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Iona University Athletics

Lucas Haddad
Walt Middleton

Men's Swimming & Diving IonaGaels.com

Day Three of MAAC Swimming & Diving Championships Sees Faughnan Set New Meet Mark

The action at the Spire Institute Pool in Geneva, Ohio heated up today has 15 different events crowned winners in the 2024 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Swimming and Diving Championships. Iona claimed 3 gold medals, including back-to-back gold medal titles for Ashley Benkert and Michael Faughnan.

Faughnan, behind the strength of a blistering final 100-yards, successfully defended his 200-yard title from the 2023 and in the process broke the 2017 MAAC record set by Rider's Zackery Molloy of 1:34.84, posting a 1:34.79, which also lowered his own Iona Team Record. The time was an NCAA Championship Consideration time, in addition to a CSCAA National Invitational Championship time.

Benkert, who took the 100-yard Butterfly title in 2023 in Buffalo, took gold tonight at 56.18, edging Rider freshmen Hannah Yemec in the night's closest race by .09.
Iona's other gold medal came in the Men's 400-yard Medley Relay, where Faughnan combined with freshmen Backstroker Kieran Egan (48.44); Senior Breaststroker Matthew Loftus (54.65); Freshmen Butterfly Noah Giunta (48.89) with Faughnan posting the meet's fastest split at 42.88 for an Iona record of 3:14.86, winning by nearly two seconds over Mount Saint Mary's.

In other action Junior Erin McKinney took twelfth in the 100-Butterfly at 58.02; Mikel Palaj was eleventh in the men's 100-Butterfly at 49.61. The 400-Individual Medley for women had Tristan Urso place eighth at 4:35.90 (4:32.73 preliminaries); Freshmen Anabel Huffstutler was tenth at 4:35.65; Brennyn Veit was thirteenth at 4:38.32 (4:36.43 preliminaries). The men's race had Giunta take eighth at 4:05.17, with Lucas Haddad and Matthew Woyksnar fifteenth and sixteenth respectively at 4:08.17 and 4:12.78 (4:09.14 preliminaries).

The women's 200-Free saw Senior Megan Josephs claim bronze with a 1:53.01 final time after a career best preliminary swim of 1:52.97. Graduate student Isabella Nicholson took seventh at 1:54.57. Harry Platt moved up a position in the men's 200-Free with a 1:43.09 time after a preliminary swim of 1:41.90. The 100-Breaststroke saw Loftus take ninth at 55.12 lowering the school mark he set earlier in the day with a 55.62 clocking. The former Men's 100-Breaststroke record was 55.69 set in 2012 by Chris Yacobacci, winning the 2012 MAAC race.

The men's 100m-Backstroke race has Egan place fourth at 48.44, with classmate Nate Wales cracking the 50-second barrier at 49.84 for eleventh place. Freshman diver, Emma Todd, was fourteenth at 145.90 points. The women's 400-Medley Relay team of Junior Backstroker Molly Finn (1:00.62); Breaststroker Veit (1:06.65), Butterflyer Benker (55.85) and Freestyler Nicholson (51.42a) posted a clocking of 3:54.59 for seventh

The men's team scores have the Iona men in fifth at 271-points. Marist. 438; Niagara, 347; Rider (336); Fairfield (306.5) lead the pack. The women's team race has Iona with 214-points, bunched in a tight race with Canisius, 242; Rider (227); Mount Saint Mary's (224.5) and Siena (222.5). Fairfield (480); Niagara (444) and Marist (415) hold the top three spots.

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

Michael Faughnan

Middle Free
6' 6"
Senior
Lucas Haddad

Lucas Haddad

Breast
6' 1"
Senior
Matthew Loftus

Matthew Loftus

Breast/IM
5' 11"
Senior
Mikel Palaj

Mikel Palaj

Fly
6' 0"
Sophomore
Matthew Woyksnar

Matthew Woyksnar

Distance Free
6' 0"
Sophomore
Ashley Benkert

Ashley Benkert

Fly
5' 6"
Junior
Molly Finn

Molly Finn

Back/Free
5' 7"
Junior
Megan Josephs

Megan Josephs

Breast/Sprint
5' 8"
Senior
Erin McKinney

Erin McKinney

Sprint
5' 6"
Sophomore
Isabella Nicholson

Isabella Nicholson

Mid-Distance
5' 11"
Graduate Student

Players Mentioned

Michael Faughnan

Michael Faughnan

6' 6"
Senior
Middle Free
Lucas Haddad

Lucas Haddad

6' 1"
Senior
Breast
Matthew Loftus

Matthew Loftus

5' 11"
Senior
Breast/IM
Mikel Palaj

Mikel Palaj

6' 0"
Sophomore
Fly
Matthew Woyksnar

Matthew Woyksnar

6' 0"
Sophomore
Distance Free
Ashley Benkert

Ashley Benkert

5' 6"
Junior
Fly
Molly Finn

Molly Finn

5' 7"
Junior
Back/Free
Megan Josephs

Megan Josephs

5' 8"
Senior
Breast/Sprint
Erin McKinney

Erin McKinney

5' 6"
Sophomore
Sprint
Isabella Nicholson

Isabella Nicholson

5' 11"
Graduate Student
Mid-Distance