NEW ROCHELLE, NY – If there was ever an exciting and unexpected way to begin a season, Siena Swimming & Diving found it on Friday afternoon to kick off its 2023-24 campaign. The Saints (1-0) stormed into the Hynes Center Pool and came out with a definitive 181-107 victory over MAAC foe Iona (0-1) in New Rochelle, New York, marking its second straight year with an opening-meet win.

Armed with 11 returning letterwinners and nine new freshmen against a team that finished fourth at last year's MAAC Championships and returned multiple individual MAAC Champions, the Green and Gold claimed 13 of 16 individual events during their first of four regular season meetings against conference opponents.

Reigning MAAC one-meter diving champion Talia Spenziero took home the top spot in both the one-meter (138.90) and three-meter (138.55) diving events, with freshman Sydney Murray finishing second in both with scores of 117.50 and 119.80, respectively in her collegiate debut.

Freshman Hope Ivanovich's Siena debut included three individual event wins in the 1,000 free (10:39.94), 200 fly (2:08.68), and the 100 fly (58.78), with all-three times good for entry on the Program All-Time Top Ten list. The Trumbull, Connecticut native's 1,000 free and 100 fly times entered the list at six, while her 200 fly mark tied for sixth. Additionally, Ivanovich bested 2023 MAAC 100 fly Individual Champion Ashley Benkert by 13 hundredths of a second in that event.

Freshman Carsyn Ide also broke through on the Program All-Time Top Ten List, doing so by winning the 200 back with a time of 2:11.46, good for tenth all-time. The Naples, Florida product also took the top spot in the 100 back (1:00.34) by nearly two seconds.

Junior Kylie Carter claimed victory in the 200 free (1:58.23) over last year's MAAC Championship bronze medalist, while 2023 All-MAAC finisher Rory Kalac won both the 50 free (24.32) and 100 free (53.28) events.

Senior Audrey Shultz added a win in the 200 breast (2:29.06) and a second-place finish in the 100 breast (1:09.43), while freshman Mea Amedio claimed victory in the 200 IM (2:13.61) and finished second in the 100 free (54.24). Junior Maddie Buck added a second-place finish in the 500 free (5:23.00).

The Saints capped their first head-to-head dual win over the Gaels since 2002 by finishing 1-2 in the 400 freestyle relay. The group of Carter, junior Shaylea Triller, Kalac, and Amedio won with a time of 3:37.45, while the team of Ide, freshman Camryn Raines, freshman Natalie Blume, and sophomore Kaci Owens took second with a time of 3:41.17.

Siena will look to continue success in its season-opener into its home opener next week at the Siena Swim Center. The Saints will host Rhode Island as part of its Breast Cancer Awareness Meet at on Saturday, October 14 at 12:30 PM in Loudonville.