Sophomore Pat Garvey

NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y. – The Niagara University men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams compete in the 2006 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championship Thursday through Saturday on the campus of Loyola College in Baltimore, Md. The competition begins with qualifying heats at 10 a.m., followed by the finals at 6 p.m. each day in the Loyola Fitness and Aquatic Center.

Last year, the Niagara men’s team finished fifth in the eight-team field and the women finished seventh among 10 teams. Marist College is the defending men’s and women’s MAAC champion.

Sophomore Pat Garvey (Pine Bush, N.Y) set two school records last season, breaking the 200 IM and the 100 butterfly marks.

So far this season, three school records have been broken, including two by freshman Allison Carr (Niagara Falls, N.Y./Wheatfield).

Carr broke the 100 breaststroke record twice. In the H2ounds Invitational at Loyola on Dec. 3, she swam a 1:08.57 in the event. Carr then topped the mark with a 1:07.87 vs. Siena on Jan. 6. In the 200 breaststroke, Carr posted a school record 2:29.36 in the Siena meet.

Marist’s Lauren Malski won last year’s 100 and 200 breaststroke events in conference-record setting times of 1:04.33 and 2:20.66, respectively. This year, Malski has the fastest 100 (1:04.79) and 200 (2:22.10) while Carr’s top 100 time is sixth and her 200 is fourth.

Junior Dave Germain (Oswego, N.Y./Oswego) broke the one-meter diving record, scoring 283.42 points in the Purple Eagles’ win over the University of New Hampshire on Oct. 23. Last year, Germain posted a personal best on the three-meter (323.90) to finish sixth. On the one-meter, he placed fifth with 217 points.

Rider’s Chris Coles and Dylan Korn are the defending one- and three-meter champions, respectively.