The Hurricanes can jumpstart a big season in Texas
Miami diving heads into USA Diving Winter National Championships in Midland, Texas with as much star power as any program in the country.
Head coach Dario di Fazio sends eight current or recent Hurricanes: Chiara Pellacani, Mia Vallée, Emma Gullstrand, Margo O’Meara, Mohamed Farouk, Jake Passmore and freshman Matteo Santoro, all qualified in at least one springboard event.
Pellacani and Vallée headline women’s springboard
Pellacani arrives as the reigning NCAA champion on 1-meter and national runner-up on 3-meter after a dominant first season in orange and green. The Italian Olympian swept ACC Diver of the Year honors and later landed among three finalists for the Honda Sport Award in swimming and diving.
Vallée brings an equally heavy résumé. The Canadian star owns the 2022 NCAA title on 1-meter, multiple ACC crowns and All-America finishes on both boards in 2023 and 2025. Both veterans qualified for Winter Nationals on 1-meter and 3-meter, so another chapter in their springboard rivalry likely unfolds in Midland.
Veteran depth all over the women’s side
Behind Pellacani and Vallée, sixth-year standout Emma Gullstrand owns Olympic experience for Sweden, an NCAA All-America honor on 3-meter and multiple ACC medals. The ACC recently recognized her November surge at the Texas Diving Invitational, naming her co-women’s diver of the week. She enters Winter Nationals with starts on both springboards.
Graduate transfer Margo O’Meara adds another proven Championship-level scorer. The former Duke standout already owns an ACC 1-meter title and multiple high finishes at conference and NCAA meets, and she qualified at all three heights for Midland.
With four women in individual events on multiple boards, Miami carries realistic medal hopes every session.
International men look for big domestic statement
On the men’s side, Farouk, Passmore and Santoro give Miami an international-caliber trio.
Mohamed Farouk, a redshirt senior from Egypt, represented his country at the 2024 Paris Olympics in 3-meter and previously reached NCAA finals on springboard. He qualified for Winter Nationals in all three events.
Jake Passmore, a redshirt freshman, already owns Olympic experience for Ireland and junior-world medals. He lines up on 1-meter and 3-meter, where his big entries and consistency often shine late in finals.
Then comes Matteo Santoro, the freshman phenom from Italy. A five-time World Junior champion and mixed-synchro world champion this summer with Pellacani, Santoro recently earned ACC men’s diver of the week after a standout Texas Invitational. He also qualified on both springboards, setting up a compelling showdown with many of the top U.S. men.
What’s at stake in Midland
Winter Nationals crowns national champions and also plays a major role in national-team selection for upcoming international events and World Cup stops, so every list carries real weight. Combine Olympic experience, recent NCAA hardware and a deep group that covers every board, and Miami enters Winter Nationals with expectations that match its pedigree. If the Hurricanes handle business, the week in West Texas could launch yet another run of national titles and international trips for one of college diving’s most decorated programs.
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