Championship Feeling as Fairfield Doubles Up at MAAC Championships
The Fairfield University Stags captured Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Champions on both the men’s and women’s sides following four days of competition over the weekend. Marist University and Niagara University finished in second and third in both meets. Here is a day-by-day breakdown of the action.
Wednesday
The Fairfield University women got things started with a 200 medley relay win, with a team of Holly Roharahu, Tone Sandsjo, Allie Bashor and Rylie Bauman going 1:41.22. Iona’s men followed with their own 200 medley relay victory, a team of Kieran Egan, Max Buchen, Wyatt Julian and Nick Patino finishing in 1:26.89.
Niagara edged Fairfield with a win in the 800 freestyle relay, the squad of Natalie Killion, Megan Jackson, Claire Gorton and Mary Carl winning in 7:21.72. Their time set a new conference record. The Stags finished the night strong, though, with the Fairfield 800 free relay of Tim Regan, Jochi Nolla, Balazs Ament and Aidan Schnapf claiming victory(6:30.60).
Sacred Heart University’s Sinclair Yadao took victory in the 1-meter diving, earning a score of 259.60.
Thursday
The Niagara opened with a strong start on Thursday, as Killion won the 500 free (4:49.75). On the men’s side, Marist earned their first win of the meet, as junior Oscar Bjering took the 500 in 4:26.17. Niagara claimed victory once again in the 200 I.M, with junior Alaina Pitton winning in 2:00.99. Pitton set a MAAC record in the process. Niagara then won its first race on the men’s side, as freshman Vilem Mikula took the men’s 200 I.M (1:47.73).
Marist freshman Anna Kirby won a tight race in the 50 freestyle (23.27) before Iona’s Patino similarly pulled off a close win (20.02). Niagara took another relay win on the women’s side in the 200 free relay, as a team of Jackson, Gorton, My-Ky Vo and Pitton finished in 1:33.29. Mount Saint Mary’s won its first race of the meet on the men’s side, with a team of Adam Jozsa, Lucas Hancock, Austin Toland and Parker Koenig coming in with a time of 1:19.72.
Stavros Xantheas got Rider its first individual win, scoring 308.90 to win the men’s 3-meter diving.
Friday
Fairfield secured its first individual win of the meet in the women’s 100 butterfly, as Bashor was victorious with a time of 55.17. On the men’s side, Koenig helped Mount Saint Mary’s gain its first solo win, taking the 100 fly in 48.01. Niagara’s Marty Divis gave the Purple Eagles their first win of the night, finishing with a time of 4:25.46 in the 400 individual medley. Meanwhile, Fairfield freshman Bobby Regan won the men’s edition of the event in 3:51.32.
The Stags continued their strong night by sweeping the 200 free, behind freshman Natasha Da Pree for the women (1:48.33) and Schnapf for the men (1:37.15). Another conference record was set in the 100 breaststroke, as Sandsjo made history with a time of 1:00.32. Rider junior Max Connelly out-touched his teammate Billy Ruddy to win for the men in 53.87. Iona sophomore Raegan O’Brien took the 100 backstroke among the women in 55.41 while Niagara’s Mikula won his second event of the meet for the men, going 47.51.
A team of Chloe Wutkitch, Sandsjoe, Bashor and De Pree closed Fairfield’s night with a victory in the 400 medley relay, finishing in 3:40.35. Iona’s men earned their second relay win, with a team of Egan, Buchen, Noah Giunta and Nate Wales taking victory (3:14.04). S
acred Heart first-year Ryleigh Mahoney placed first in the women’s 3-meter diving with a score of 280.25.
Saturday
Fairfield started the meet’s final day strong, as De Pree won the 1650 free for her second individual title, clocking 16:53.77. Marist junior Oscar Bjering won the men’s event in 15:39.33, giving the Red Wolves key points. Meanwhile, Killion (1:57.38) and Mikula (1:43.74) were victorious in the 200 back.
Marist’s Kennedy Wheeler and Niagara’s Claire Gorton shared victory in the women’s 100 free in a rare tie, with both swimmers finishing in 50.96. Iona’s Kieran Egan won the event on the men’s side (44.13). Records were then shattered in the 200 breast, as Pitton broke her own conference mark with a time of 2:13.98, and Marist junior Dylan Magda set a new MAAC championship record of 1:57.31. Sacred Heart junior Sophia Velleco won the 200 fly on the women’s side (2:02.03), while Niagara sophomore Ethan Hunter took the men’s event in 1:49.87.
The meet came down to the wire on the women’s side, with Fairfield and Marist separated by a small margin, and just the 400 free relay remaining. A team of Jackson, Gorton, Killion, and Pitton won for Niagara, ending the meet on a high note. Fairfield out-touched Marist for second, clinching the championship for the Stags. A team of Harry Platt, Wales, James Gonzalez, and Egan won the men’s relay.
Awards
Niagara’s Mikula and Pitton were named Most Outstanding Swimmers while Mikula was also named the men’s Rookie of the Meet, with Fairfield’s De Pree receiving the award on the women’s side. Rider’s Xantheas was named the men’s Most Outstanding Diver for the men, and Sacred Heart’s Yadao won the award for the women. Fairfield first-year diver Colton Driggers won men’s Diving Rookie of the Meet, and Sacred Heart’s Mahoney won women’s Diving Rookie of the Meet.
Men’s Team Scores
- Fairfield University – 1341.83
- Marist University – 1276
- Niagara University – 1139.33
- Iona University – 1017.83
- Rider University – 983.5
- Mount Saint Mary’s University – 597
- Canisius University – 569.5
- Saint Peter’s University – 371
- Manhattan University – 218
Women’s Team Scores
- Fairfield University – 1325.5
- Marist University – 1315.5
- Niagara University – 1074
- Sacred Heart University – 893.5
- Iona University – 724
- Mount Saint Mary’s University – 585
- Canisius University – 516
- Rider University – 516
- Siena University – 434.5
- Merrimack College – 340
- Saint Peter’s University – 259
- Manhattan University – 197