POUGHKEEPSIE, New York – The Marist men's and women's swimming and diving teams both earned convincing victories over Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference rival Rider on Saturday afternoon at McCann Natatorium. The Red Foxes captured a sweep, as the women posted a 185-109 win, while the men prevailed 155-139.
The Marist men secured their victory through balance and depth across events. Senior Oscar Bjering set the tone early, winning both the 1000-yard freestyle (9:51.61) and the 500-yard freestyle (4:43.12). Junior Jack Labianca followed with a win in the 200 free (1:43.77) and a runner-up finish in the 500, while Dylan Magda and Caden Hardy led a dominant 1-3 finish in the 200 breaststroke.
The Red Foxes clinched the meet in thrilling fashion, as Adam Zaremba, Joey Myer, Jake Mercer, and Magda out-touched Rider by less than half a second in the 400-yard freestyle relay, winning in 3:07.30 to seal the team victory.
On the women's side, Marist started fast and never looked back. The Red Foxes swept the top two spots in the 200 medley relay, with the A-team of Elie Kauffman, April Avila, Sabrina Conrad, and Rian Dickman opening the meet with a winning time of 1:47.39.
Sophomore Anna Hoskovec dominated the distance events, taking first in both the 1000 free (10:41.82) and 500 free (5:10.39). Senior Rian Dickman added a victory in the 200 free (1:58.87) and a second-place finish in the 100 free, while Avila and Rae Dodson went 1-2 in the 100 breaststroke. Senior Sabrina Conrad led a sweep of the 200 butterfly, with freshmen Ellie DeKeukelaere and Mikayla Rapuano following close behind.
In diving, sophomore Gabrielle Norton swept both boards with scores of 229.80 on 3-meter and 226.28 on 1-meter, continuing her strong season for the Red Foxes.
Following the meet, Head Coach Anthony Randall praised both squads' efforts:
"I'm proud of how our team bounced back after a tough outing last week against Fairfield. Our women rose to the challenge of racing in some events they haven't done yet this season, which should give them confidence as we prepare for a tough Colgate road trip. The men were able to put together a complete meet against a very good Rider team. Just goes to show this year in the MAAC, you have to be ready for a fight, start to finish."
With the sweep, both Marist squads continue to build momentum ahead of their next competition. The Red Foxes will travel to Colgate University next weekend for a non-conference dual meet.
