BUFFALO, NY – The Niagara women finished the MAAC Swimming and Diving Championships with a total of 582.5 points to earn its first-ever conference title. The women's 400 free relay sealed the win for Niagara with a first-place finish, the third relay win of the week for the women's team.
Head Coach
Eric Bugby was named MAAC Women's Swimming Coach of the Year, becoming the first major award winner for Niagara since Ian O'Rourke won Most Outstanding Male Diver in 2012.
The women's night started with Avery Sanquist placing second in the 1650 with a program-record time of 17:18.60. Then in the 100 free, Katrina Wardner, Yvonne Schere, and Moana Houde-Camirand finished with times of 52.26, 52.32, and 52.40 in sixth through eighth.Paige South won the B-final to collect another nine points for the Purple and White.
Kathryn Brady finished third in the 200 breast with a time of 2:21.14, while teammate Kayla Kreager finished with a time of 2:27.66 in eighth. Zoe Gavin finished sixth in the 200 fly with a time of 2:07.27 to get Niagara another 13 points.
The quartet of Wardner, South, Schere, and Houde-Camirand dominated the 400 free relay, winning the event with a time of 3:28.13 and set the programs new top mark in the process.
The first-ever MAAC Championship for the women was buoyed by nine program records and one MAAC record during the four-day event.
The men finished sixth overall with 327 points. The Purple Eagles night was highlighted by a fifth-place finish by Robert Flannery in the 200 breast with a time of 2:04.10. The time set a new program record, breaking the previous record that Flannery set during prelims earlier in the day. Sean Finley finished with a time of 2:04.98 in the same event, an eighth-place finish for the freshman.
Nathan Dragon finished eighth in the 100 free with a time of 46.12, and John Furner finished ninth overall on the 3-meter board with a score of 194.25.
The men's 400 free relay finished sixth with a program-best time of 3:02.50. The quartet consisted of Reid Tichy, Kevin Vu, Levi Morgan and Nathan Dragon.
Up Next
• The NCAA Women's Swimming and Diving selection release will be announced on March 2 via NCAA.com. The CSCAA National Invite will take place in Elkhart, Indiana March 10-12, for those who qualified.
