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Led by four individual winners on Saturday, Feb. 13, and a fifth conference and team relay record, the С����Ƶ men’s swimming and diving team clinched its fifth straight Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championship in competition at the Burt Flickinger Athletic Center in Buffalo, N.Y., with the Bronc women placing runner-up.

Rider head coach  was named the MAAC Men’s Coach of the Year for the third year in a row.

“It was a special meet, especially for the seniors,” said Fletcher. “They have been great leaders the whole season and this is a credit to them.”

Sophomore  (Toms River/Toms River HS North) was named the MAAC Male Swimmer of the Meet by winning three MAAC gold medals (100 free, 200 free, 500 free).  Molloy also set a Rider and MAAC record in the 200 free (1:36.87) and was part of four MAAC and Rider record-setting relays, the 200 medley, the 800 free, the 200 free and the 400 free.

“Zack getting swimmer of the meet, it was a very competitive award this year,” Fletcher said. “His performances certainly warranted the recognition and he swam great, not only individually but also on the relays.”

The Rider men finished with 906.50 points, defeating second place Marist College by 317 points at the championship that ran from Feb. 10-13 and the Rider women finished in second place for the 14th time since 1998, 446 points behind women’s champion Marist.

“Our women were really tough this year,” Fletcher added. “It’s a young group and they bought in to the team culture and that is a tribute to the senior leadership.  Our goal was to move up from the third place finish last year to get at least second and compete for a conference title and they did that. They did a great job and performed far beyond that of the dual meet season. You want to peak at this meet and they certainly did that.”

For the Rider men on Saturday, the 400 free relay of junior  (Severn, Md./Old Mill), junior  (Toms River/Toms River HS North), freshman  (North Brunswick) and Z. Molloy won with a time of 2:59.69 as the Broncs recorded their fifth relay record of the meet with the Broncs also setting records in the 200 medley, 800 free, 200 free and 400 medley earlier in the meet.

Individually for the Rider men, junior  (Escondido, Calif./San Pasqual) won the 1650 free with a time of 15:30.49, Z. Molloy won the 100 free (44.82), freshman  (Timonium, Md./Loyola Blakefield) won the 200 back (1:48.67) and freshman  (Hamilton/Hamilton HS West) won the 200 fly (1:50.60).

W. Molloy placed second in the 100 free (45.32), Martir was third in 100 free (45.38), junior  (Hamilton/Steinert) placed third in the 200 breast (2:04.39), senior  (Casper, Wyo./Natrona County HS) was third in the three-meter dive (297.10), Gibbons was fourth in the 100 free (45.47), freshman  (Emmaus, Pa./Emmaus) was fifth in the 200 breast (2:05.18), senior  (Yorktown, Va./Tabb) tied for fifth in the 200 back (1:52.41) and sophomore  (Forked River/Lacey Township) was fifth in the 200 fly (1:53.10).

For the Rider women on Saturday, senior  (Unionville, Conn./Farmington) was third in the 200 fly (2:09.56), freshman  (Monroe, N.Y./Monroe-Woodbury) was fourth in the 200 back (2:05.82), sophomore  (Baltimore, Md./Perry Hall) was fourth in the 200 breast (2:22.96), freshman  (Lanoka Harbor/Lacey Township placed sixth in the 200 back (2:06.69), senior  (Beverly, Mass./Beverly) placed sixth in the 200 fly (2:10.39), junior  (Hillsborough) placed seventh in the 100 free (53.57), sophomore (Neptune) placed seventh in the 200 breast (2:27.93) and junior  (Burlington/Burlington Township) finished eighth in the 100 free (54.00).

Also for the Rider men, freshman  (Reading, Pa./Wilson) placed ninth on the three-meter dive (256.50), sophomore  (Garfield/Paramus Catholic) placed ninth in the 100 free (46.47), junior  (Flower Mound, Texas/Flower Mound) 10th in the 1650 free (16:25.15), senior  (Springville, Pa./Elk Lake) was 11th in the 200 breast (2:07.28), freshman  (Columbus/Northern Burlington Regional) placed 12th in the 200 breast (2:08.87) and senior  (Emmaus, Pa./Emmaus) was 13th in the 200 breast (2:08.99).

Also for the Bronc women, freshman  (Woodbury Heights/Gloucester Catholic) was 12th in the 200 back (2:09.58), freshman  (Egg Harbor/Egg Harbor Township) was 15th in the 100 free (54.43), sophomore (Lords Valley, Pa./Wallenpaupack Area) was 16th in the 100 free (54.58), senior (Wilmington, Del./Padua Academy) was 16th in the 200 breast (2:34.08) and sophomore  (Forest Hill, Md./Bel Air) was 16th in the 200 fly (2:16.95).

The women’s 400 free relay of Parker, Cass, Palmer and Stalnaker was fifth with a time of 3:35.03.

This is Rider’s sixth overall MAAC Championship (2004, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016).

Rider competes at the ECAC Championships hosted by Navy February 25-28.