LAWRENCEVILLE, New Jersey – Sophomore Raislan Aiken took the top spot on both diving boards but the Marist men's swimming and diving team fell to Rider, 168-132, in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference dual meet Oct. 28. The Red Foxes closed the deficit to the Broncs by 48 points compared to last year's regular season dual meet score.
 
Marist ended its first month of the 2017-18 regular season 2-1 overall and 1-1 in conference competition. Rider is also 2-1 overall after picking up the victory in its first MAAC meet of this year.
 
Aiken began the afternoon slightly ahead of Rider freshman Dillon Walles with a career best final score of 316.58 points to win the 3-meter dive. Aiken went on to place first ahead of senior teammate Peter Gallino on the 1-meter board. It marked the first time in his career that Aiken won both diving events.
 
In the swimming pool, Marist's long distance freestyle strength was on full display. Sophomore Michael O'Donovan kicked off a 1-2-3 Marist finish in the 500-yard freestyle after he clocked in at 4:44.83. Junior Miguel Madeira (4:45.78) and sophomore Evan Nilsson (4:49.88) followed suit. In the 1,000-yard event freshman John Hurley led the pack of Red Foxes, touching in a personal best 9:42.81. O'Donovan and Nilsson came in second and third, respectively.
 
Notes
-Hurley posted a season best time of 2:09.84 to win the 200-yard breaststroke and came in third in the 200-yard individual medley.
-It came down to the final dive at one meter for Aiken and Gallino, who ended up within 2.21 points of each other. Aiken racked up 273.53 points while Gallino stood at 271.32 points.
-Freshman Jackson Klarsfeld won the 200-yard individual medley in 1:55.80, edging out Rider junior Luke Musselman by .29 seconds.
-Competing in consecutive events, Rider senior Zack Molloy won the 50- (21.15 seconds) and 100-yard freestyle (45.66 seconds).
 
Up Next
Marist will battle Fairfield in its only dual meet for the month of November. The action will kick off at 1 p.m. Nov. 18 in McCann Natatorium.