Oakland Takes Lead at Horizon League

Photo Courtesy: Oakland Athletics

BROWN DEER – The Oakland men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams combined to capture six of the 11 individual races and both of the relay races Friday at the 2015 Horizon League Championships to extend its lead on the women’s side and take over the lead in the men’s race.

Tricia Grant got the Golden Grizzlies off to a good start Friday night at the Walter Schroeder Aquatic Center by winning the women’s 3-meter diving event with a score of 330.10. The senior diver won all four diving events in the two years she competed in the Horizon League Championship.

Patricia Aschan won the 200-yard individual medley on Thursday and topped the field again on Friday in the 400-yard individual medley. The sophomore set a League and Championship record as her winning time was 4:16.84.

Jordan Merrilees repeated as 400-yard individual medley champ on the men’s side, lowering the League and Championship record he set as last year’s event to 3:45.73.

Oakland recorded another win in the women’s 200-yard freestyle as Nikki Flynn bested the field with a winning time of 1:48.32.

The Golden Grizzlies final individual races wins were in the breaststroke as Oakland swept the 100-yard breaststroke. Takara Martin won the women’s race with a time of 1:02.33, while John Schihl captured the men’s race in :54.39.

Oakland completed a fantastic day in the pool for the Golden Grizzlies by winning the men’s and women’s 800-freestyle relays. The women’s team won in a time of 7:21.44, while the men’s team set a League and Championship record, besting the old time by over three seconds, with a time of 6:29.44. During the record-breaking run, Merrilees set another League and Championship mark as his opening 200-yard freestyle time of 1:35.55 bested the old mark.

Oakland swimmers weren’t the only record-setters on Friday though as Cleveland State’s Philipp Sikatzki collected his second League-mark of the championship as he won the 100-butterfly with a League and Championship time of :46.96.

Wright State’s Emily Hayhow captured the women’s 100-yard butterfly with a winning time of :55.03.

Nick Menninga of Milwaukee won a tight 200-yard freestyle race as he out-touched second place by .04 seconds to win with a time of 1:39.08.

Green Bay’s Claire Friederick won the women’s 100-yard backstroke by .22 seconds with a time of :55.35.

Women’s Team Scores – Through Friday
1. Oakland – 582
2. Milwaukee – 428
3. Green Bay – 413
4. UIC – 332
5. Youngstown State – 278
6. Wright State – 271
7. Cleveland State – 161
8. Valparaiso – 120

Men’s Team Scores – Through Friday
1. Oakland – 521
2. Milwaukee – 446
3. Green Bay – 353
4. Wright State – 352
5. Cleveland State – 336
6. UIC – 296
7. Valparaiso – 81

The above article is a press release submitted to Swimming World. To reach our audience, contact us at newsmaster@swimmingworld.com.

2015 Horizon League, Day Three – Results

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