Oakland Doubles Up With Horizon League Title Sweep
The Oakland Grizzlies’ men and women were crowned champions of the Horizon League this past Saturday, their 11th straight. IU-Indianapolis and Cleveland State finished behind Oakland on the men’s side, while Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Cleveland State were second and third on the women’s side, respectively.
Wednesday
Oakland got off to a strong start, taking both the men’s and women’s 200 medley relays. A team of Grace Albrecht, Bella Gary, Jordyn Shipps, and Ronja Riihinen won in 1:40.83, while Harry Nicholson, Christopher Palvadre, Sofus Balladone, and Charlie Brown went a meet record 1:24.16 on the men’s side. Sebastian Otero won the men’s 3-meter diving(445.75).
Youngstown State got on the board in the 800 freestyle relay, with Miriam Frass, Olivia Sweetman, Hailey Clark, and Oliwia Kaniak squeaking by IU Indianapolis to win in 7:21.40. Oakland followed up with another win on the men’s side, a team of Joey Countryman, Jack Wike, Karel Subagyo, and Jonas Cantrell coming through in 6:25.55. IU-Indianapolis’s leadoff swimmer, Nathan Rariden, set a championship record with his split of 1:35.23.
Thursday
IU Indianapolis got on the board with its first win to start Thursday, as Emmaleigh Zeitlow won the 500 freestyle (4:47.02), breaking her own meet record. Jonas Cantrell of Oakland took the 500 for the men (4:18.06). Oakland went on a run following Cantrell’s win, as Jordyn Shipps (1:59.72) and Jack Wike (1:45.3) won titles in the 200 IM. Cleveland State’s Gracie Chelf won the 50 free to break the Oakland run (22.78), although the Grizzlies’ Charlie Brown came back and won for the men (19.69).
Oakland’s Elleana Chalifaux won the women’s 1-meter diving. The night closed with the 200 free relay, as a Wisconsin-Milwaukee team of Gabrielle LePine, Carly Plate, Christiana Brooks, and Janelle Schultz took the event (1:31.63). A championship record was smashed on the men’s side, with Micah Scheffer, Harry Nicholson, Wike, and Brown finishing in 1:17.73 for the Grizzlies.
Friday
Shipps (53.23) and Sofus Balladone (47.1) got the Grizzlies out to another great start, both champions in the 100 fly. Youngstown State scored its first individual win with Frass in the 400 IM (4:18.91). IU Indianapolis dominated the 200 free, as Zietlow won her second individual event (1:46.95) and Rariden was just 0.18 off his new record (1:35.41).
Milwaukee’s LePine won the 100 breast in 1:01.01 for the women, while Palvadre won for the men (52.83). Oakland swept the 100 back, with freshman Albrecht winning for the women (54.19) and Nicholson for the men. Otero prevailed in the 1-meter diving with a score of 414.15, good for a championship record.
Wisconsin-Milwaukee picked up another relay victory on the women’s side, this time with a 400 medley relay team of Mara Freeman, LePine, Maddi Hayashi, and Schultz (3:39.13). The Oakland men finished the night by breaking another championship record, this timein the 400 Medley Relay with a team of Nicholson, Palvadre, Balladone, and Brown.
Saturday
Swimming’s longest race kicked off Saturday, as Youngstown State’s Frass (16:40.8) and Oakland’s Cantrell (15:15.71) collected their second individual wins. Oakland enjoyed a superb run, winning four straight events. Albecht and Nicholson claimed victory in the 200 backstroke (1:58.91; 1:42.01) before Ronja Riihinen and Brown ruled over the 100 free (50.19; 43.47).
Cleveland State’s Giovanna Cappabianca squeaked past Oliwia Kaniak of Youngstown State to win the women’s 200 breast, while Palvadre won his fourth event by taking the men’s title. Shipps won her third individual in the 200 fly, before Cleveland State’s Paddy Johnston broke his own championship record to win for the men(1:44.67).
Chalifoux swept the women’s diving competitions with a victory in the women’s 3-meter (298.95). The Oakland men and women closed the meet just as strong as they had begun it, winning both 400 free relays. A team of Riihinen, Albrecht, Erike Pietras, and Shipps won for the women, while Nicholson, Wike, Palvadre, and Brown won for the men.
Nicholson won Men’s Swimmer of the Meet and Frass Women’s Swimmer of the Meet. Mitch Alter of Oakland was named Men’s Coach of the Year and Kyle Clements of Milwaukee was named Women’s Coach of the Year. The Freshman of the Year on the men’s side was Gunnar Seversen of Milwaukee and Albrecht of Oakland was Freshman of the Year for the women. Otero and Chalifaux were predictably the Men’s and Women’s Divers of the Year, with their coaches Eric Barnes of IU-Indianapolis and Will Brenner of Oakland winning Diving Coaches of the Year.
Final Men’s Team Standings
- Oakland- 949
- IU- Indianapolis- 624
- Cleveland State- 491
- Youngstown State- 410
- Green Bay- 294
- Northern Kentucky- 135
Final Women’s Team Standings
- Oakland- 830
- Milwaukee- 655
- Cleveland State- 614.5
- Youngstown State- 483
- IU- Indianapolis- 465.5
- Green Bay- 227
- Northern Kentucky
