The Marist women’s and men’s swimming and diving teams will begin their 2016-17 seasons with a dual meet against Canisius at 10 a.m. Oct. 14 in McCann Natatorium. Live results will be available on the Meet Mobile app.
The women were unanimously ranked atop the 2016-17 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Coaches’ Preseason Poll. The Red Foxes finished with 100 points. The Marist men were second in the poll coming in at 89 points. Canisius placed third in the women’s poll with 82 points while the men ranked fourth with 67 points.
Winning Ways
Marist’s swimming and diving program has picked up 35 conference championships between the women’s and men’s teams since 1990 and the Red Foxes begin their 2016-17 campaign on a quest for their 30th MAAC title overall.
The women will aim to capture their 12th MAAC title in the last 13 years, while the men are looking to build on their second place finish at last year’s conference championships. Last season, the women extended their MAAC dual meet streak to 35 wins dating back seven years. With their fourth win this year, the men will reach 100 dual meet victories all time.
Roster Additions
14 freshmen, six women and eight men, are new to the swimming and diving teams this year. The women upgraded their freestyle core with the additions of Alemy Barreto, Isabella Biagioli, Hannah Dougherty, Courtney Levins, Jessica Miller and Julia Solin. Five out of the six swimmers are multi-event competitors.
On the men’s side, Raislan Aiken is the lone new diver and Matt Corona, Kevin Kane, Luis Llenin, Evan Nilsson, Michael O’Donovan, Cameron Sackett, and Daniel Tucci are the newcomers for the swimmers.
The 2016-17 season will feature the largest combined men’s and women’s roster in Marist history with 27 men and 25 women. The breakdown includes 21 swimmers and four divers for the women as well as 25 swimmers and a pair of divers for the men.
Departures
Four of the women’s seniors have graduated, including the 2015 MAAC Most Outstanding Diver Renata Diotalevi and last year’s captain Bridget Curley. Bethany Powhida, who was a staple in backstroke events, has graduated as has Alexandria Koukos. The men are only missing Josh Dodway, who graduated in 2016 after earning the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference title on the 3-meter board.
Team Leadership
Current seniors Sarah Mosca and Meredith Wurtz will represent the women as team captains for this season. Mosca placed second in the 200-yard butterfly at the 2016 MAAC championships with a time of 2:09:11. She won the same event in three regular season meets and competed at the ECAC Championships. Wurtz was last year’s MAAC Women’s Swimmer of the Meet after breaking four school records and winning three individual events at the conference championships.
Juniors Peter Gallino and Robert McDowell will lead the men along with senior Matt Darcy. Gallino was named ECAC Diver of the Meet at the regional conference championships and placed in the top five at three meters at the MAAC title meet. McDowell was Marist’s top finisher in the 200-yard backstroke at the MAAC title meet and placed second in 100-yard event. In postseason competition, Darcy placed third in the 100-yard breaststroke at the MAAC meet and participated in the ECAC Championships.
Last Time Against The Golden Griffins (Women)
The Red Foxes took down the Golden Griffins, 169-122, to open last season with the help of a 200-yard medley relay team win from Georgia Goldman, Isabella Morreale, Daniela Gomez and Wurtz. Marist also took the top three spots in the 500-yard freestyle.
Last Time Against The Golden Griffins (Men)
The Marist men’s swimming and diving team edged Canisius by 10 points, 153.5-143.5, to open their 2015-16 season. The 200-yard medley relay squad kicked off the meet by picking up 17 points for Marist with a win by the foursome of McDowell, Harris Nagle, Mason Cassel and Daniel Knoll. Knoll also picked up his first individual collegiate wins in the 50- and 100-yard freestyle events.
Scouting Canisius
Canisius finished its 2015-16 season with the women and men finishing third and fourth respectively at the MAAC Championships.
Against the Red Foxes in the regular season last year, Hannah Graesser anchored two relay teams and won the 50-yard freestyle for the women. On the men’s side Greg Staebell won the 100-and 200-yard backstroke events and placed second in the 200-yard IM. Wyatt Sintay came in just ahead of Staebell in the 200-yard IM and won both breaststroke events in a narrow Griffs loss.
Looking Ahead
Marist will compete in its first road matchup of the season when it faces Fordham at 6 p.m. Oct. 20.
Courtesy of Marist Swimming & Diving