The Iona College men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams traveled upstate to Buffalo for the 2011 MAAC Swimming & Diving Championships that were held during Feb. 17 to Feb. 19.

For the second time in three years, the men took fourth, while the women placed fifth for the second consecutive season.

Tallying 796 points, Loyola took the MAAC crown on the men’s side, as the Gaels were only able to come up with 423.5 points.

On the women’s side, Marist recorded a first place finish en route to scoring a meet high 843 points. Meanwhile, Iona scored 384 points in the championship meet.

After the first day of action, the Iona men placed fourth with 121 points, while the Iona women stood at fifth with 103 points.

The men’s 200-yard freestyle relay foursome of senior Graham Weir, junior Cameron Hudson, freshman Ralph Porrazzo and senior Seth Tasman finished fourth picking up 30 points for the Gaels. The relay recorded a finishing time of 1:23.2 for the Gaels.

The women’s 200-yard freestyle relay consisting of freshman Kerri-Anne Dodenhoff, junior Mackenzie Mone, junior Jamie Manser and sophomore Theresa Harvey touched the wall in fifth for 28 points. The race was also a school record setting time of 1:37.34.

In a second relay, the Gaels set another school record. The 400-yard medley relay of senior Sam Cody, freshman Maria Skeivys, Manser and Harvey took fourth in a time of 3:54.09 to close out the first day.

Highlights of the second day included the women’s 200-yard medley relay of Skeivys, Manser, freshman Sophia Hyokyvaara and Mone taking third for Iona. Their time of 1:46.30 was good enough to put 32 points on the board for Iona.

In the preliminary heat of the 100-yard breaststroke, Manser broke a MAAC record with a time of 1:03.41. In the finals, Manser came back with another victory finishing in 1:03.86.

After the completion of 30 events, the Iona men stayed in fourth place with 296.5 points, and the Iona women stayed in fifth with 264 points.

On the final day of swimming, the Gaels would work to maintain their position in the standings.

In the men’s 100-yard freestyle, the Gaels had four swimmers score points. Tasman was runner-up with 17 points with a time of 46.52, while freshman Justin Grigull was fourth in 46.93, scoring 15 points for the Gaels.

Hudson was 12th touching the wall in 47.76 earning five points. Closing out the scoring for Iona was Weir who placed 14th and secured three points with a time of 48.01.

Closing out the meet, the 400-yard freestyle relay of Harvey, Dodenhoff, freshman Brigitte Doughty and Mone took fourth in 3:31.40. On the men’s relay, the team of Porrazzo, Hudson, Grigull and Tasman placed third. The women earned 30 points, while the men notched 32 points in the relays.

The Gaels also competed in the ECAC championships last weekend, were the men finished in 11th place and the women finished in eightth.

A noteable performance was the relay team of Harvey, Manser, Dodenhoff and Doughty. The foursome took third place in the 200 yard freestyle relay during Saturday’s events.

Porazzo and junior Chris Yacobacci led the way for the men. Yacobacci took seventh place in the 200 yard IM. He also finished 15th overall in the event.

Porazzo picked up an important six points in his third place finish in the 50 yard freestyle finishing 11th in the event.