The Iona University men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams will begin their season on Oct. 7 at the Hynes Athletics Center pool against Saint Francis Brooklyn University.
 

The Gaels open with two meets in two days. On Oct. 8 they will travel to Worcester, Massachusetts where they will go head-to-head against Holy Cross University.
 

Both the men’s and women’s teams will then compete at the Iona Invitational. The men’s team will face Wagner College, on Oct. 15, while the women will compete against Wagner College and Sacred Heart University on the same day.
 

The peak of the season for both teams is the Metro Atlantic Athletics Conference (MAAC) Championships, which this year are being held in Buffalo, New York at the Burk Flickinger Center from Feb. 8-11.
 

Iona will also be hoping for representation from both teams at the College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) National Invitational, which is being hosted in Elkhart, Indiana from March 9-11.
 

The MAAC preseason poll has been released ahead of the upcoming season.  

The women’s team is ranked third with 85 points and one first place vote. Niagara University was selected 1st place with 95 points and six first place votes, Fairfield University in second with 86 points and two first place votes, while Marist College was selected fourth with 74 points and one first place vote and Siena with 53 points rounded out the top five.  

The men’s team were selected to finish fourth with 53 points. Rider University were selected to finish first with 78 points and seven first-place votes, Fairfield University in second with 70 points and one first-place vote, Marist College in third with 66 points and one first-place vote and Niagara University rounded out the top five with 43 points.
 

The women’s team is coming off finishing second in the MAAC Championships last season and the team returns 12 from last season’s roster and welcomes seven new freshmen.  

The men’s team who finished fourth at the MAAC Championships last season return 14 of the men from last season’s roster return while they also welcome nine new freshmen to compete for them this season.
 

“I think the season is going to be a really good one”, sophomore Ashley Benkert said. “We have a lot of fast girls who came in and also lots of returners. I think if we are going to win the MAAC any year it’s going to be this year; we’re ready to get after it.”
 

“The team is the best part of the whole program; we’re all so close and love to cheer and encourage each other to do our best.”  Benkert said.  

The Gaels will need everyone to contribute on both teams this season if they are to top the MAAC standings.