MAAC Readies for Winter Championships
MAAC Sports
EDISON, N.J. - Currently in the midst of its winter season schedule, the MAAC championships for swimming and diving and indoor track and field are now within two months. Through two weeks of the indoor track and field season several notable performances have been posted, while the swimming and diving season has already reached the mid-way point.
The 2015 Men’s and Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships will take place from Feb. 11-14 at Erie Community College’s Burt Flickinger Center in Buffalo, New York, while the 2015 Men’s and Women’s Indoor Track & Field Championships is set for Feb. 21 at the New Balance Armory Track and Field Center in New York, New York.
Tickets for the 2015 Men’s and Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships can be purchased on TicketLeap. Adult all-sessions tickets are available for $55, while single-session ticket prices are as follows: Sessions I, II, IV, VI – $10, Sessions III, V – $15 and Session VII – $25. Students, children, and senior citizens single-session tickets are available for purchase for $5.
The 2015 Men’s and Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships will be streamed live on MAAC.TV.
Tickets for the 2015 Men’s and Women’s Indoor Track & Field Championships are available for purchase on-site at The Armory.
In swimming and diving action, top performers on the men’s side include Bryant University’s Ben Schulte, Canisius College’s Eddie Quarantillo, Niagara University’s Shane Baxter and Rider University’s Zach Molloy.
Schulte set four school records in the 100 breaststroke (55.42), 200 breaststroke (2:01.89), 200 IM (1:52.46) and 400 IM (4:02.31). Additionally, his times in the 100 breaststroke, 200 breaststroke and 200 IM all lead the MAAC this season.
Quarantillo is the top diver in the conference so far in 2014-15 campaign. The senior Griff leads all MAAC divers in both the 1-meter and 3-meter dives, with scores of 318.30 and 363.90, respectively.
Baxter owns the lead for all MAAC swimmers in the 50 backstroke (23.18), 100 backstrokes (49.61) and the 200 backstroke (1:47:17).
In his first year as a Bronc, Molloy has already set three Rider records to start his career. The rookie has set new school marks in the 200 freestyle (1:37.61), 500 freestyle (4:25.04), and 1650 freestyle (15:29.96).
On the women’s side, the top swimming and diving performers include Iona College’s Elizabeth Kaczmarek, and Marist College’s Karly Haraden, Kimberly Tobias and Meredith Wurtz.
A freshman, Kaczmarek has picked up three top-10 all-time finishes in three different events. Her top times were in the 200 freestyle (1:57.56), 500 freestyle (5:16.50) and 200 IM (2:14.32).
Haraden of Marist has had a stellar season so far, establishing herself as the MAAC’s top swimmer in two events. Her top finishes include the 1000 free (10:28.52) and the 1650 free (17:28.20).
The top MAAC women’s diver at this point is the season is Red Fox, Kimberly Tobias. A senior, Tobias leads the league in both the 1-meter and 3 meter dives, with scores of 270.73 and 281.70, respectively.
Wurtz, rounds out the top Red Fox performers, with impressive showings in the 50 and 100 freestyle events. She leads all MAAC swimmers in the 50 free (24.01) and the 100 free (52.13).
Through two weeks of the 2015 Indoor Track and Field season, programs records have been broken, freshmen stars have surfaced, and a new member on the NCAA leaderboard has emerged, among other accomplishments.
New to collegiate competition, freshmen Jessica Lee from Quinnipiac University and Nkeka Pinheiro of Saint Peter's University have each won Women's Indoor Track Performer accolades to begin the season. Lee came in second place in the 60-meter hurdles in the Yale Season Opener with a time of 9.08 seconds, which is also a new Bobcat record. Pinheiro captured first place in the 200-meter dash with a time of 26.34 seconds at the Brother Jasper Invitational.
Sophomore Alexandra Moffatt from Saint Peter's University set a new school record in the pole vault with a vault of 3.60 meters. However, the top vault of the year so far goes to sophomore Marisa Robbins from Manhattan College with a mark of 3.70 meters.
Manhattan College junior Blerim Pocesta sits in 20th place on the NCAA leaderboard in the weight throw following his 18.78 meter toss at the Brother Jasper Invitational.
Other accomplishments so far include Monmouth University senior Ben Boyd's triumph in the 300-meter dash at the Princeton New Year's Invitational, Monmouth University senior Jalen Walker's 60-meter hurdles victory at the Brother Jasper Invitational, and Monmouth University senior Taylor Bernstein's win in the weight throw at the Princeton New Year's Invitational.