Women's Relay Team Sets School Record on First Day of MAAC Championships

The relay team of sophomore Evie Leighton, senior Brenna McLaughlin, freshman Daphne Mead and senior Ashley Allaire broke the school record in the women's 800 yard freestyle relay as the men's and women's teams concluded day one of the 2025 MAAC Championships at the SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio.

After one day of competition, the Golden Griffins' women's team hold's a tie for fifth place with Sacred Heart in total team points with 56 while the men's team ranks fifth out of 12 teams with 41 points.

The women's 800 free relay team highlighted the day for the Griffs, earning All-MAAC honors with a third place finish and a school-record time of 7:30.62.

They break a record set last season by Leighton, McLaughlin, Allaire and Reilly King at the 2024 MAAC championships. Niagara took the top spot in the event and Fairfield finished second.

Mead and Leighton also finished seventh in the 200 medley relay alongside sophomore Cassandra Ercoli and junior Hannah Brainard with a time of 1:44.36.

On the men's side, junior Alex Szczepankiewicz took a top-eight diving score home for the Griffs, earning 11 point with a score of 181.15. Lastly, the men's 200 medley relay team of sophomore Elliot Somers, junior Sam Vidal, senior Bronson Benes and graduate student Samuel Zani placed seventh with a time of 1:29.87.

The Griffs return to the water tomorrow with freestyle and individual medley prelims beginning at 10 a.m. All the action will be streamed live on ESPN+.

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Players Mentioned

Reilly King: 5' 8"; Graduate Student

Ashley Allaire: 5' 11"; Senior

Bronson Benes: 5' 8"; Senior

Hannah Brainard: 5' 4"; Junior

Cassandra Ercoli: 5' 5"; Sophomore

Evie Leighton: 5' 11"; Sophomore

Brenna McLaughlin: 5' 6"; Senior

Elliot Somers: 6' 0"; Sophomore

Alex Szczepankiewicz: 5' 11"; Junior

Sam Vidal: 6' 0"; Junior

Players Mentioned

Reilly King
: 5' 8"; Graduate Student

Ashley Allaire
: 5' 11"; Senior

Bronson Benes
: 5' 8"; Senior

Hannah Brainard
: 5' 4"; Junior

Cassandra Ercoli
: 5' 5"; Sophomore

Evie Leighton
: 5' 11"; Sophomore

Brenna McLaughlin
: 5' 6"; Senior

Elliot Somers
: 6' 0"; Sophomore

Alex Szczepankiewicz
: 5' 11"; Junior

Sam Vidal
: 6' 0"; Junior