BUFFALO, NY – The Rider University men's swimming and diving team claimed its tenth-straight MAAC Championship on Saturday. The Broncs finished with a total of 706 points, ahead of second-placed Fairfield's 585.
Kyle Iorizzo (Norwood, NJ/Old Tappan Regional) got the Broncs off to a strong start on the final day with a win in the 1,650-free, finishing with a time of 15:29.48. The time was over ten seconds ahead of the field.
In the 200-back,
Lucas Racevicius (Watertown, CT/Holy Cross),
Christian Overton,
David Rucci (Sewell, NJ/Gateway Regional), and
Derek Fantano took second, third, fifth, and sixth respectively. The group posted times of 1:44.57, 1:47.11, 1:49.49, and 1:49.67.
Jack Ruggieri (Bellmawr, NJ/Gloucester Catholic) was sixth in the 100-free, stopping the clock at 45.74.
In the 200-breast,
David Cooper (Spring, TX/Klein Oak) swam 2:00.94 for second place.
Bobby Irwin (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill East) was fourth in the 200-fly with a time of 1:50.82.
Rider closed out the meet in grand fashion, winning the 400-free relay in 3:00.33. Racevicius, Ruggieri,
Webster Bozzo (Christansted, U.S. Virgin Islands/Good Hope Country Day), and
Joe Gewartowski (Fort Washington, PA/Upper Dublin) combined for the winning swim.
The Rider divers had a strong close to the competition.
Sean Binning (Annandale, VA/W.T. Woodson) won the 1-meter with a score of 252.30 and
Marcas Racevicius (Watertown, CT/Holy Cross) was third with a score of 218.45.
NOTES & QUOTES
"Our team effort this weekend was fueled by underclassmen with no experience at a season ending meet with the type of excitement and pressure that often accompany a conference championship. These guys were forced to move into the spotlight and position themselves to score day in and day out for a long, four-day competition. The Juniors and Seniors were awesome. Despite time off from competition representing Rider, they have held onto the thread that has motivated our team in the past to fight to be recognized. In a championship environment, they have fun with each other, keep it loose, focus on scoring, pick up their teammates when they're down, and both recognize and celebrate the successes of each and every athlete who shows up to contribute to Rider's success. The coaches thank the Juniors and Seniors for their loyalty to Rider Swimming & Diving."
"Our Associate Head Coach, Shannon Daly, our Diving coaches;
Kristen Simms and
Chris Blair along with our team's Athletic Trainer,
Karen Vassalluzzo, have provided exceptional leadership to our men over a trying, two-year cycle that has protected the values and standards of our program for incoming athletes and supported our current athletes' success in and out of the pool."
– Head Coach Steve Fletcher
- The 2022 is the 10
th-straight MAAC Championship for the Broncs, dating back to the 2011-12 season.
- Head coach
Steve Fletcher was named MAAC Men's Swimming and Diving Coach of the Year, his tenth time receiving the honor.
- Binning was named both the MAAC Diver and MAAC Rookie Diver of the Year.
- Iorizzo's time in the 1,650-free is an ECAC A-Cut.
- Bozzo was tenth in the 200-back.
- All five scoring times in the 200-back are National Invitational B-Cuts.
- Gewartowski and
David McSorley (West Deptford, NJ/GCIT) were 11
th and 14
th in the 100-free.
- Ruggieri and Gewartowski posted National Invitational B-Cuts and McSorley's time is an ECAC A-Cut.
-
Andrew Iannacone (Yardley, PA/Holy Ghost Prep) was 12
th in the 200-breast.
- Both scoring times in the 200-breast are National Invitational B-Cuts.
-
Dimitri Maldonado (Middletown, NJ/Christian Brothers Academy) was 11
th,
Brayden Murphy (Victor, NY/Victor Senior) was 13
th, and
Adam Musselman (Timonium, MD/Loyola Blakefield) was 16
th in the 200-fly.
- In the 200-fly, Irwin's time is a National Invitational B-Cut and Maldonado, Murphy, and Musselman's marks are ECAC A-Cuts.
- The 400-free relay time is a National Invitational A-Cut time.
UP NEXT
Rider's qualifiers advance to the ECAC Championships, which take place Feb. 25-27.
