BUFFALO, NY – Siena Swimming & Diving concluded an eventful week at the 2020 MAAC Swimming & Diving Championships Saturday. The Saints finished the meet, held at the Burt Flickinger Center Pool on the campus of Erie Community College, in eighth place for the second straight year.
Fairfield (581 points) took home the title on the women's side for the third straight year, while Rider did so for the ninth time in a row on the men's front. The Saints' total of 195 points put them ahead of Saint Peter's (151) and Manhattan (96).
In addition to a pair of school records having already been broken previously during the meet for the Saints, the program set another new precedent at the conclusion of the meet. Freshman Lydia DeLano, who placed 10th in the one-meter diving event on Wednesday and took eighth in the three-meter finals on Friday, was named the MAAC Rookie Diver of the Meet, becoming the first Saint in program history to win a MAAC postseason individual award.
In addition to the accolade, the team sent three more swimmers to final heats and accomplished nine total personal best times.
The day's preliminary action kicked of with the 200-yard backstroke, which saw sophomore Isabel Harms place 12th to get back to the final in the race for the second straight season. Harms would finish 11th in the final with a new best time of 2:07.49. Additionally, freshman Maggie Caputo logged a career best mark of 2:15.64 during the prelims.
The Saints also saw a new personal best set in the 100 free, which proved to be one of the fastest events of the meet. Freshman Rory Kalac swam a 54.91, while seniors Rachel Brown (54.14) and Alyssa Lewis (54.86) capped their careers in the event with impressive marks.
Junior Shannon Leary secured her spot in her second MAAC Final of the meet during the 200 breast, placing 15th. The South Windsor, CT native then moved up a spot in the final, record a personal best of 2:28.74. Caputo (2:34.56) and freshman Ellie Murphy (2:43.46) also swam best times during the prelims.
The first and only heats of the 1650 (mile) freestyle event opened up the evening session of the event, with a pair of best times recorded. Freshmen Reilly King (17:42.04) and Lauren Ostrander (17:50.63) capped off stellar performances in their inaugural MAAC Championships, placing ninth and 13th, respectively.
Rounding out the trifecta of accomplished Siena rookie swimming talent in the pool, freshman Jessica Shine went to her third individual MAAC Final in the 200 fly with a 10th place finish and a time of 2:08.54. The Buffalo, NY native would then blow away the competition in the final, winning the "B" heat with a mark of 2:06.33. Shine finished the meet as a sole school record holder (100 fly), a part of a relay record set (800 free relay) and nearly has another to close out the weekend (0:00.29 off the 200 fly mark). Sophomore Abigail Sheridan (2:10.89) also turned a personal best in the event during the preliminary round.
The group of Lewis, Ostrander, Kalac & Brown closed out the meet for the Green and Gold with a ninth place finish in the 400 freestyle relay (3:38.37).
Overall, Siena Swimming & Diving broke two school records, sent swimmers to MAAC Finals 12 different times, saw swimmers take home three All-MAAC honors and posted 27 best times.
