By Anya Pelshaw on SwimSwam
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) – Men and Women
Dates: Wednesday, February 11 – Saturday, February 14 Location: Spire Academy, Geneva, OH Defending Champions: Niagara women (2x); Niagara men (1x) SCY (25 yards) Championship Central Psych Sheets Live Results Live Video Teams: Canisius, Fairfield, Iona, Manhattan, Marist, Merrimack, Mount St. Mary’s, Niagara, Rider, Sacred Heart (women), Saint Peter’s, Siena (women)The 2026 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Championships will be one of two Division I championship meets to get underway on Feb. 11. Competition will take place at SPIRE Academy in Geneva, Ohio.
Schedule:
Wednesday, Feb. 11
200 Medley Relay Women’s 1-meter Diving 800 Freestyle relayThursday, Feb. 12
500 Freestyle 200 IM 50 Freestyle Men’s 3-meter Diving 200 Freestyle RelayFriday, Feb. 13
100 Butterfly 400 IM 200 Freestyle 100 Breaststroke 100 Backstroke Women’s 3-meter Diving 400 Medley RelaySaturday, Feb. 14
1650 Freestyle 200 Backstroke 100 Freestyle 200 Breaststroke 200 Butterfly Men’s 1-meter Diving 400 Freestyle RelayWOMEN’S PREVIEW
2025 Scores
Niagara — 766 Fairfield — 597 Marist — 511 Sacred Heart — 406 Mount St. Mary’s — 334 Iona — 295 Canisius — 259 Siena — 208 Rider — 202 Merrimack — 71 Saint Peter’s / Manhattan — 63The Niagara women swam to their 2nd straight MAAC title a year ago and will be in search of three straight. The Purple Eagles were dominant in their win, capturing seven conference records including three of those in relays coming in the win. This time, the program will be under first-year head coach Matt Bosse.
Swimmers to Watch:
Natalie Killion – Junior, Niagara
Niagara’s Natalie Killion earned Swimmer of the Meet honors last year as a sophomore and will look to defend her crown as a junior. Killion is the top seed in the 200 back by almost four seconds with a 1:57.71 and holds the conference record with a 1:55.90. She also is the top seed in the 200 free with a 1:49.44, and holds the conference record after posting a 1:48.20 a year ago. Her final event is the 500 free where she is the #3 seed with a 4:52.98 but won a year ago in a 4:48.18.
In addition to her individual success, Killion was also key at the relay level, most notably helping Niagara to conference records in both the 800 free and 400 medley relays.
Alaina Pitton – Junior, Niagara
Fellow Niagara junior Alaina Pitton will look to go three for three this year in her individual events after just missing out on the feat in her first two seasons. Pitton enters as the top seed in the 200 IM, 100 breast, and 200 breast. She won the 200 IM in a 2:02.03 and the 200 breast in a 2:14.42 a year ago. She just missed capturing the title in the 100 breast, posting a 1:01.14 to finish just behind Fairfield’s Tone Sandsjo who won in a 1:00.61.
Like Killion, Pitton is also a valuable relay piece for Niagara and swam on the team’s 200 free and 400 medley relays that broke conference records last year. She also swam on the team’s 200 medley and 400 free relays that touched 2nd.
Natasha De Pree – Freshman, Fairfield
Fairfield freshman and Great Britain native, Natasha De Pree could spoil Killion’s run as De Pree is the top seed in the 500 free with a 4:50.45. She also is the #2 seed in the 200 free with a 1:50.11, only behind Killion’s 1:49.44. Her final entry is the top seed in the 1650 free with a 16:44.48. No other swimmer is entered under the 17-minute mark as Niagara’s Marty Divis is the #2 seed with a 17:07.29.
RACES TO WATCH
500 Free
Between De Pree and Killion, this might be the race of the meet on the women’s side but Mount Saint Mary’s Carmen Del Aguila Martin also enters her name into contention with a 4:51.64. The three swimmers are separated from the rest of the field by almost five seconds. Killion dropped over four and a half seconds at the 2025 MAAC Championships to earn her win in a 4:48.18, and it is almost a sure thing that it will take a sub-4:50 to win the meet here.
100 Breast
Tone Sandjoe of Fairfield has spoiled Alaina Pitton‘s quest to go three for three the last two years. Could this be the year that changes? Pitton is the top seed with a 1:01.59 while Sandsjoe enters with a 1:02.19 as the #3 seed. Only Marist’s April Avila separates the two with a entry time of a 1:01.77.
100 Fly
The 100 fly has the top six seeds separated by less than a second with Fairfield Graduate Student Allie Bashor leading the way with a 55.38. Bashor, a Long Island University transfer, won the Northeast Conference (NEC) title a year ago and looks to shake up the MAAC history books as well.
The #2 seed is Sophia Velleco of Sacred Heart who has been as fast as 55.80 this season. Velleco did not even compete in the 100 fly a year ago, instead swimming the 200 free on day three of the meet. She notably was 2nd in the 200 fly at the 2025 MAAC Championships. Other sub-56 swimmers are Paige Austin-Burrows (55.86) of Saint Peter’s and Sabrina Conrad (55.92) of Marist.
SwimSwam’s Predictions
Fairfield Niagara MaristPitton and Killion are strong for Niagara but the depth of Fairfield seems to give the women’s program the edge right now. In addition, diving will provide a boost for Fairfield.
MEN’S PREVIEW
2025 Scores
Niagara — 653.5 Marist — 621.5 Fairfield — 615.5 Iona — 512.5 Rider — 396.5 Mount St. Mary’s — 285.5 Canisius — 205 Saint Peter’s — 140 Manhattan — 113The Niagara men captured their first conference title in 30 years in a meet that came down to the 400 free relay on day 4, which the Iona men won. Like the women, the Niagara men are also under first year head coach Bosse. It was a tight competition the whole meet, with Niagara only leading by three points ahead of Fairfield heading into the final day of competition.
Swimmers to Watch:
Max Buchen – Sophomore, Iona
Buchen enters his first MAAC Championship after transferring from Ohio State, where he only competed prior to midseason. The now Iona sophomore looks to sweep the breaststroke events as he is the top seed in the 100 breast (53.63) and 200 breast (1:58.51). He also is a top contender as the #5 seed in the 200 IM with a 1:50.01 entry time, just over a second off top seed Lance Cruz of Niagara (1:48.90).
Aidan Schnapf, Junior, Fairfield
Schnapf was a three-time ‘A’ finalist a year ago but did not finish in the top three. He will look to move up on the podium this year as he is the top seed in the 200 free with a 1:38.70, #2 seed in the 500 free with a 4:29.66, and the #3 seed in the 200 back win a 1:47.48. Last year, Schnapf was 5th in the 500 free (4:29.32) and 6th in both the 200 free (1:38.25) and 200 back (1:48.13).
Oscar Bjering, Junior, Marist
Bjering has had a huge junior season and enters as the top seed in the 500 free with a 4:29.07, an event he was 8th in last year with a 4:30.93. After missing out on the ‘A’ final in the 200 free last year, Bjering will look to move up the ranks in prelims as he is the #4 seed with a 1:39.51. He won the ‘B’ final last year in a 1:38.81. His final entry is the 1650 free where he is the #4 seed with a 16:10.31, an event he was 7th last year in a 15:57.03.
RACES TO WATCH
200 IM
Niagara’s Lance Cruz won Freshman of the Meet a year ago and enters as the top seed in the 200 IM and enters as the top seed with a 1:48.90 entry time. That was just off his time from the Championships a year ago as he was 3rd in a 1:48.78.
A pair of freshman look to shake up the event with Mount St. Mary’s Todor Gospodinov sitting as the #2 seed with a 1:49.21 and Fairfield’s Bobby Regan sitting as the #3 seed with a 1:49.78. Niagara’s Holden Brock is the only other sub-1:50 entry with a 1:49.97 as the #4 seed and he notably was 5th last year in a 1:49.55.
500 Free
It is a change of pace from last year as Michael Faughnan of Iona won in a 4:19.62. In an event that is way more wide open, Marist junior Oscar Bjering was 8th in the 500 free last year with a 4:30.93 in the final but has already surpassed that mark so far this season as he enters as the top seed with a 4:29.07. Fairfield’s Schnapf is the #2 seed with a 4:29.66 and also was in last year’s ‘A’ final as he was 5th in a 4:29.32. The two are the top two seeds by over four seconds as #3 seed Tim Regan of Fairfield has been as fast as 4:33.70 this season but is still a name to watch out for as he was 6th last year in a 4:29.49.
50 Free
It seems that the 50 free will take a sub-20 to win, just like it did a year ago. The top 13 entries are sub-21 seconds with Iona’s Nick Patino leading the way as the top seed with a 20.17. Patino was 7th last year in a 20.58. Lucas Hancock enters the meet as the #2 seed with a 20.27 and was 3rd last year in a 20.20. Iona’s Kieran Egan has a lifetime best 20.13 which he swam for 2nd last year but sits as the #4 seed with a 20.39 this year.
SwimSwam’s Predictions
Fairfield Marist NiagaraThe men’s race is expected to be a close meet, with the Swimulator predicting Fairfield, Niagara, Marist, and Iona being separated by less than 50 points. Diving notably gives Fairfield and Marist the boost.
Read the full story on SwimSwam: 2026 MAAC Fan Guide: Men’s Side Could Come Down To Relay Once Again
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