Press Release courtesy of Oakland Athletics
Oakland swimming and diving head coach Pete Hovland announced Thursday the addition of 10 student-athletes during the fall signing period. The men’s squad will add four to the 2018-19 campaign, while the women’s team will have six newcomers for next season.
“Our graduating class for both men and women in 2017 was not only a large class (16) but it was one of the more talented classes in recent history,” Hovland said. “Therefore, it was important for my staff and me to look long term, knowing we could not in one recruiting cycle, replace all that we lost in 2017. Looking at our current class of freshmen in combination with our early signees, I feel confident we have taken the necessary steps this year and next to replace the majority, if not all, of the points lost to graduation this past February.”
Hovland added, “Our 10 early Signees are not only talented and bright, they are extremely versatile and come highly recommended by those around them. We could not be happier with all that we were able to accomplish these past five months. With the nucleus of our 2018-19 class in place, finding a high impact signee or two this April will become our focus and priority.”
Ben Davis
Milwaukee, Wisc.
Greenfield High School • Southwest Aquatic Team (SWAT)
6’0 • Distance Freestyle
College Swimming Power Ranking: 10.20
Wisconsin Rank: 7
2018 Overall Rank: 261
HIGHLIGHTS
• National Finalist
• Scholastic All-America Team
• Breakout Swimmer of the Year 2016
TOP TIMES
• 200-yard Free: 1:40.12
• 500-yard Free: 4:34.40
• 1000-yard Free: 9:23.17
• 1650-yard Free: 15:44.74
Why Davis chose Oakland
• The team and the coaches made me feel like part of the Grizzly family
• The campus is beautiful
• The education is exactly what I am looking for
Hovland on Davis: Getting a top tier swimmer like Ben (#7) out of the state of Wisconsin was a pleasant surprise for us. Nevertheless, once we got him on campus we knew almost immediately that it was going to be a great match for both parties. He fits in nicely with the freestylers we have, and his ability to score top eight at our Conference Championship from the 100 free up to the 1650 will be a tremendous asset to have. His times coming in rank amongst our Top 10 and we only expect them to get better.
Colton Phelps
Broadview Heights, Ohio
North Royalton High School • New Albany Aquatic Club
5’10 • 400 IM
College Swimming Power Ranking: 11.42
Ohio Rank: 10
2018 Overall Rank: 319
HIGHLIGHTS
• North East Ohio District 200IM Champion
• Placed 7th in the 200 IM at the Ohio Division 1 HS State Championship meet
• 2017 Speedo Winter Junior Nationals Qualifier
TOP TIMES
• 400-yard IM: 4:02.82
• 200-yard IM: 1:52.75
Why Phelps chose Oakland
• Strength of Business College
• Excellent coaching staff and facilities
• Great team culture and history of success in the Horizon League
Hovland on Phelps: When you examine our recruiting class, you will see three things. You will see that all ten are extremely bright, you will see that they are all very talented in the multitude of events they swim, and you will see that they are all extremely versatile. Colton fits this description perfectly. Colton because of his versatility and summer club experience will play a key role for us in the IM’s and at the 200 distance in all four strokes. Anytime you can grab a top 10-ranked athlete from Ohio, you know you have signed a very talented swimmer.
Tyler Doerrer
Uniontown, Ohio
Green High School • Hudson Explorer Aquatic
6’2 • 100/200 Free
College Swimming Power Ranking: 13.22
Ohio ranking: 13
2018 Overall Rank: 403
HIGHLIGHTS
• USA Swimming Scholastic All-America
• Touchdown Club All-Star and Swimmer of the Year (2016)
• Three-time first team all-conference selection
TOP TIMES
• 100-yard Free: 45.46
• 200-yard Free: 1:40.68
• 500-yard Free: 4:42.82
Why Phelps chose Oakland
• Strong swim team with great coach
• Excellent academics
• Love the campus and proximity to home
Hovland on Doerrer: Tyler, like Ben, is going to have an immediate impact in the Freestyle events for us next year. Tyler’s strengths lie more on the shorter side of Freestyle spectrum (50-500) however. He will have an immediate impact for us and he will play an integral role in trying to win another Horizon League championship. Tyler will also help us fill the graduation void next year when we lose a couple of our top sprint/mid-distance freestylers. Tyler’s signing adds another top tier swimmer from the state of Ohio to our roster and we are happy he decided to become a Golden Grizzly.
Philip DeJonge
Zeeland, Mich.
Zeeland West High School • West Michigan Swimming
6’4 • 500 Freestyle
College Swimming Power Ranking: 26.44
2018 Overall Rank: 912
Michigan Rank: 44
HIGHLIGHTS
• All-American 400 free relay
• All-State 500 freestyle
• All-Conference
TOP TIMES
• 500 Freestyle 4:41.95
• 200 Freestyle 1:43.90
• 1650 Freestyle 16:30.72
Why DeJonge Chose Oakland
• I loved the campus and Business schooling offered
• The swim team is very talented and extremely friendly
• My family has a long tradition of attending and creating a legacy at Oakland
Hovland on DeJonge: Philip defines the word Legacy student-athlete. His mother Nancy was a former NCAA champion and All American swimmer for OU in the 80’s, and his older brother Micah was the Freshman-of-the-Year in the Horizon League this past year. Philip is a very talented water polo player and now that his season is over the 6’4″ Player-of-the-Year will be able to devote more of his time on his swimming and to the 200 & 500 freestyles where we expect him to have a breakout year. Philip is an excellent student, a highly skilled athlete, and he is a leader amongst his HS teammates. We expect great things from Philip this year and we think he will have a positive impact once he arrives in September.
Madelyn Cislo
Milan, Mich.
Milan High School • Milan Swim Club
5’3 • IM
College Swimming Power Ranking: 20.07
Overall Rank: 490
Michigan Rank: 13
HIGHLIGHTS
• 200 IM D3 State Champion in 2016 and 2017
• 14 All-State Awards
• Three Junior National Qualifying Cuts
TOP TIMES
• 200 IM 2:03.78
• 400 IM 4:26.37
• 100 fly 55.90
• 200 fly 2:03.87
• 100 back 56.31
• 200 back 2:02.34
Why Cislo Chose Oakland:
• The engineering program
• The team atmosphere and coaches
• The feel of campus was just right for me
Hovland on Cislo: The measurables on Mady are all good. State Champion, bright, talented and loves to race. Mady is another by-product of our summer swim camp program so she knows us well and comes in knowing what the expectations are. Mady also comes in with college ready events, as she will most likely swim the 200 & 400 IM along with either the 200 backstroke or 200 butterfly. With her infectious personality and her extreme desire to be the best she can be I think Mady will make a great teammate and will represent the Black & Gold extremely well in the years to come.
Susan LaGrand
Grand Rapids, Mich.
Grand Rapids Catholic Central • EGRA Waves
5’8 • 100 Backstroke
College Swimming Power Ranking: 23.23
Overall Rank: 665
Michigan Rank: 26
HIGHLIGHTS
• 2017 MHSAA Division 3 Swimmer of the Year
• 4x MHSAA Division 3 Individual State Champion
• 3x Catholic Central Swim and Dive Most Valuable Athlete
TOP TIMES
• 100 yard Backstroke 55.85
• 100 yard Butterfly 56.24
Why LaGrand chose Oakland
• A close team willing to push each other to and past their goals
• I feel like I’m entering a community that will support my academic goals
• A very hands on education with a low student to faculty ratio
Hovland on LaGrand: Division III Swimmer of the Year, State Champion, State Record Holder, and OU Presidential Scholar Award Recipient. Not a bad resume for a 17 year old. Throughout the recruiting process, Susan knew that she could definitely excel at Oakland in the pool and that she would be bringing in a resume that would help us compete at a championship level in the Horizon League for years to come. What she might not have known about until her unofficial and official visits was, Oakland could also be the perfect place for her to excel, mature, and grow in the classroom and the University community just as well. As a staff, we fully expect Susan to be a great teammate, as well as a future leader in and out of the pool. I know our faculty will feel the same and that they too will gravitate towards Susan just as we did.
Erin Donagan
Janesville, Wisc.
Joseph A. Craig High School • McFarland Spartan Sharks
5’8 • 200 Breaststroke
College Swimming Power Ranking: 20.51
Overall Rank: 489
Wisconsin Rank: 11
HIGHLIGHTS
•Qualified for high school state meet all four years
•Team MVP all four years
•All-state 200 IM and 100 Breast
TOP TIMES
• 200 – IM: 2:04.42
• 200-yard Breast: 2:19.56
Why Donagan chose Oakland
• Loved the campus
• Loved the coaches and team
• Thought if fit me well academically
Hovland on Donagan: Erin was a good signing for us, as breaststroke was a position of need. Erin brings times to us that will score top eight in the Horizon League in both breaststrokes as well as the 200 IM. She is an impact signing and she will fit in extremely well within our breaststroke and IM groups and within our team as a whole. With a great winter, spring and summer of training Erin can play a major role next fall for us as a freshman. I know Erin is as excited about becoming a Golden Grizzly as we are.
Elloise Clements
Kent, United Kingdom
Chatham and Clarendon Grammar School • Thanet swim Club
5’4 • 200 fly
College Swimming power ranking: N/A
State ranking: N/A
2017 overall rank: 18
HIGHLIGHTS
• English national champion in 200 fly
• English national 3rd in 200m back
• British summer national 4x200m replay and 4x100m relay
TOP TIMES
• 200m fly in yards: 2.06.70
• 200m back in yards: 2.04.12
• 100m back in yards: 59.04
Why Clements chose Oakland
• Excellent coaching
• Outstanding Swimming program and facilities
• Beautiful campus
Hovland on Clements: Elloise is our most recent signee from Great Britain. She will be graduating early and will join us in January. Whether we sit her this semester and let her acclimate to school, her surroundings and our training regimen or let her compete right away will be decided in early January. Either way we are getting a talented young woman that excels in both the backstroke and butterfly events. Her times as a 16 & 17 year old will definitely add considerable depth to both areas.
Hailey Norris
Oakville, Ontario, Canada
Iroquois Ridge High School • Oakville Aquatic Club
5’5 • 200 Fly
College Swimming Power Ranking: 26.04
Ontario Rank: 17
Overall Rank: 807
HIGHLIGHTS
• Made Canadian Trials 2017 in 200 Fly
• Made finals at Canadian Senior swimming championships
• Contributing to help my team be titled
TOP TIMES
• 200-meter Long Couse fly: 2:21
• 100- meter long course fly: 1:05
Why Norris chose Oakland
• Great team sprit
• Coaching staff
• Excellent academics
Hovland on Norris: Hailey’s strengths come in the butterfly and Individual Medley events and the fact that she comes from such a strong program like Oakville Aquatics in Ontario. Coming out of Oakville she will be reunited with two of her former teammates and she will come in with a great training background that should reduce the normal adjustment period most freshmen go through. Hailey’s times in the 100/200 butterfly are competitive with the top eight in the Horizon League and with the normal adjustments and improvements we expect her to make this Winter and Summer she could also become a top contributor in the 200 IM.
Katelynn Cummins
Fishers, Ind.
Home School • Fischer’s Dive Club
5’7 • Diving
College Swimming Power Ranking: N/A
State Rank: N/A
Overall Rank: N/A
HIGHLIGHTS
• Placed 10th on platform at 2017 AAU Nationals after one season of training platform
• Qualified for 2016 AAU Nationals on both boards after less than one year of diving
• I will be graduating with academic honors
TOP SCORES
• 1 meter- 331.45
• 3 meter- 364.65
• Platform- 312.95
Why Cummins chose Oakland
• The coaches are great, and the swimmers and divers are one big group that support each other
• Strong engineering program
• Both the academic and athletic facilities are very nice and make up a beautiful campus
Albright on Cummins: Katelynn Cummins will be a great fit for our diving program. She comes to us from Fishers IN where she also trains all year round at the Fishers Dive club. She has only been diving for a few years but she looks as though she has been diving for many more years. She is a powerful diver and can jump and spin very well. She as both 1m and 3m experience and has competed at the National level. Katelynn is a 4.0 student and has the ability to score top eight at our Conference Championship. This talented athlete will make a positive impact for our team immediate.
#WEARtheBEAR