Courtesy: Oakland Athletics
ROCHESTER, Mich. – The Oakland men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams opened the 2021 season with a pair of wins over Grand Valley State on Saturday from the Oakland Aquatic Center.
The men’s team defeated the Lakers 162.5-135.5, while the women topped GVSU, 202-98.
Oakland tallied a combined 20 first place finishes, with 13 coming from the women’s side, as they finished first in all but one race.
Emily Aycock picked up where she left off a season ago, swimming to a perfect four-of-four first place finishes in the 1000 free (10:10.04), 200 free (1:52.48), 500 free (5:00.03), and 200 free relay (1:34.90).
Reigning Horizon League Athlete of the Year, Susan LaGrand tallied four top times of her own in the 200 medley relay (1:42.31), 100 backstroke (54.59), 200 backstroke (1:57.53), and 100 fly (54.48).
Senior Sydney McDowell recorded two relay wins with LaGrand in the 200 medley and Aycock in the 200 free relay. McDowell also added a solo first place finish in the 100 breaststroke (1:03.02).
On the men’s side, Christian Bart went four-of-four in first place finishes in the 200 medley relay (1:28.44), 50 free (20.49), 100 free (45.16), 200 free relay (1:22.11).
After earning Horizon League Athlete of the Year, Swimmer of the Meet and Freshman of the Year, Marko Khotynetskyi returned to the pool recording first place finishes in the season opener. The sophomore earned the top spot in the 200 medley relay (1:28.44), 200 free (1:38.50), and the 200 free relay.
Saturday’s dual marked the first time the Grizzlies Grizzlies and Lakers faced off against one another since the 1996-97 GLIAC. Championships. Oakland was a member of the GLIAC as a Division II member at that time.
The Oakland women return to the Oakland Aquatic Center on Friday, Feb. 5 against Eastern Michigan at 5 p.m.
Courtesy: Grand Valley State Athletics
Grand Valley State dropped a men’s and women’s swimming & diving dual at Division I foe Oakland Saturday (Jan. 30). The Laker men dropped a 162.5 – 135.5 decision, while the GVSU women lost by a 202-98 score. The dual at the Oakland Aquatic Center marked the first time that the Lakers and Grizzlies competed against one another since the 1996-97 GLIAC Championships. Oakland was a member of the GLIAC as a Division II member at that time.
MEN
Grand Valley State won nine events and hit eight NCAA cuts. Jesse Goodyear hit the NCAA standard with his first-place in the 1000 free (9:28.88), while Cade Vruggink finished third (9:35.20). Roger Miret Sala touched first in the 100 back (48.78) and hit the NCAA cut. Miret Sala added a first-place finish in the 200 back and hit the NCAA standard (1:47.83), while finishing second in the 50 free (21.19). Keegan Hawkins hit the NCAA cut with his first-place finish in the 100 breast (54.89) and added another NCAA cut with his first-place finish in the 400 IM (3:53.84), while also finishing first in the 200 back (2:01.08).
Oscar Saura-Armengol hit the wall second in the 200 fly (1:49.69), but hit the NCAA cut, and finished third in the 100 free (45.80). Eric Hieber touched the wall first and hit the NCAA standard in the 500 free (4:28.97), while his third in the 200 free (1:39.78) also hit an NCAA mark.
Chris Kelly won the 1-meter event with a score of 253.42 and the 3-meter with a final of 283.5. George Puehl was second (249.00) on the 1-meter and fourth on the 3-meter (233.18).
Women
The GVSU women hit 11 NCAA marks on the afternoon. Neta Shiff finished second in the 1000 free and hit an NCAA mark (10:11.00), while Sara Puscas finished third and hit the NCAA standard (10:19.01). Shiff added another NCAA cut and a second-place finish in the 500 free (5:00.26). Melina De Cort finished second in the 100 back, but hit an NCAA mark with her time of 56.02, while adding another second and an NCAA cut in the 200 back (2:01.62). Delaney Wihebrink hit an NCAA mark with her third-place finish in the 100 breast (1:03.65). Puscas added a first-place finish in the 200 fly and hit the NCAA standard (2:04.90). Samantha Laurich hit an NCAA mark in the 400 IM with her second-place finish (4:28.61), while Shiff hit her third NCAA mark of the dual with a third-place finish (4:30.51).
Emma Bliss touched second in the 50 free (24.09) and Kelly Peasley touched third in the 100 free (52.52). Graycn Segard was second on the 3-meter board with an NCAA score of 273.15, followed by Nicole Taormina in third (226.13) and Allyson Schafter in fourth (225.37). Segard was second on the 1-meter board (258.30) and hit an NCAA mark, while Taormina was third (250.12) and Schafer fourth (248.85).