Monday, Feb 19, 2018
The Broncs also set eight new MAAC Championship records
by Rider Sports Information
The Rider University men's swimming and diving team captured its seventh straight Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Championship on Feb. 17. On top of extending their dynasty, the Broncs set eight new MAAC Championship records during the four-day event, Feb. 14-17, at the Burt Flickinger Athletic Center at Erie Community College.
Steve Fletcher was named MAAC Men's Swimming Coach of the Year and senior Zack Molloy capped a stellar career at the MAAC Championships by being named the MAAC Men's Most Outstanding Swimmer of the Meet for the third straight year. Molloy wasn't the only Bronc to bring home a major award as freshman Dillon Walles was honored as the Men's Rookie Diver of the Meet.
On the final night of action, the Broncs put an exclamation point on their victory with the men's 400 free relay taking home gold and setting a new MAAC record. The quartet of Molloy, junior Lucas Musselman, junior Vincent Gibbons and freshman Daniel Bonge finished in first with a time of 2:58.58.
Molloy also broke the MAAC record in the 100 free earlier in the evening, earning a gold medal with a first-place time of 43.10. Coming in behind Molloy in the event was Gibbons in second-place at 44.66.
The Broncs registered 718 total points, coming in ahead of second-place Marist (668 points). Bryant (538.5 points) finished third, followed by Canisius (413.5 points) and Iona (377 points).
The Red Foxes were closing the gap on Rider heading into the 200 fly and the Broncs responded with four student-athletes finishing in the top-eight. Sophomore Cole May earned a bronze medal with a third-place time of 1:49.67. Bonge came in fourth at 1:50.57, while junior Griffin Hutton and senior Ben Smith ended up in seventh and eighth, respectively.
Musselman capped a strong week of action at the MAAC Championships by taking home gold with a first-place finish in the 200 back with a time of 1:47.25.
In the one-meter diving event, both Walles and junior Joe Warker both finished in the top-seven. Walles came in fourth with a score of 280.35 in the finals and Warker came in seventh with a mark of 259.50 in the finals.
The Broncs return to the pool next weekend, Feb. 23-25, traveling to Piscataway, N.J., to take part in the 2018 ECAC Championships hosted by Rutgers.