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Iona University Athletics

Walt Middleton

Men's Swimming & Diving 2/15/2024 10:45:00 PM Garrett Murray - Assistant Director of Athletic Communications

Iona Swimming & Diving Complete Day Two Of MAAC Championship

The second day of four days of competition wrapped up for the Iona Swimming and Diving Team, with the Iona Men standing in fifth place and the Iona Women in eighth place, in a tight scoring race among the ten teams.

Marist (241) leads the men followed by Niagara (195.5), Fairfield (189.5), Rider (185) and Iona (159). Mount Saint Mary (117), Canisius (116), St. Peters (77) and Manhattan (54) wrap up the field. Niagara (251), Fairfield (239), Marist (209), Canisius (140), Mount Saint Mary (131.5) Siena (122.5), Rider (113) and Iona (112) are bunched, with Manhattan (63) and St. Peter's (28) filling out the field).

The Iona men got a big boost from Senior Michael Faughnan's gold medal win in the 500-yard Freestyle – where he led wire to wire – nearly five seconds ahead of the next finisher at 4:20.64. Faughnan also led of the Bronze medal 200-Freestyle Relay Team, which included Faughnan (20.37) leading off followed by Nate Wales (20.19), Nick Patino (20.25) and Mikel Palaj (19.92) for a new school record and National Invitational Championship Qualifying time of 1:20.73. Palaj's split sub-20 second split was the third ever for an Iona male swimmer.

The 500-yard Free also saw sophomore Robert Heim, post a career best effort of 4:36.33, taking eleventh, with Junior Matthew Woyksnar, taking thirteenth at 4:37.33 after aa preliminary effort of 4:36.37. The women's 500-Free race saw three Iona women score with Freshmen Anabel Huffstuttler placing eleventh at 5:05.38. Classmate Kate Kennedy took fourteenth at 5:07.79 and Graduate student Tristan Urso, after a fast early lead took sixteenth at 5:09.13.

The 200-Inidvidual Medley race on the women's side had sophomore Brennyn Veit and Junior Ashley Benkert place thirteenth and sixteenth with respective times of 2:09.29 and 209.89. The men's race had Freshmen Noah Giunta place thirteenth at 1:51.34.

The 50-yard Freestyle had Isabella Nicholson, place sixth at 23.76, with Megan Josephs fifteenth at 24.31. The men's race had freshmen Kieran Egan, break Faughnan's school record of 20.54 in preliminaries with a 20.32 clocking. In the Championship heat Egan went 20.29, to take sixth and lower the standard again. Classmate Nate Wales took eleventh in the event at 20.74.

Sophomore Dylan Riccio took sixth on the 3-Meter Springboard at 186.05.

The meet resumes at the Spire Academy in Geneva, Ohio at 10:00am Friday, with the 100-Fly, 400-IM, 200-Free, 100-Breast, 100-Back and Women's 3-Meter Diving. The 400-Medley Relay will be held in Finals session at 6:00pm. The meet is broadcast on ESPN+

Meet results can be found at https://maacsports.com/tournaments/?id=1664&path=swd and using the Meet Mobile app under the meet name "2024 MAAC Men's and Women's Championships".

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Players Mentioned

Michael Faughnan: Middle Free; 6' 6"; Senior

Robert Heim: Middle Free; 6' 0"; Sophomore

Mikel Palaj: Fly; 6' 0"; Sophomore

Dylan Riccio: Diver; 5' 11"; Sophomore

Matthew Woyksnar: Distance Free; 6' 0"; Sophomore

Ashley Benkert: Fly; 5' 6"; Junior

Megan Josephs: Breast/Sprint; 5' 8"; Senior

Isabella Nicholson: Mid-Distance; 5' 11"; Graduate Student

Tristan Urso: Distance/IM; 5' 0"; Graduate Student

Brennyn Veit: Breast; 5' 7"; Sophomore

Players Mentioned

Michael Faughnan
: 6' 6"; Senior
: Middle Free

Robert Heim
: 6' 0"; Sophomore
: Middle Free

Mikel Palaj
: 6' 0"; Sophomore
: Fly

Dylan Riccio
: 5' 11"; Sophomore
: Diver

Matthew Woyksnar
: 6' 0"; Sophomore
: Distance Free

Ashley Benkert
: 5' 6"; Junior
: Fly

Megan Josephs
: 5' 8"; Senior
: Breast/Sprint

Isabella Nicholson
: 5' 11"; Graduate Student
: Mid-Distance

Tristan Urso
: 5' 0"; Graduate Student
: Distance/IM

Brennyn Veit
: 5' 7"; Sophomore
: Breast