The swimming and diving Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) championships will kick off today at SPIRE Academy in Geneva, Ohio. The Fairfield men’s teams have a record of 7-2, with losses only to Boston University and the University of Massachusetts.
“We have worked our tails off this season, and I know the guys are ready to compete,” said sophomore backstroke swimmer Jack Behm.
While the women’s teams are 5-5, they have gotten wins against all the MAAC teams they have played so far. According to SwimSwam, both Fairfield’s women’s and men’s teams are favored to win the championship this week.
“Going into our last meet, I think we’re all just trying to give absolutely everything we have to achieve that goal, whatever it takes,” sophomore backstroke and freestyle swimmer Aimee Quinlan said.
Fairfield is favored to win because of their depth, having both underclassmen and upperclassmen who can win races for the team, reinforcing their high expectations for the week.
13 teams are competing in the championship, including Canisius University, Fairfield University, Iona University, Manhattan University, Marist University, Merrimack College, Mount St. Mary’s University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Sacred Heart University, Saint Peter’s University, and Siena University.
One notable threat to Fairfield is Niagara, especially on the women’s side. The Niagara women’s team has won the MAAC in three of the last four years, dating back to 2022.
“Our success has given us some confidence in our strength as a team, but it’s also shown us that anything can happen at any given moment, so it’s important to stay focused,” Quinlan said.
On the men’s side, teams like Marist and Rider present a significant challenge for the Stags.
Some notable swimmers and divers for the Stags include first-year freestyle swimmer Natasha De Pree, who broke records in the 200, 400, 500, 800, 1000, and 1650 meter freestyle races. She also won the MAAC Rookie Swimmer of the Week four times during the season.
For the men, first-year breaststroke and freestyle swimmer Andrew Nathe won MAAC Rookie of the Week three times this year. Sophomore Balazs Ament, who swims breaststroke, freestyle and the individual medley, took home one Swimmer of the Week award.
Junior freestyle and backstroke swimmer Andrew Nathe also took home a Swimmer of the Week award, and broke the program record for 200 and 400m freestyle and 200m backstroke this year. Swinging back to the women’s team, graduate swimmer Allie Bashor also won the MAAC Swimmer of the Week.
First-year Bobby Regan and first-year Katie Torrey were both swimmers who won the MAAC Rookie of the Week. On the diving team, junior Lily Tonole won MAAC Diver of the Week once this year.
With many other Stags on the team breaking other individual records, they also several of their relay teams break records, which will be crucial to their chances of success in the MAAC Championships.
The Stags’ strongest style is freestyle for both the men and women. They have also been very successful in individual medleys and breaststroke.
On the diving side, some notable divers are junior Tyler Robie, who leads the men’s team, and Tonole, who is a standout on the women’s side.
The MAAC Championships start on Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. and will be contested at 9:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. every day until Saturday.
