Rider Men, Marist Women picked to repeat in MAAC Swimming & Diving
MAAC Sports
Edison,
NJ - The Rider University men's team and Marist College women's team have
been picked to defend their conference titles at the 2013 MAAC Swimming &
Diving Championships in a pre-season poll voted by the conference's eleven head
coaches.
Last year, the Rider won its first MAAC men's crown since 2004 with a
total of 717 points, beating out second place Canisius by 129.5 points. Rider's
Steve Fletcher was named the Men's Swimming Coach of the Year. The Broncs had
many notable finishes and their powerful depth makes them the coaches' pick to
repeat.
Rider returns a number of individual MAAC Champions, including senior, Johnny Funk who won the 200 IM, 200 back and was a
member of the winning 400 medley, 200 free, 400 free and 800 free relays.
Sophomore Brett Pedersen
won the 100 free and was a member of the winning 200 free, 200 medley, 400 free
and 800 free relays. The Broncs have four additional members of the five
winning relays returning this year: Brian Molloy, Zach DeLillo, Julien Hensen
and Sean Newhouse.
Marist was picked to finish second
in the poll with Canisius College third.
On the women's side, Marist extended its
record to 13 conference championships by winning its third consecutive league
title as the Red Foxes tallied 813.50 points, beating out second place Rider by
156 points. Marist Head Coach Larry VanWagner was tabbed as the Women's
Swimming Coach of the Year. The Red Foxes dominated the distance events in 2012
and will return senior Kate Conard who won the conference title in the 1000 and
1650 free. Additionally, the Red Foxes
return junior Emily Miles, winner of the 100 butterfly.
Rider was picked by the coaches
to finish second, while Loyola University Maryland was picked third.
The 2012 Most Outstanding
Swimmers, Brennan Morris and Caitlin Cronin of Loyola, both return for the
Greyhounds. Fairfield University's Ashlee Steinberger, last season's Women's
Most Outstanding Diver, also returns in 2012-13.
Pre-Season 2012-13 MAAC Men's Swimming and
Diving Poll:
(2012 Championship
Finish)
1. Rider
University (1)
2. Marist College
(3)
3. Canisius
College (2)
4. Loyola
University (4)
5. Bryant
University (DNP)
6. Iona College
(5)
7. St. Peter's
University (7)
8. Fairfield University
(6)
9. Niagara
University (8)
10. Manhattan (9)
Pre-Season 2012-13 MAAC Women's
Swimming and Diving Poll:
(2012
Championship Finish)
1.
Marist College (1)
2.
Rider University (2)
3.
Loyola University (3)
4.
Iona College (4)
5.
Canisius College (5)
6.
Siena College (7)
7.
Fairfield University (6)
8.
Niagara University (8)
9. St.
Peter's University (9)
10.
Manhattan (10)