Oakland Swimming & Diving, 2013-14 Year in Review

The 2013-14 season for Oakland swimming and diving marked one of continued success as both the men’s and women’s programs continued their respective consecutive conference championship streaks in their first season in the Horizon League. The Golden Grizzlies also achieved multiple individual accomplishments under the guidance of Oakland head coach Pete Hovland.

TEAM HIGHLIGHTS

• The Oakland men’s swimming and diving team continued its streak of consecutive conference championships with its convincing margin of victory at the 2014 Horizon League Championship. The Golden Grizzlies extended their streak to 36 consecutive conference championships; the Oakland men have won every conference championship they have participated in.
• For the women, Oakland also extended their consecutive conference championships streak to 20 and 23rd out of a possible 24 conference titles with their team title at the 2014 Horizon League Championship.
• The men went 6-2 in head-to-head competitions, while the women posted a 8-4 record in 2013-14.
• Oakland was undefeated at home; the men’s team went 5-0 at the OU Aquatic Center, and the women were 7-0 in their home pool.

INDIVIDUAL HIGHLIGHTS

• Junior Tricia Grant became the first Horizon League women’s diver and first in OU Division I history to compete at the NCAA Championships. Grant finished 25th in the nation on the 3-meter board and 31st overall on the 1-meter.
• Amr el Sayed (1000 free, 1650 free), Jorden Merrilees (500 free, 400 IM), Takara Martin (100 breast), Karin Tomeckova (100 back, 200 back) and Tricia Grant (1-meter, 3-meter) all set new Oakland records in individual events. The women’s 400 medley relay team of Karin Tomeckova, Takara Martin, Julia Vela and Nikki Flynn combined to set a new team record of 3:41.29.
• Overall, 22 men’s swimmers and 28 women’s student-athletes improved or entered Oakland’s top 10 times performance list for their respective events.

HORIZON LEAGUE CHAMPIONS

Men
• 200 Free Relay – Grant Harding, Jeremiah Morren, Tuomas Kiviluoma, Matyas Keresztes – 1:20.37
• 400 Free Relay – Grant Harding, Amr el Sayed, Jeremiah Morren, Jorden Merrilees – 2:56.66 (Horizon League record; 3rd in Oakland history)
• 800 Free Relay – Amr el Sayed, Tuomas Kiviluoma, Zach Johnson, Jorden Merrilees – 6:32.35 (Horizon League record)
• 200 Freestyle – Zach Johnson – 1:39.22
• 500 Freestyle – Jorden Merrilees – 4:18.83 (Horizon League record; Oakland record)
• 1000 Freestyle – Amr el Sayed – 9:00.03 (Horizon League record; Oakland record)
• 1650 Freestyle – Amr el Sayed – 15:12.18 (Oakland record)
• 100 Backstroke – Grant Harding – 47.63 (Horizon League record; Cleveland State pool record)
• 200 Backstroke – Jorden Merrilees – 1:45.19 (Horizon League record)
• 200 IM – Tuomas Kiviluoma – 1:47.57 (Horizon League record; Cleveland State pool record; 2nd in Oakland history)
• 400 IM – Jorden Merrilees – 3:48.51 (Horizon League record; Oakland record)

Women
• 100 Butterfly – Julia Vela – 55.34
• 200 Butterfly – Emily Ludema – 2:01.13
• 100 Backstroke – Karin Tomeckova – 54.40 (Cleveland State pool record)
• 200 Backstroke – Karin Tomeckova – 1:57.48 (Horizon League Championship record; Cleveland State pool record)
• 400 IM – Patricia Aschan – 4:19.47 (2nd in Oakland history)
• 1 Meter Dive – Tricia Grant – 303.55
• 3 Meter Dive – Tricia Grant – 344.20 (Cleveland State pool record)

AWARDS

In Season
• Earning Horizon League weekly honors for Oakland were:
Tricia Grant (diver of the week: Feb. 4, Jan. 28, Dec. 10, Nov. 19, Nov. 5, Oct. 29, Oct. 22)
Karin Tomeckova (swimmer of the week: Nov. 12)
Jorden Merrilees (swimmer of the week: Jan. 28, Oct. 22)
Amr el Sayed (swimmer of the week: Dec. 10)
Kyra Rietveld (swimmer of the week: Jan. 28)

Postseason
• Tricia Grant was named Horizon League Diver of the Championship Meet.
• Tuomas Kiviluoma was named Horizon League Freshman of the Year.
• Pete Hovland was named Horizon League Women’s Swimming Coach of the Year.
• Larry Albright was named Horizon League Women’s Diving Coach of the Year.
• Earning First-Team All-Horizon League honors for winning individual and relay titles at the 2014 Horizon League Championship were:
– Patricia Aschan (400 IM)
– Amr el Sayed (1000 freestyle, 1650 freestyle, 400 free relay, 800 free relay)
– Tricia Grant (1-meter, 3-meter)
– Grant Harding (100 backstroke, 200 free relay, 400 free relay)
– Zach Johnson (200 freestyle, 800 free relay)
– Matyas Keresztes (200 free relay)
– Tuomas Kiviluoma (200 IM, 200 free relay, 800 free relay)
– Emily Ludema (200 butterfly)
– Jorden Merrilees (500 freestyle, 200 backstroke, 400 IM, 400 free relay, 800 free relay)
– Jeremiah Morren (200 free relay, 400 free relay)
– Karin Tomeckova (100 backstroke, 200 backstroke)
– Julia Vela (100 butterfly)
• Earning Academic All-Horizon League honors were Grant Harding, Zach Johnson, Matyas Keresztes and Hrafn Traustason for the men and Tricia Grant, Megan Hunter, Kyra Rietveld and Karin Tomeckova for the women.

Courtesy of Oakland Swimming & Diving