Hanna Aggen
On Feb. 12, the Mount St. Mary’s Men’s and Women’s Swim team began the 2025 MAAC Championship meet. The 2024-25 season has been the most successful season for the women’s team, in the history of the program.
Beginning what would become a record-breaking meet for the mountaineers, was day one of the four-day meet. Starting with the 200 Medley relay, and the 800 Freestyle relay.
Both the women and men came out firing all cylinders in the 200 Medley relay. The women, with a team of Hanna Aggen (C’27), Christina Lazari (C’26), Theodora Kanellopoulou (C’28) and Meghan Speicher (C’25), placed third scoring the team’s first points of the championship.
The men’s team of Jason Fitch (C’24), Aidan Grady (C’25), Parker Koenig (C’27) and Austin Toland (C’26), placed second, in a time of 1:27.46, giving them a leg up in points.
In the 800 Freestyle relay, the team of Speicher, Kanellopoulou, Carmen Del Aguila Martin (C’28) and Madison Murphy (C’27) placed fifth with a time of 7:34.74.
Day two proved to be even more successful for the mount. Many of the relay swimmers listed above were finalists in their individual events, adding a few names, such as Lucas Hancock (C’27), who was an A-finalist in the 50-yard Freestyle and received the bronze medal in the event.
Koenig followed Hancock, placing fifth in the event. “This season was significantly better than last year, last year was really a learning year and showed how much work I have to put in to become a top competitor in the MAAC.”
Hancock stated, “Also the 200 Free relay was a blast, competing against fast competitors.”
On the women’s side, Martin placed third in the 500-yard Freestyle, breaking her own school record set earlier this season, in a time of 4:54.38.
Three mountaineers were A-finalists in the women’s 50-yard-Freestyle, with Lazari placing third.
Both the men and women relay teams placed second in the 200 Freestyle relay.
Going into day three, the mount women were fifth, and the men sixth.
Day three was another shining day for the mountaineers. Senior Aidan Grady, set a new MAAC record in the 100-yard Breastroke with a time of 53.18, taking gold in the event for the second time in his career. When asked about the race Grady said “My race felt slow believe it or not. I didn’t realize how fast I was going until I touched the wall and looked up at the board.”
The senior reminisced on his swimming career, and the event by saying, “Swimming in your last swim meet after 16 years is a surreal feeling.” He continued, “This race was a pinnacle moment of my Mount swim career that I’ll never forget.”
Other mount swimmers also shined in their individual events, with Koenig placing second in his 100 Butterfly with a time of 47.78. Along with Fitch placing second in the 100 Backstroke with a time of 47.81.
On the women’s side, Lazari placed sixth in the 100 Breastroke with a time of 1:03.67. Aggen placed fourth in the 100 Backstroke in a time of 56.51.
Both Aggen and Lazari were a part of the 400 Medley relay, alongside teammates, Martin and Murphy. The relay team placed fourth in a time of 3:48.24. The team of Fitch, Grady, Koenig and Toland took another silver, with a time of 3:13.29.
The final day of the conference meet proved to be very successful. In the last event of the championship, the relay team of Speicher, Kanellopoulou, Martin and Lazari, became conference champions, breaking the 400 Freestyle relay conference record, in a time of 3:24.66.
Individually, Lazari finished fifth in the 100 Freestyle with a time of 51.41. The junior summed up the meet in a few words, “From start to finish, the entire meet was filled with unforgettable moments: teammates cheering until they lost their voices, personal bests and a sense of unity I’ll always cherish.”
Lazari anchored the winning relay. She said this about the experience, “Standing behind the block as the anchor of the relay was both thrilling and nerve-wracking. The responsibility felt huge, but the support of my teammates and the incredible atmosphere of the MAAC made all the difference.”
She continued, “Touching the wall first, breaking both the conference and school records, was the perfect ending to an amazing experience. I am so proud to be a part of this team.”
Emily Myers (C’27), was a B-finalist in the 200 Breastroke, and finished 14th with a time of 2:23.61.
Speicher, a senior captain of the team, expressed her gratitude for the experience of the conference championship, as well as the friendships and memories the team has given her.
Speaking on the winning relay she said, “Breaking the conference record in the 4x100 free relay with my friends was the perfect way to close out the chapter. The sense of accomplishment and pride in not only reaching my own personal goals but also encouraging my teammates made it an experience I will cherish for the rest of my life.”
She continued, “It is bittersweet to know that it is all over, but I'm forever grateful for the lessons and opportunities that the Mount swim team has given me.”
For the men, Toland placed fifth in the 100 Freestyle in a time of 44.69. Liam Rooney (C’27), broke his own school record in the 200 Butterfly in a time of 1:51.60, winning the B-final. Fitch also won the B-final in the 200 Backstroke, with a time of 1:47.89.
Ten of the mountaineers will head to Ocala, Florida for the CSCAA National Invitational Championship, to end the season.
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