Men's swim/dive wins 5th MAAC title in a row

Led by four individual winners on Saturday, Feb. 13, and a fifth conference and team relay record, the Rider University men’s swimming and diving team clinched its fifth straight Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championship in competition at the Burt Flickinger Athletic Center in Buffalo, N.Y., with the Bronc women placing runner-up.

Rider head coach Steve Fletcher was named the MAAC Men’s Coach of the Year for the third year in a row.

“It was a special meet, especially for the seniors,” said Fletcher. “They have been great leaders the whole season and this is a credit to them.”

Sophomore Zack Molloy (Toms River/Toms River HS North) was named the MAAC Male Swimmer of the Meet by winning three MAAC gold medals (100 free, 200 free, 500 free).  Molloy also set a Rider and MAAC record in the 200 free (1:36.87) and was part of four MAAC and Rider record-setting relays, the 200 medley, the 800 free, the 200 free and the 400 free.

“Zack getting swimmer of the meet, it was a very competitive award this year,” Fletcher said. “His performances certainly warranted the recognition and he swam great, not only individually but also on the relays.”

The Rider men finished with 906.50 points, defeating second place Marist College by 317 points at the championship that ran from Feb. 10-13 and the Rider women finished in second place for the 14th time since 1998, 446 points behind women’s champion Marist.

“Our women were really tough this year,” Fletcher added. “It’s a young group and they bought in to the team culture and that is a tribute to the senior leadership.  Our goal was to move up from the third place finish last year to get at least second and compete for a conference title and they did that. They did a great job and performed far beyond that of the dual meet season. You want to peak at this meet and they certainly did that.”

For the Rider men on Saturday, the 400 free relay of junior Matthan-Matthew Martir (Severn, Md./Old Mill), junior William Molloy (Toms River/Toms River HS North), freshman Vincent Gibbons (North Brunswick) and Z. Molloy won with a time of 2:59.69 as the Broncs recorded their fifth relay record of the meet with the Broncs also setting records in the 200 medley, 800 free, 200 free and 400 medley earlier in the meet.

Individually for the Rider men, junior Sam Cramer (Escondido, Calif./San Pasqual) won the 1650 free with a time of 15:30.49, Z. Molloy won the 100 free (44.82), freshman Lucas Musselman (Timonium, Md./Loyola Blakefield) won the 200 back (1:48.67) and freshman Griffin Hutton (Hamilton/Hamilton HS West) won the 200 fly (1:50.60).

W. Molloy placed second in the 100 free (45.32), Martir was third in 100 free (45.38), junior Zach Mabin (Hamilton/Steinert) placed third in the 200 breast (2:04.39), senior Wayco Bailey (Casper, Wyo./Natrona County HS) was third in the three-meter dive (297.10), Gibbons was fourth in the 100 free (45.47), freshman Carter Paules (Emmaus, Pa./Emmaus) was fifth in the 200 breast (2:05.18), senior Jeffrey Prichard (Yorktown, Va./Tabb) tied for fifth in the 200 back (1:52.41) and sophomore Ben Smith (Forked River/Lacey Township) was fifth in the 200 fly (1:53.10).

For the Rider women on Saturday, senior Erin Westcott (Unionville, Conn./Farmington) was third in the 200 fly (2:09.56), freshman Taylor Stalnaker (Monroe, N.Y./Monroe-Woodbury) was fourth in the 200 back (2:05.82), sophomore Julianna Runk (Baltimore, Md./Perry Hall) was fourth in the 200 breast (2:22.96), freshman Leeanna Cass (Lanoka Harbor/Lacey Township placed sixth in the 200 back (2:06.69), senior Kaitlyn O'Connor (Beverly, Mass./Beverly) placed sixth in the 200 fly (2:10.39), junior Jacquelynn Parker (Hillsborough) placed seventh in the 100 free (53.57), sophomore Tara Maniace(Neptune) placed seventh in the 200 breast (2:27.93) and junior Ariana Palmer (Burlington/Burlington Township) finished eighth in the 100 free (54.00).

Also for the Rider men, freshman Joseph Warker (Reading, Pa./Wilson) placed ninth on the three-meter dive (256.50), sophomore Maciej Paz (Garfield/Paramus Catholic) placed ninth in the 100 free (46.47), junior Michael Regan (Flower Mound, Texas/Flower Mound) 10th in the 1650 free (16:25.15), senior Adam Phillips (Springville, Pa./Elk Lake) was 11th in the 200 breast (2:07.28), freshman Porter Barnes (Columbus/Northern Burlington Regional) placed 12th in the 200 breast (2:08.87) and senior Evan Paules (Emmaus, Pa./Emmaus) was 13th in the 200 breast (2:08.99).

Also for the Bronc women, freshman Olivia Cann (Woodbury Heights/Gloucester Catholic) was 12th in the 200 back (2:09.58), freshman Victoria Evans (Egg Harbor/Egg Harbor Township) was 15th in the 100 free (54.43), sophomoreBaileigh Vanderhoof (Lords Valley, Pa./Wallenpaupack Area) was 16th in the 100 free (54.58), senior Taylor Shelley(Wilmington, Del./Padua Academy) was 16th in the 200 breast (2:34.08) and sophomore Hannah Bayer (Forest Hill, Md./Bel Air) was 16th in the 200 fly (2:16.95).

The women’s 400 free relay of Parker, Cass, Palmer and Stalnaker was fifth with a time of 3:35.03.

This is Rider’s sixth overall MAAC Championship (2004, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016).

Rider competes at the ECAC Championships hosted by Navy February 25-28.