BUFFALO, N.Y. – Matea Samardzic (Split, Croati/Ekonomsko-Birotehnicka Skola) and Rachel Wuko (Wildwood Crest, N.J./Wildwood Catholic) helped the Saint Peter's women's swimming 200-medley relay team repeat as Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Champions in the event to open the 2015 MAAC Swimming & Diving Championships on Wednesday.
Samardzic opened the 200-medley relay and was followed by Anastasiia Mushtei (Dneiptopnovsh, Ukraine/Finans Deukomi), Marie Feneron (Molsheim, France/Lycee Henri Meck) and Wuko with a time of 1:45.17, .24 seconds faster than Marist to win the opening event of the four-day championships. Last year, Samardzic, Alexandra Sison, Christina DeCisneros and Wuko won the 200-medley relay with a meet record time.
The 800-free relay was also swam on the opening night, an event that Wuko, Alma Lopez, Feneron and Samardic won in 2014. The Peacocks quartet of Wuko, Karen Castaneda (Woodbridge, N.J./Woodbridge), Mushtei and Samardzic finished third in the relay on Wednesday with a time of 7:40.98.
The men also posted a pair of relay teams on the podium on the evening. Jonathan Gomez (Cali, Colombia/Patrick Henry [Va.]), Bence Greifenstein (Budapest, Hungary/Kerek), Manuel Garcia (Mexico City, Mexico/The American Foundation) and Igal Oren (Jersey City, N.J./Ort Kiryar Bialik) teamed up to place second in the 200-medlet relay with a time of 1:30.96, .72 seconds behind Rider.
Gomez, Nicholas Reipe (Middlesex, N.J./Saint Joseph), Thomas Calloni (Jersey City, N.J./Saint Peter's Prep) and Garcia then teamed up to earn a third-place standing in the 800-free relay with a time of 6:47.69.
Saint Peter's and Canisius are tied for first on the women's side with 72 point while Marist (68), Rider (54), Iona (54), Siena (54), Niagara (50), Fairfield (44) and Manhattan (40) round out the field after two events.
On the men's side, Rider leads with 80 points, 14 points ahead of the Peacocks (66). Marist (62), Bryant (60), Canisius (54), Manhattan (50), Iona (48), Niagara (46) and Fairfield (42) round out the field after two relays.
The MAAC Swimming & Diving Championships continue on Thursday with preliminaries at 10 a.m. and finals at 6 p.m. The 500 free, 200 IM, 50 free will be on the docket for individual races and the 200-free relay will be swam in the evening session. Samardzic will look to repeat as champion in the 200 IM and Wuko will attempt to win her second-straight 50 free title after setting a meet record in the event last season.
