The 2024 National Invitational Championship Swim Meet kicked off for the first time out of the midwest, at the Florida Aquatic Swimming and Training Center (FAST) in Ocala, Florida. The meet – sponsored by the College Swim Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) - features over 50 Division I teams from throughout the nation and over 600 competitors. The full NCAA Championship format includes 3-days of traditional events 25-yard pool events and will conclude on Sunday with a Long Course (50-Meter) pool session to allow swimmers an opportunity to qualify for the June Olympic Trial Meet in Indianapolis.
 
The Iona Men qualified 12 swimmers - including Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Outstanding Swimmer of 2024 Michael Faughnan, who is  joined by Brian Baldwin, Chase Bateman, Andrew Diano, Kieran Egan, Noah Giunta, Lucas Haddad, Matthew Loftus, Nicholas Patino, Liam Pyatt, Nate Wales, Matthew Woyksnar and the MAAC Women's 100-yard Butterfly champion, Ashley Benkert.
 
The Iona Men's quartet took fourteenth in the meet's opening event, the 200-yard Freestyle Relay Faughan (20.37), Wales (20.43), Patino (20.72) and Egan (20.04) posting a time of 1:21.56. The 400-yard Medley Relay saw Iona take 18th at 3:18.99 with backstroker Egan (49.40); Breaststroker Loftus (56.35); Butterflyer Giona (49.76) and Faughnan (43.48) combining.
 
Individually Egan placed sixteenth in the 50-Back at 22.57. Wales and Baldwin were 39th and 52nd, with respective times of 23.41 and 23.85.
 
Time trial action saw Diano post a career best 500-yard Free time at 4:45.88; Benkert went 25.13 in the 50-Freestyle; Loftus and Baldwin posted respective 50-yard Free times of 21.86 and 22.24; Pyatt went 52.38 in the 100-Backstroke; Haddad recorded a lifetime best in the 100-Free at 47.53.
 
The 200-Individual Medley had Patino and Bateman post respective times of 2:00.06 and 2:00.50. Giunta and Wales went 1:50.9o7 and 1:52.04, respectively in the 200-Backstroke, with Egan closing out the action with a 22.24 a 50-Butterfly effort.
 
"Where MAAC schools, Manhattan, Marist Mount Saint Mary's and Niagara have groups here, this is a real opportunity for our group to see some of the best teams in the NCAA in a great facility with superb atmosphere," commented Coach Nick Cavataro
 
The Men's team standings have Texas Christian and Queens University's tied at 257-points. The Iona men stand in 20th with 53.5-points.
 
The complete results can be viewed on Meet Mobile under "2024 CSCAA National Invitational Championship".