards require an additional level of achievement.
Lucy earned her place among North Carolina's All-Stars through her competitive performances during the September 1, 2025 – August 31, 2026 swimming season!
And the celebration was pretty special, too! 🤩
On Saturday, October 3, Lucy joined fellow North Carolina Swimming All-Stars in Greensboro for an exclusive swimming clinic and the annual All-Star Awards Banquet.
During the clinic, Lucy actually got to RACE Olympic gold and bronze medalist Katharine Berkoff in BACKSTROKE! 🥇🥉
The clinic also featured three-time Olympic gold medalist Josh Davis, giving these talented swimmers the opportunity to learn from athletes who have competed on the world's biggest stage.
Making the day even more special, Coach Paul, Coach Scott, and Lucy's family were all in attendance to celebrate this incredible milestone alongside her. 💙
🎙️ Coach Paul Schiffel, CVAC Head Coach:
"Lucy has worked incredibly hard to earn this recognition, and I couldn't be prouder of her. What makes this accomplishment so special is knowing the dedication, discipline, and countless hours of training that go into reaching this level. She's earned every bit of this honor, and it's exciting to see her hard work recognized among the best swimmers in North Carolina."
🎙️ Coach Scott Schiffel, CVAC Assistant Coach:
"When you consider that there are approximately 12,000 competitive swimmers in North Carolina and only about 1.6% earn All-Star recognition, that really puts this accomplishment into perspective. And to know Lucy is the only swimmer from the Hickory area to earn this honor makes it even more special. Being there with her family and Coach Paul to celebrate was an incredible experience. This is a huge achievement for Lucy and a proud moment for our entire CVAC family."
💙 LUCY, WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU! 💙
Your hard work, dedication, and commitment to this sport have earned you a place among North Carolina's elite swimmers. You represent everything we strive for at CVAC, and we can't wait to see what you accomplish next!
This is what dedication looks like. This is what hard work can achieve. THIS IS CVAC! 💙🏊♀️
👏 CVAC FAMILY — LET'S SHOW LUCY SOME LOVE AND GIVE HER THE RECOGNITION SHE DESERVES! 👏
