FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Fairfield University swimming and diving teams will compete for the 2024 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Championship this weekend as the 10 schools will converge on Aspire Institute in Geneva, Ohio for a shot at the title. The event begins on Wednesday and runs through Saturday.

               The Fairfield University women's swimming and diving team will look to defend its 2023 MAAC Championship while the men's swimming and diving team will challenge for the crown after placing fourth in last year's event. The Stags boasted two of the major award winners at last year's championships, namely Head Coach Jacy Dyer collecting the Women's Swimming Coach of the Year and Erini Pappas garnering the Women's Most Outstanding Swimmer honor.

               Pappas returns along with another talented squad that has enjoyed success all season long. The junior won her last two events of the regular season, posting first-place finishes in the 200 back and the 200 fly against MAAC foe Iona University. She already has 11 wins in various events this season along with 17 top three-finishes.

               Graduate student Nora Serugola-Larrinaga joined the Stags this season and has turned in a stellar season which she capped with victories in the 100 back and 200 free against Iona in the team's final dual meet. She captured the MAAC Swimmer of the Week award in her second week with the program which started her on a season that included 12 first-place swims at various distances in the back and the free.

               Freshman Tone Sandsjo has also enjoyed a quality inaugural year that culminated with a pair of weekly swimmer honors from the MAAC. She has competed in the breaststroke, the free, and the IM this year, winning 12 times competing in those strokes.

               Alexa Gaulin and Lia Oppenheim have anchored the diving corps this season, combining for eight victories in various events this year. Gaulin captured two MAAC Diver of the Week honors on January 17 and January 24, winning three diving events. Oppenheim swept both the 1 and 3 meter dives in two dual meets this year, gaining wins against Providence and Wagner.

               On the men's side, Dillon O'Connor and Andrew Cataldo also were listed among the MAAC's weekly diving winners after their performances on the board. The duo combined for three straight honors with O'Connor taking the award on January 10 and 24 with Cataldo working his success in between on January 17. Cataldo earned wins against George Mason and Providence as well as a sweep in the 1 and 3 meter dives at the Fairfield Invitational. O'Connor swept both events against Wagner and picked up the top spot in his last two competitions against George Mason (3 meter) and Iona (1 meter).

               Joseph Stewart also picked up a MAAC swimmer of the week award this year after picking up two second-place finishes against the University of Hawaii (200 free and 200 IM). He has picked up 21 top three-finishes this season with 13 first-place swims.

               Hans Lim also reached double digits in the win column this season crossing over in the breaststroke, the IM, and the fly. He garnered a pair of wins in several meets this season, beginning with the Fairfield Invitational (100 and 200 breast). He also won the same events against Monmouth and Wagner in addition to taking the top spot in the 200 breast and 200 IM versus Rider.

               Ed Hunt comes off a pair of wins in his last two meets, finishing first in the 200 IM against George Mason and the 200 fly versus Iona. The end of season run capped a successful season that began with a pair of wins at the season-opening Fairfield Invitational and in the inaugural dual meet with Monmouth, taking gold in four of the six events in which he competed those two weeks.

               Check the Championship Central page for complete coverage of the 2024 MAAC Swimming and Diving Championships beginning on Wednesday, February 14.