Siena Women, NJIT Men Pick Up Wins On The Road Against Iona

Iona vs Siena vs NJIT

• October 6, 2023
• New Rochelle, N.Y.
• SCY (25 yards)
• Results

Courtesy: Siena Athletics

NEW ROCHELLE, NY – If there was ever an exciting and unexpected way to begin a season, Siena Swimming & Diving found it on Friday afternoon to kick off its 2023-24 campaign. The Saints (1-0) stormed into the Hynes Center Pool and came out with a definitive 181-107 victory over MAAC foe Iona (0-1) in New Rochelle, New York, marking its second straight year with an opening-meet win.

Armed with 11 returning letterwinners and nine new freshmen against a team that finished fourth at last year’s MAAC Championships and returned multiple individual MAAC Champions, the Green and Gold claimed 13 of 16 individual events during their first of four regular season meetings against conference opponents.

Reigning MAAC one-meter diving champion Talia Spenziero took home the top spot in both the one-meter (138.90) and three-meter (138.55) diving events, with freshman Sydney Murray finishing second in both with scores of 117.50 and 119.80, respectively in her collegiate debut.

Freshman Hope Ivanovich‘s Siena debut included three individual event wins in the 1,000 free (10:39.94), 200 fly (2:08.68), and the 100 fly (58.78), with all-three times good for entry on the Program All-Time Top Ten list. The Trumbull, Connecticut native’s 1,000 free and 100 fly times entered the list at six, while her 200 fly mark tied for sixth. Additionally, Ivanovich bested 2023 MAAC 100 fly Individual Champion Ashley Benkert by 13 hundredths of a second in that event.

Freshman Carsyn Ide also broke through on the Program All-Time Top Ten List, doing so by winning the 200 back with a time of 2:11.46, good for tenth all-time. The Naples, Florida product also took the top spot in the 100 back (1:00.34) by nearly two seconds.

Junior Kylie Carter claimed victory in the 200 free (1:58.23) over last year’s MAAC Championship bronze medalist, while 2023 All-MAAC finisher Rory Kalac won both the 50 free (24.32) and 100 free (53.28) events.

Senior Audrey Shultz added a win in the 200 breast (2:29.06) and a second-place finish in the 100 breast (1:09.43), while freshman Mea Amedio claimed victory in the 200 IM (2:13.61) and finished second in the 100 free (54.24). Junior Maddie Buck added a second-place finish in the 500 free (5:23.00).

The Saints capped their first head-to-head dual win over the Gaels since 2002 by finishing 1-2 in the 400 freestyle relay. The group of Carter, junior Shaylea Triller, Kalac, and Amedio won with a time of 3:37.45, while the team of Ide, freshman Camryn Raines, freshman Natalie Blume, and sophomore Kaci Owens took second with a time of 3:41.17.

Siena will look to continue success in its season-opener into its home opener next week at the Siena Swim Center. The Saints will host Rhode Island as part of its Breast Cancer Awareness Meet at on Saturday, October 14 at 12:30 PM in Loudonville.

Courtesy: NJIT Athletics

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. — The NJIT men’s swimming and diving team started the 2023-24 campaign in style with a 176-117 victory over the Iona Gaels Friday evening at the Hynes Center Pool.

“Overall, today was a great team win for us. We swam against a very good Iona team and won a number of close races to pull out a tough win,” head coach Ron Farina said after the season debut triumph.

HIGHLANDER VICTORIES

• Francois Malherbe: 50 Free (20.56), 100 Free (44.53*), 100 Fly (49.43)
• Bartosz Bryg: 100 Breast (58.72), 200 Breast (2:08.22)
• Laith Sabbah: 200 Free (1:41.05), 500 Free (4:39.68)
• Aiden Ban: 1 Meter Diving (170.10), 3 Meter Diving (157.85)
• Sam Deemer: 200 Fly (1:55.59), 200 Back (1:51.26)
• Keegan Wooding: 1000 Free (9:54.54)
• Aidan Blackmon/Matthew Bevan/Ian Horstkamp-Vinekar/Laith Sabbah (1:33.77)

* new school record

OTHER TOP FIVES

• Oxford Bayley: 1000 Free (9:56.98; 2nd); 500 Free (4:58.34; 5th)
• Matthew Bevan: 100 Breast (58.86; 2nd), 200 Breast (2:13.22; 2nd)
• Dylan Ostolaza: 100 Back (52.46; T-2nd), 200 Back (1:57.55; 5th)
• Zac Kuzak: 100 Free (48.96; 2nd) and 200 Free (1:46.59; 3rd)
• Aidan Blackmon: 100 Back (52.46; T-2nd)
• Kristopher Fritsch: 1 Meter Diving (117.85; 3rd) and 3 Meter Diving (113.30; 3rd)
• Sam Deemer/Bartosz Bryg/Mizell McEachin/Dylan Ostolaza: 200 Medley Relay (1:36.45; 3rd)
• Mizell McEachin: 100 Fly (53.43; 4th), 200 Fly (2:06.40; 5th)
• Ryan Hause: 200 Fly (2:02.04; 4th), 100 Free (49.21; 4th)
• Michael Schober: 200 Breast (2:23.59; 4th), 100 Breast (1:03.85; 5th)
• Reilly Vann: 1 Meter Diving (72.15; 4th)
• Michael McGillycuddy: 200 Back (1:57.43; 4th)
• Ian Horstkamp-Vinekar: 100 Back (53.15; 4th)
• Keegan Wooding: 500 Free (4:53.70; 4th)
• Hirad Sharifian: 50 Free (22.45; 4th)
• Jamar Josephs: 100 Fly (54.20; 5th)
• Ryan Hause/Michael Schober/Vigo Munitic/Michael McGillycuddy (1:39.77; 5th)

OTHER NOTES

• Outside of his three victories in his collegiate debut, Francois Malherbe’s school record time in the 100 Free currently sits in the top 20 nationally (No. 18, via SwimCloud).
• The win over Iona is NJIT’s first win in the first head-to-head dual meet of the season since October 25, 2019 when the Highlanders defeated Providence on the road, 156.5-134.5.

NEXT UP
The Highlanders return to action next week for the two-day NJIT Invitational, being held on October 13 and 14.

Courtesy: Iona Athletics

NEW ROCHELLE, NY – In its opening meet of the 2023-24 season at the Hynes Center Pool the Iona University men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams fell to NJIT and Siena.

The men’s meet saw the NJIT earn first-place finishes in 15 of the day’s 16 events. Iona freshman Kiernan Egan earned the men’s lone win in the 100-yard backstroke at 51.42. The Highlanders rolled to a 176-117 win. Coming off of shoulder surgery in the spring, sophomore diver Dylan Riccio posted a pair of dual scores with second place finishes in both the 1- and 3-meter springboard events with scores of 220.95 and 231.90, respectively.

“Dylan attacked each of his 12 dives today and the results were excellent,” commented second-year diving coach Maureen Arnold Ledden.

The women’s meet vs. Siena saw senior co-captain Megan Josephs win the 100-breaststroke at 1:09.03 and freshmen Anabel Huffstutler come from behind to win the 500-yard freestyle at 5:20.79. The Saints claimed 14 of the 16 events.

“Both NJIT and Siena raced very well today and had big performances in nearly every race,” said head coach Nick Cavataro. “You have to give them credit for that. We had strong races in spots but were not able to finish many races the way will need to.”

Iona hosts Holy Cross tomorrow in New Rochelle beginning at 1 p.m.

“Tomorrow is another challenging meet with Holy Cross at Hynes. I’m anxious to see compete,” Cavataro added.