Niagara Women Break Meet Record in 200 Free Relay at Night 2 MAAC Championships

Metro Atlantic Conference (MAAC)

• Wednesday, February 9-Saturday, February 12
• Erie Community College, Buffalo, New York, EST
• Defending Champions
  • Rider men (9x) 
  • Fairfield women (3x)
• Live results
• Live video
• Championship Central
• SwimSwam fan guide

Thursday night finals will feature the women’s and men’s 500 freestyle, 200 IM, 50 freestyle, 200 yard freestyle relay, and men’s 3 meter diving. Last night finished with Rider University and Fairfield University tied for first on the men’s side with 70 points. On the women’s side, Fairfield University looks to extend its lead to win its 4th consecutive MAAC title.

Women’s Recap

In the 500 freestyle, Georgia Watkins of Monmouth was the only swimmer sub-5:00, winning the conference title (4:59.68). Her winning time is slightly off her lifetime best from the ECAC Winter Championships (4:57.24), which took place in December 2021. 

There was a tight battle for 2nd place between Marist’s Madeline Healey (5:01.51) and Fairfield’s Sydney Scalise (5:01.77). This is a lifetime best for Scalise by nearly two-seconds. Her previous best time was 5:03.42 from the 2019 Southern Premiere Invite in March 2019, which was the last time Scalise was sub-5:05 in the event. 

In the 200 IM, Fairfield’s Erini Pappas won the conference title (2:03.30), which was a lifetime best by almost two-seconds. Niagra picked up big points finishing 2nd and 3rd in the event with Megan Smith (2:04.18) and Katrina Wardner (2:04.51). 

After finishing 8th in the 50 free at the MAAC Championships in 2020, Sage Pollack of Canisius captured the conference title in 23.07 seconds, which is just off the MAAC record of 22.97 seconds, which was set by Rachel Wuko of Saint Peter’s in 2015. 

Only two-tenths separated 2nd-5th place. Alexandra Ho of Monmouth was 2nd (23.66), Paige South of Niagara was 3rd (23.79), Connar Melcher of Rider was 4th (23.80), and Katherine Lee of Iona was 5th (23.86).

In the final event of the evening, Niagara University won the 200 freestyle relay (1:34.04), in a meet record time. The previous record was 1:34.08 set by Rider back in 2009. Niagara was one-second faster than 2nd place Iona (1:35.09).

The winning lineup featured:

• Wardner (23.72)
• Lila Maddux (23.62)
• Moana Houde-Camirand (23.33)
• South (23.37). 

South, who had the fastest split of the evening, finished 3rd in the 50 free. Her relay split was faster than her individual swim by .42 seconds. 

Women’s Scores After Day 2

1. Fairfield University, 232
2. Niagara University, 228
3. Marist College, 172
4. Iona College, 171
5. Monmouth University, 147
6. Canisius College, 139
7. Siena College, 134
8. Rider University, 105
9. Manhattan College, 54
10. Saint Peter’s University, 28

Men’s Recap

Joseph Stewart and Michael Faughnan, who posted the fastest splits in the 800 freestyle relay last night faced off tonight in the 500 freestyle. Stewart of Fairfield touched at 4:25.36 seconds, which is a best time by four-seconds. Faughnan of Iona finished at 4:26.19, which is a touch slower than he went in prelims this morning (4:25.75). Rounding out the podium was Canisius’s Liam O’Connell (4:29.64), who improved his season’s best time by nine-seconds. 

After winning a conference title in the 200 medley relay last night, Lucas Racevicius of Rider won the 200 IM (1:47.25), which is his best time by a second. At the 2020 MAAC Conference Championships, Racevicius placed 4th (1:49.74). 

The men’s 200 IM A-final featured many returners from 2020

• 2nd place Luke Cillie of Saint Peter’s (1:48.83), 2020 2nd place (1:48.83)
• 3rd place Evan Fair of Fairfield (1:49.79), 2020 3rd place (1:49.66)
• 6th place David Rucci of Rider (1:50.68), 2020 7th place (1:52.59)

Ahmed Sallam of Marist nearly broke 20-seconds in the 50 freestyle when he posted a 20.01 seconds to win the event, after placing 3rd in 2020 (20.62), which was a best time .33 seconds. Fairfield took 2nd and 3rd in the event with Alex Belfer (20.25) and Joseph Gewartowski (20.35). Gerwatowski was 6th in 2020 (20.75).

In the 3-meter event, Fairfield took 1st, 4th, and 7th which was led by Dillon O’Connor (278.95), seven points ahead of Rider’s Sean Binning (270.70). 4th was Lukas Stanton (242.30), and in 7th place was Noah Duncan (201.75).

The Niagara men also won the 200 freestyle relay (1:20.02) with:

• Kevin Vu (20.48)
• Levi Morgan (19.87)
• Reid Tichy (20.46)
• Nathan Dragon (20.01)

Taking 2nd was Iona (1:21.47). The fastest split in the field was from Belfer of Fairfield (19.49), who placed 2nd in the individual 50 freestyle. 

Men’s Scores After Day 2

1. Rider University, 268
2. Fairfield University, 232
3. Marist College, 195
4. Niagara University, 158
5. Iona College, 137
6. Monmouth University, 121
7. Canisius College, 101
8. Saint Peter’s University, 95
9. Manhattan College, 60