Men's Swim & Dive picked fourth in MAAC preseason poll

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University men's swimming and diving team has been picked to finish fourth according to the annual MAAC Preseason Coaches Poll released this week.

The expected finish is the highest for the Bulldogs and comes off a season in which they swam to a sixth-place finish. Four-time defending champion Rider has been predicted to claim its fifth-straight title, receiving 98 points. Marist was second with 91 points and Canisius was picked third with 79 points. Bryant (64) out-distanced fifth-place Iona by four points. Niagara, Saint Peter's, Manhattan, Fairfield and Monmouth round out the nine-team poll.

Bryant returns a strong core of talent in 2015-16, led by 2015 MAAC Outstanding Swimmer of the Meet, Ben Schulte (Tumon, Guam). Schulte won the 200 IM, the 100 breast and 200 breast at the MAAC Championships, setting school records in all three events. Joining Schulte will be senior Joshua Bjornberg (Wallingford, Conn.), junior Pierre Le Guyader (East Islip, N.Y.) and sophomore Colin Curtin (Wethersfield, Conn.).