2020 MAAC Championships Day 4: Smith Blows Away MAAC Record with 1:43 200 Back

METRO ATLANTIC ATHLETIC CONFERENCE (MAAC) 

• Wednesday, February 12 – Saturday, February 15
• Erie Community College, Buffalo, NY (Eastern Time Zone)
• Defending Champion: Rider men (8x) & Fairfield women (2x) (Results: 1, 2, 3, 4)
• Live results
• Live Video
• Day 1 Recap|Day 2 Recap|Day 3 Recap
• Championship Central
• Day 4 Results

The 2020 MAAC Swimming and Diving Championships concluded tonight with the 1650 free, 200 fly, 200 back, 200 breast, and 100 free. The Rider men were dominant as they earned their 9th-straight title. Fairfield now has 3 straight women’s championships as they held their lead over Marist to win a tight, 24-point team race.

The final night of competition saw 2 more MAAC Records fall. Monmouth’s Callan Smith blew away the MAAC Record in the 200 back by over a second, out-swimming 2019 champion and former record holder Matthew Mays of Bryant. Smith dropped over 2 seconds, completing the backstroke sweep with his 1:43.98. Mays finished 2nd in a lifetime best 1:44.40, also under the former record, which he’d set in prelims. Both men broke 1:46 for the first time. Monmouth also won the women’s race as Camryn McHugh defended her title, dropping nearly 2 seconds to win it in 2:00.48.

After setting the MAAC Record in the 100 breast, Bryant’s FuKang Wong, a transfer from Southern Illinois, made it a sweep of the titles and records. Wong clipped the 200 breast MAAC Record, which had stood for 9 years, as he won in 1:57.52. That was his first time breaking 2:00 in the event.

In the 100 free, Fairfield’s Maria Nitti came within a few tenths of the MAAC Record. After defending her 50 free title, she picked up a sprint sweep, winning in 51.09. That was a best by 3 tenths and her first time swimming a best in the event since 2018. Rider’s Justin Carey knocked 2 tenths from his best to win the 100 free in 44.00. That was his 2nd title of the weekend after winning the 100 fly. Both Nitti and Carey were named the 2020 MAAC Most Outstanding Swimmer of the Meet.

Fairfield’s Morgan Hansen swept the butterflies. After setting the MAAC Record in the 100 fly on day 3, she took the 200 fly title in 2:01.76 to repeat as champion. That was her first time under 2:02. The men’s race went to Iona’s Conor Mullin (1:48.83), who came from behind on the final 50 to out-touch Rider’s Cole May (1:48.86). Mullin broke 1:50 for the first time on Saturday.

Freshman Tahlia Botha of Monmouth broke 2:20 for the first time in the 200 breast, winning the race in 2:18.15. She was named the 2020 MAAC Swimming Rookie of the Meet. The men’s 2020 MAAC Swimming Rookie of the Meet was Rider freshman Matt Lequang, who won the 200 and 500 freestyles. Lequang placed 5th in the mile (15:49.60) as his final individual event. Teammate Kyle Iorizzo repeated as champion there, dropping over 10 seconds as he dominated in 15:21.89. He’s now within 3 seconds of the MAAC Record, which has stood since 2012. Marist’s Sidney Judson made a huge drop of nearly 30 seconds to win the women’s race. Judson, who won the 500 free on night 2, dominated by 10 seconds in 17:02.20. Fairfield’s Sara Ostensen, the 2019 champion, finished 2nd in 17:12.74.

Rider closed the meet with a win in the 400 free relay (2:58.71). Lequang took on the 2nd leg in 44.94. Carey was their anchor with the fastest split of the field in 43.43. They were tenths away from the MAAC Record with 3 freshmen and a sophomore. Fairfield took the women’s race in 3:27.83, highlighted by Nitti’s 51.21 leadoff and Hansen’s 51.11 anchor.

2020 MAAC AWARDS

FINAL TEAM SCORES