The following is a press release courtesy of the Horizon League:
INDIANAPOLIS—Oakland’s Jorden Merrilees (Brisbane, Australia) and Patricia Aschan (Raisio, Finland) have been named the Horizon League Men’s and Women’s Swimmers of the Week while Milwaukee’s K.J. Heger (Rockford, Ill.) and Rachel Margis (Racine, Wis.) have been named Horizon League Men’s and Women’s Divers of the Week for the week of Jan. 13-19. This is the second weekly accolade for Merrilees, Aschan and Margis, respectively. Heger is honored for the seventh time this season.
Oakland hosted Kenyon College, Cincinnati and Olivet Nazarene over the weekend with both the men’s and women’s squads claiming victory. Merrilees led the way for the men’s team collecting four individual and one relay first-place finish. In the 500-Freestyle, the junior hit the mat first with a time of 4:32.51 and continued his winning ways in the 400-Individual Medley in a time of 3:58.61. Merrilees claimed his final two individual victories in the 200-Freestyle with a time of 1:40.92 and the 200-Backstroke finishing in 1:49.50. To round out his stellar meet, Merrilees was the anchor in the winning 400-Freestyle Relay and finished with a 44.47 split time to notch the come-from-behind victory.
Aschan led the Golden Grizzlies’ women with four individual event first-place finishes. In the 400-Individual Medley, the sophomore clocked in with a time of 4:28.69 and also won the 200-Individual Medley in a time of 2:07.54. Aschan’s final two event victories came in the 200-Backstroke with a time of 2:06.35 and the 200-Butterfly hitting the mat in 2:07.66.
Milwaukee traveled to Northwestern and defeated Chicago at home over the weekend in dual meets. Heger swept the boards for the sixth time this season in the meet versus Chicago to cap off his senior day. Heger won the 1-Meter with a score of 345.37 and the 3-Meter tallying 332.17 points. Against Northwestern, Heger continued to post NCAA Zone scores in his two second place finishes on the 1-Meter board with 307.58 points and in the 3-Meter competition with a score of 351.98.
Margis was at the top of the podium in all four diving events for Milwaukee as the junior currently has 11 wins on the year. Versus Chicago, she posted a score of 300.52 on the 1-Meter and won the 3-Meter with 290.85 points. Against Big-Ten opponent Northwestern, Margis once again swept the boards with a total of 239.70 points in the 1-Meter competition and a score of 270.15 on the 3-Meter board.
Milwaukee takes the road to face teams from Ball State and IUPUI on Jan. 23 with action beginning at 5:00 p.m. ET. Oakland hosts Michigan State on Jan. 24 in a dual meet beginning at 1:00 p.m. ET.
2014-15 Horizon League Men’s Swimmer of the Week
Oct. 14: Aleksander Danielewski, Oakland
Oct. 21: Clement Quilliec, Wright State
Oct. 28: Aleksander Danielewski, Oakland
Nov. 4: Clement Quilliec, Wright State
Nov. 11: Aleksander Danielewski, Oakland
Nov. 18: Nic Halverson, Milwaukee
Nov. 25: Philipp Sikatzki, Cleveland State
Dec. 8: Jorden Merrilees, Oakland
Jan. 13: Kei Ishimaru, UIC
Jan. 20: Jorden Merrilees, Oakland
2014-15 Horizon League Women’s Swimmer of the Week
Oct. 14: Patricia Aschan, Oakland
Oct. 21: Viktoria Orosz, Youngstown State
Oct. 28: Madison Aranda, Youngstown State
Nov. 4: Holly Morren, Oakland
Nov. 11: Brianna Hines, UIC
Nov. 18: Flavia Segatto, Valparaiso
Nov. 25: Viktoria Orosz, Youngstown State
Dec. 8: Nikki Flynn, Oakland
Jan. 13: Dani Gomez Barrientos, Valparaiso
Jan. 20: Patricia Aschan, Oakland
2014-15 Horizon League Men’s Diver of the Week
Oct. 14: K.J. Heger, Milwaukee
Oct. 21: K.J. Heger, Milwaukee
Oct. 28: K.J. Heger, Milwaukee
Nov. 4: K.J. Heger, Milwaukee
Nov. 11: K.J. Heger, Milwaukee
Nov. 25: Michael Klemm, Green Bay
Dec. 8: K.J. Heger, Milwaukee
Jan. 13: Tyler Pastore, UIC
Jan. 20: K.J. Heger, Milwaukee
2014-15 Horizon League Women’s Diver of the Week
Oct. 14: Tricia Grant, Oakland
Oct. 21: McKenzie Stelter, Youngstown State
Oct. 28: Rachel Margis, Milwaukee
Nov. 4: Tricia Grant, Oakland
Nov. 11: Tricia Grant, Oakland
Nov. 25: Whitney Johnson, UIC
Dec. 8: Tricia Grant, Oakland
Jan. 13: Whitney Johnson, UIC
Jan. 20: Rachel Margis, Milwaukee