2023 MAAC Championships: Rider Men and Fairfield Women Maintain Lead After Day 3

MAAC Championships (Men’s and Women’s)

• Wednesday, February 8 – Saturday, February 11, 2023
• Burt Flickinger Center, Buffalo, NY
• Defending Champion:
  • Women: Niagara (1x)
  • Men: Rider (10x)
• Live Results or on MeetMobile: “2023 MAAC Men’s and Women’s Championships”
• Live Video
• Championship Central
• SwimSwam Fan Guide
• Day 1 & 2 Recap

Today marked the 3rd day of racing at the 2023 MAAC Championships in Buffalo, New York. Tonight’s lineup featured the 100 fly, 400 IM, 200 free, 100 breast, 100 back, and 400 medley relay.

Women’s Recap

Iona’s Ashley Benkert got things started in the 100 fly, as she took 1st in a season best time of 55.75. Paige South from Niagara was close behind with a personal best time of 56.16, which also marks a new program record by 0.01.

Fairfield sophomore Erini Pappas decisively defended her title in the 400 IM with a personal best time of 4:24.05. Fairfield had a strong showing all around in the event, with sophomore Erin Hoyland touching 3rd (4:28.35) and freshman Callie Gray touching 4th (4:29.31).

It was a tight race in the 200 free, with the top four swimmers finishing within a second of each other. Fairfield’s Sydney Scalise got her hand on the wall first at 1:53.06, while Canisius’ Ashley Allaire grabbed 2nd in 1:53.41. Isabella Nicholson (1:53.64) and Lily Barker (1:53.96) rounded out the top four.

Julia Moser secured the Iona women their 2nd victory of the night in the 100 breaststroke. Moser posted a 1:02.69 to top the field by almost a second. Lana Janson from Canisius came back in the last 50 to snag 2nd at 1:03.59, while Mount Saint Mary’s Christine Lazari touched 3rd at 1:03.71. Both Janson and Lazari lowered their respective program records.

Iona kept the momentum going through the 100 backstroke, as freshman Victoria Novinskiy touched first in a new program record of 56.23. Veronica Stureborg from Marist took the runner-up spot at 56.62.

Iona’s team of Novinskiy (57.37), Moser (1:02.59), Benkert (55.01), and Nicholson (51.25) ended the night with one last victory in the 400 medley relay. They clocked a 3:46.25 to beat 2nd place Fairfield by over two seconds.

Women’s Team Scores Through Day 3:

1. Fairfield – 409
2. Marist – 366
3. Niagara – 364
4. Iona – 319
5. Canisius – 251
6. Siena –  211
7. Rider – 194
8. Mount Saint Mary’s – 154
9. Manhattan College – 107

Men’s Recap

Canisius sophomore Archie Minto secured a victory in the first event of the night, as he touched first in the 100 fly at 48.50, good for a season best time. Niagara junior Gio Germano held on to 2nd with a new program record time of 48.71, while Minto’s teammate Bronson Benes finished 3rd in a best time of 48.93.

In the 400 IM, Marist sophomore James Conable built a lead early on and held onto it. He touched 1st by almost three seconds to post a 3:54.88. Fairfield swept the next two spots, with Ed Hunt and Evan Fair recording times of 3:57.38 and 3:57.66, respectively.

After breaking the MAAC record in the 500 last night, Iona’s Michael Faughnan returned with another dominating performance in the 200 free. He broke his own school record with a time of 1:35.27, almost 2 seconds ahead of Marist’s Ahmed Sallam (1:38.22) and Fairfield’s Joseph Stewart (1:38.26).

Mount Saint Mary’s Aidan Grady collected a win in the 100 breast with a personal best time of 54.38. Grady’s front end speed put him ahead of Niagara freshman Jake Lauzonis, who touched 2nd at 54.79. Grady’s teammate Jake Wallace rounded out the podium with a 54.92.

Rider senior Lucas Racevicius collected his 2nd victory of the meet in the 100 back. Racevicius clocked a 48.35 to narrowly hold off Jason Fitch from Mount Saint Mary, who had a faster back-half. Fitch’s time of 48.42 was just 0.01 off his own program record.

In 3-meter diving finals, Marist freshman Ethan Gibbs beat Niagara’s John Furner with a final score of 257.25.

Niagara’s 400 medley relay team of Riley Dafoe (50.15), Lauzonis (54.26), Germano (48.65), and Nathan Dragon (44.75) combined to win in a new program record time of 3:17.81. Fairfield took 2nd at 4:19.19, while Marist snagged 3rd at 3:20.15.

Men’s Team Scores Through Day 3:

1. Rider – 458
2. Niagara – 419
3. Marist – 413
4. Fairfield – 384
5. Canisius – 288
6. Iona – 228.5
7. Mount Saint Mary’s – 184.5
8. Manhattan College – 102