BALTIMORE, MD — The Iona College swimming and diving team traveled to Mangione Aquatic Center on the campus of Loyola University to square off in the annual four-team H2Oounds Invitational. The 44 event format featured three sessions of swimming in a championship format score out in three dual meets among the host Greyhounds, Marist, Saint Peter’s and the Gaels.
The Gaels were able to defeat the Peacocks on both the men’s and women’s side of the ledger, but fell to Loyola and the Red Foxes. The Iona women defeated SPU 213-125 and the men topped SPU 210-34. Marist posted scores of 247-117 and 256-112 over the Iona women and men. Loyola tallied scores of 293-73 and 285-83, respectively, over the Iona women and men.
Individually it was Mary Ellen Mangione, swimming for the Gaels in a pool named after her family – long patrons of Loyola – stealing the day with a pair of victories in the 200-yard individual medley at 2:08.30 and in the 200-yard breaststroke at 2:23.04. Mangione was also second in the 400-IM at 4:33.17. On the men’s side Keegan Boisson-Yates claimed the 100-yard butterfly event at 51.13.
Other top six individual finishers include Charles Blaschinski, who was sixth on the three-meter springboard at 178.00-points; Natalie Bowman was fourth in the 200-free at 1:56.91 and fifth in the 100-free at 53.71. Sam Braziel was fifth in the 200-breast at 2:10.80 and sixth in the 200-IM at 2:01.76.
Dave Ciavarelli took sixth in the 100-back at 54.03. Alexandra DiBiase was sixth in the 200-fly at 2:11.97. Christian Foti took fourth in the 200-free at 1:45.87 and fifth in the 500-free at 4:44.49. Elizabeth Kaczmarek was sixth in the 500-free at 5:11.02 with Maria Lopez taking third in the 100-fly at 58.77.
Dylan Mechanic was sixth in the 200-fly at 1:56.08 with Collin Purrman fifth in the 400-IM at 4:15.43 and Matthew Rothman fourth in the 50-free at 21.65. Christopher Vadala claimed a pair of third place finishes in the 100 and 200-breatstroke at 59.67 and 2:09.53.
“This meet is always a significant benchmark for our group as many mid-season meets are for college teams,” said head coach Nick Cavataro. “I think we learned a lot about our team and especially our 15 first-year swimmers!
“We had nearly 100% season best times, which is always the goal and we are particularly pleased when we see swimmers break into our all-time top 12, which happened 27 times at this meet and when you combine it with 24 earlier in the season, we are getting better. Our team knows very well the MAAC is getting better too, so we will continue to prepare for the MAAC Championships in February.”
Individually on the top 12 list one swimmer who climbed to the top of the list was Lopez, who posted the fastest Iona splits of all time in her 50 and 100 butterfly relay legs at 25.87 and 57.83, respectively.
“Maria is quietly becoming one of the elite sprint butterfly swimmers in the MAAC,” commented Cavataro. “She gets better and better almost every race and really steps up on relays.”
Also racking top upper spots in the top 12 was Boisson-Yates, already the school record holder in the 100 and 200-backstroke, demonstrated his versatility posting the third best time in Iona history in the 100-fly at 51.13, just two tenths away from the school record.
The Gaels return to action in January with meets against Seton Hall (Jan. 14), Fordham (Jan 16), Saint Peters and Delaware (Jan 18), NYU (Jan 24) and close with Fairfield (Jan.31) before the Feb. 12-14 MAAC Championships.
