Eight Recruits Join Oakland Swimming

ROCHESTER, Michigan, July 6. OAKLAND's women's swimming and diving team has added eight recruits, head coach Pete Hovland announced today. Kelli Dewey (Grand Haven, Mich.), Ashley Espinoza (Dexter, Mich.), Chelsea Oates (Grand Rapids, Mich.), Lauren Patterson (Val Des Monts, Quebec), Jill Peterson (Westland, Mich.), Agnes Solan (Pulawy, Poland), Corey Tschannen (Ada, Mich.) and Emily Wike (Sterling, Ill.) have each signed National Letters of Intent and will join the Golden Grizzlies for the upcoming 2007-08 season.

Dewey was a four-time letterwinner at Grand Haven High School. She was a four-time all-conference selection and earned all-state honorable mention accolades as a senior. Dewey served as a team captain her senior year, helping lead the Buccaneers to a 16th place finish at the state meet. She placed 10th in both the 50 and 500 free events with times of 24.75 and 5:13.66 respectively. Dewey has also lettered three times in water polo. Additionally, she was a member of the National Honor Society and a scholar-athlete at Grand Haven.

Espinoza graduated from Dexter High School this past spring after attending Adrian High School for the previous three years, lettering total of four times. Espinoza was an all-conference swimmer four times and was named all-state as a senior. She qualified for state in three events as a senior, swimming the 200 IM, the 100 back and with Dexter's fifth-place 200 medley relay.

Oates won four letters at East Grand Rapids. She was a three-time all-conference, all-state and All-American diver with the Pioneers and helped lead her team to an 11th place finish at the state meet her senior year. Oates won the state championship on the 1-meter board as a senior, compiling a score of 447.55 (11 dives). Oates' title was the culmination of steady improvement throughout her career, as she placed fourth as a sophomore and second as a junior. She also won two letters in lacrosse and graduated from East Grand Rapids Magana cum laude.

Patterson graduated from Philemon Wright High School in June, 2006. She swam for the Nepean Kanata Barracudas, specializing in the middle distance freestyle events while also swimming the IM.

Peterson was a four-year letterwinner at Westland John Glenn and served as team captain her senior season. She was a four time all-conference and all-area honoree and was named all-state as a sophomore. Peterson finished 13th in the 100 breaststroke at state with a time of 1:08.53 and just missed placing in the 100 free, as she finished 17th with a time of 54.89 her senior year. She excels in the classroom as well, having been named a Scholastic All-American her junior year.

Solan joins the Golden Grizzlies after attending the Academy of Physical Education in Warsaw for one year. She holds Polish records with AZS AWF Warsaw with the 4×100 free, 4×200 free and 4×100 medley relays on both short and long courses. Solan was also an eight-time Polish junior champion from 2002-05 and a two-time Polish senior vice champion. She is currently ranked among the top 50 female swimmers in her native country. Solan swims the backstroke and sprint freestyle events.

Tschannen won four letters at Forest Hills Central High School. She was a four-time all-conference and all-state honoree, as well as being named an All-American twice. Tschannen served as the team captain as a senior, helping guide the Rangers to a third place finish at the state meet. She finished fourth in the 50 free, eighth in the 100 free and was a part of Forest Hills Central's 200- and 400 free relays which placed second and sixth respectively. In addition to swimming, Tschannen played water polo for the Rangers, winning three letters.

Wike lettered four times in swimming at Sterling High School in Sterling, Ill. She was all-state in the 100 breaststroke and All-America honorable mention four times. Wike helped guide the Warriors to a 23rd place finish in the state meet as a senior, finishing 10th in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:06.71. She also lettered twice in soccer and was student council vice president at Sterling.

Special thanks to Oakland for contributing this report.

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