Saturday, October 11, 2025
Rider Broncs vs. Iona Gaels
Location: Lawrenceville, NJ
Start Time: 1:00 PM
 
What You Need To Know
- The Broncs open the season Saturday in Coppola Pool. The Gaels enter at 1-0 on both the men's and women's sides with the men defeating NJIT and the women topping Siena.
- The Bronc men were picked to finish sixth in the MAAC Preseason Coaches Poll.
- Rider returns both diving major award winners from a season ago. Stavros Xantheas (West Orange, NJ/West Orange) won the 3-meter and was second on the 1-meter to earn MAAC Diver of the Meet honors at the MAAC Championship. Steven Figueroa (Whittier, CA/La Serna) claimed second on the 3-meter and fourth on the 1-meter, earning MAAC Rookie Diver of the Meet honors.
- The Broncs' top returners in the pool this season are Billy Ruddy (Newton, NJ/Kittatinny Regional), who set the program record in the 100-breast with a time of 53.61 last season, and Maxwell Connelly (Kinnelon, NJ/Kinnelon), who set the program record in the 200-breast with a time of 1:58.14 last year.
- Tivon Benjamin (Palm Bay, FL/St. Anthony's Secondary School) was fourth in the 100-fly at the MAAC Championships last season and represented his home country of Antigua at the CARIFTA Championships over the summer.
- The Rider women were picked to finish ninth in the preseason coaches poll.
- Casey McLaughlin (Ramsey, NJ/Ramsey) is the Broncs' top returner in the pool after finishing ninth in the 1,650-free at the MAAC Championships last season.
- Karyn Creelman (Mohnton, PA/Governor Mifflin) is the Broncs' top returning diver, finishing fourth on the 3-meter and sixth on the 1-meter at the MAAC Championships last season.
- The Broncs are 14-0 all-time against the Gaelson both the men's and women's sides, but the programs have not met since the 2005-06 season. At the MAAC Championships last season, Iona was sixth to Rider's ninth on the women's side. Iona's men finished fourth to Rider's fifth a year ago at the MAAC Championships.