BUFFALO, NY - The first day of the 2023 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Swimming and Diving Championships got off to an explosive start for the Iona University women's team, with a stunning victory in the opening race.

Day 1 SUMMARY

The quartet of freshmen backstroker Victoria Novinskiy (26.22), senior breaststroker Julia Moser (27.64); sophomore butterflyer Ashley Benkert (24.82) and junior freestyler Megan Josephs (23.82) to post a school record senior time of 1:42.50, to win gold by 1.17 over Niagara University.
 
The Iona men with a strong backstroke leadoff leg from Brian Baldwin (23.49), a career best breaststroke leg by Lucas Haddad (26.50), senior butterflyer David Son (23.25) handed off to freestyle anchor and sophomore Chase Bateman (21.38) for eighth place at 1:34.62.
 
The 800-yard Freestyle Relay saw the Iona women place fifth at with Josephs (1:55.35); Novinskiy (1:53.48); Meghan Pattison (1:59.55) and Nicholson (1:53.82) combining for a 7:42.20 clocking.
 
The Iona men's 800 relay had graduate student lead off with a lifetime best effort (1:39.85); freshmen Mikel Palaj had a career best split (1:40.88) with classmate Matthew Woyksnar going 1:43.68 and handing off to junior Michael Faughnan who had the meet's fastest split at 1:35.85 for a fourth place time of 6:40.26.
 
Freshman Dylan Riccio grabbed Iona's first men's diving points in over five seasons with a tenth-place total of 178.00.

CURRENT STANDINGS

The women's team race finds Fairfield in first place with 72-points; Iona is in second with 68, followed by Canisius and Marist (62); Siena (52); Mount Saint Mary's (50); Rider (46); Manhattan (44); and Niagara (34).
 
The Iona men stand tied for sixth with Mount Saint Mary's, each with 59-points. Rider (105), Marist (103), Niagara (91), Fairfield (86), Canisius (72) have the top five spots, with Manhattan (46) in eighth position.

Coaches COMMENTS

"We had strong intensity today, "commented Coach Nick Cavataro. "We need to build off of today event-by-event and I think we are prepared to do that."

Up Next

The meet, held at the Erie Community College Berg Flickinger Center Pool continues Thursday with the 500-Free, 200-IM, 50-Free, 200-Free Relay and Women's 1-M diving.

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