WEST LONG BRANCH, NY - Sparked by a combined five individual wins from Juniors Isabella Nicholson and Julia Moser, the Iona College women's Swimming team rushed back from as many as 19-points down to defeat the Monmouth University Hawks in Long Branch, New Jersey Friday night. The win raised the team's record to 5-1 for the season, after the 141-121 win.
 
The Iona men lost to the Monmouth men 162-100, marking their first loss on this season, despite Sophomore Michael Faughnan's three individual wins and graduate student Conor Mullin's two wins.

women's MEET

The night saw the Iona women's breaststroke corps continue their strong work. Moser, a junior, took the top spot in the 100 and 200-Breaststroke events at 1:09.33 and 2:29.82, respectively. Megan Josephs and Kate DiRaimo took third and fourth in the 100-yard race and second and fourth in the 200-yard edition. "Those were big races for us," noted Cavataro. "Monmouth's Talia Botha – who won the 200-Breast at the last MAAC Championships was back in the water for the first time this season racing, and Moser, Josephs and DiRaimo were big!"
 
Speaking of Isabella Nicholson, Cavataro, commented, "Bella is building on her strong swimming last spring and training very well and it is paying off in her races. She is a threat in any of the freestyle events and her individual medley work is really coming together." 
Nicholson claimed wins Friday in the 100 and 200-yard Freestyle events with respective times of 52.97 and 1:56.27, just off of her lifetime best efforts from last spring. However, it was the back half of her 200-yard Individual Medley race that "continues to impress," noted Cavataro. Nicholson posted a 36.32 Breaststroke leg to take control of the race and help the trio of Taylor Spillman and Isabella Pabon to a 1-2-3 win and set up the decisive 400-yard Freestyle Relay event.
 
In that race, Samantha Whitney (55.08) led off and handed off to Nicholson (54.65), to Molly Finn (55.38) and then to anchor Megan Josephs, who went a season best (54.75) to win by 2.6 seconds at 3:39.86.

Men's MEET

Faughnan completed his fifth straight undefeated individual race streak with wins in the 1000-Free (9:47.51), the 200-Free (1:41.48) and the 500-Free (4:37.67). Mullin claimed wins in the 100 and 200-Butterfly with respective times of 51.47 and 1:54.60.

"You have to give credit to Monmouth today, they really raced well. They attacked every event and we came up short today. We will be better the next time we see them, noted Cavataro.

Up Next

The teams go on the road next Friday November 12th, as they travel to Binghamton University for the first time in program history.

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