The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference teams concluded the second day of competition at the 2016 Men’s & Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships at the Burt Flickinger Athletic Center in Buffalo, New York.
After the second day of competition, the Rider University men’s team is in first place with a total of 330 points. Marist College stands alone in second place with 191 points, while third place Bryant University registered 175 points. Niagara University followed, totaling 157 points, and Canisius College is fifth with 154 points. In sixth place is Iona College with 128.5 points and in seventh is Fairfield University with 99 points. Manhattan College is close behind with 90.5 points as Monmouth University rounds out the group with 54 points.
The Marist College women’s team also extended their lead after day two, totaling 325 points. In second place is Rider University with 195 points, while Canisius College has 179 points to stand third. Iona College has 158 points and is in fourth place, while Fairfield University stands in fifth with 144 points. Siena College holds sixth place with a total of 136 and following right behind in seventh is Niagara University with 115 points. Rounding out the group in eighth place is Manhattan College with 72 points and Monmouth University with 55.
On the men’s side, the Rider University Broncs extended their lead, winning three of five men’s events for the evening. The 500-yard freestyle proved to be a repeat of 2015 as Rider’s Zachary Molloy and Marist College’s Ryan Murphy finished first and second. Molloy defended his title in 4:25.15, defeating Murphy by 1.3 seconds. Rider’s second victory came when junior Matthan-Matthew Martir won the 50-yard freestyle. His time of 20.18 is good enough for an NCAA ‘B’ cut. To end the night, the Broncs broke their third MAAC relay record, defending their title in the 200-yard freestyle relay. The foursome comprised of Martir, Z. Molloy, Gibbons, and Prichard swam almost a full second under the previous record, touching in 1:20.75.
Bryant University and Canisius College also experienced success on the second day of competition. Bryant’s Ben Schulte won the 200 IM and the Bulldogs’ first event of the meet in 1:49.49. On the 1-M diving board, two-time MAAC Diver of the Week, Travis Wright was victorious for Canisius. His score of 314.00 is good enough for an NCAA ‘A’ cut.
On the women’s side, the Red Foxes had a successful showing in the 50-yard freestyle as Meredith Wurtz and Georgia Goldman finished first and second. Junior Meredith Wurtz broke her own school record to finish the race in 23.48 seconds. The two were later part of the winning 200-yard freestyle relay team along with teammates Bridget Curley and Bethany Powhida. The foursome defeated second place Rider by over a second, finishing in 1:35.09.
The Iona Gaels also posted a stellar performance after improving to fourth place in the women’s standings. They were led by one-time MAAC Swimmer of the Week and senior MaryEllen Mangione in the 200-yard IM. Entering the session as the top seed, Mangione swam to a first place finish in 2:06.16. Canisius College defended their third place standing as sophomore Rebecca Anthone won the 500-yard freestyle. She narrowly defeated Marist’s Bethany Powhida, posting a time of 4:56.34.
