2024 Horizon League Champs: Oakland Regains Men’s Lead on Day 3; Pair of HL Records Fall

2024 HORIZON LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Wednesday, February 14 – Saturday, February 17, 2024
• IU Natatorium (IUPUI), Indianapolis, IN
• Defending Champions:
  • Women: Oakland (10x)
  • Men: Oakland (10x)
• Live Results (MeetMobile)
• Live Video (ESPN+)
• Championship Central
• Fan Guide
• Psych Sheet
• Day 1 Results|Day 1 Recap
• Day 2 Results|Day 2 Recap
• Day 3 Results

TEAM SCORES (THRU DAY 3)

MEN

1. IUPUI – 558.5
2. Oakland – 516
3. Cleveland State – 368
4. Youngstown State – 263
5. Milwaukee – 254
6. UW Green Bay – 155.5

WOMEN

1. Oakland – 646.5
2. Milwaukee – 484.5
3. IUPUI – 394.5
4. Youngstown State – 327
5. Cleveland State – 299.5
6. UW Green Bay – 132

Heading into the final day of the 2024 Horizon League Championships, the Oakland women have their 11th-straight Horizon League title all but sealed up. Meanwhile, the Oakland men’s team regained the lead from IUPUI but the two teams are still locked in a tight battle heading into the final day of the meet.

Night 3 kicked off with a bang, seeing Oakland junior Jordyn Shipps crack the Horizon League Championship record in the women’s 100 fly. Shipps popped a 53.04, also breaking the Oakland program record in the process. She also won the race decisively, touching 1st by 1.27 seconds.

The championship record nearly went down in the men’s 100 fly as well. IUPUI senior Spencer Jyawook, who won the 50 free on night 2, was dominant, speeding to victory in 46.11. Like Shipps, Jyawook won the event by well over a second. He was just off the championship record of 45.90.

Youngstown State picked up their first win of the meet when sophomore Miriam Frass took the women’s 400 IM in 4:21.37. Frass was exceptional on the back half of the race, splitting 1:11.82 on the breaststroke leg and 58.43 on free, for a speedy 2:10.25 on the back half of the race. She actually negative split the race, which rarely happens in a 400 IM.

Cleveland State also picked up their first win of the meet, seeing Jackson Nester win the men’s 400 IM in 3:47.48. Unlike, Frass in the women’s IM, Nester won the race by getting out to a huge early lead. He was 51.02 on fly and 55.45 on back, for a 1:46.47 on the front 200, which was 5 seconds faster than anyone else in the race.

IUPUI junior Emmaleigh Zietlow continued her streak of dominance in the women’s freestyle events, taking the 200 free in 1:47.28. It was a convincing win from Zietlow, as she was the only swimmer in the field to crack the 1:50 mark. She was out pretty fast, splitting 51.77 on the first 100 yards, then came home in 55.51.

After taking 2nd in the event last year, Oakland junior Jonas Cantrell won the men’s 200 free in 1:35.92. The performance marked Cantrell’s 2nd win of the meet, as he won the men’s 500 free on day 2 as well.

Oakland sophomore Bella Gary won the women’s 100 breast in 1:03.07.

In one of the most highly anticipated races of the meet, IUPUI junior Logan Kelly won the men’s 100 breast in 52.06, beating Oakland fifth year Christian Bart, who came in 2nd with a 52.56. In their previous two matchups, Kelly and Bart had each won the Horizon League title in the event once, with Kelly now having added a 2nd win in his column. Last night, he opened up a slim lead on the first 50, then grew the lead on the back half. Of note, the swim was a season best for Kelly, though Bart has already been 51.90 this season.

Oakland freshman Clarissa Bezuidenhout picked up a big win for the Golden Grizzlies in the women’s 100 back. With former Horizon League standout Susan LaGrand now graduated, the event looked to be wide open, and Oakland managed to fill the gap with another one of their own swimmers. Bezuidenhout won the race in 54.80 last night, flipping in 3rd at the 50, then pulling into the lead on the 3rd 25.

Oakland senior Jack Wike then won the men’s 100 back in a very tight race. Wike clocked a 47.80, touching out Cleveland State’s Paddy Johnston (47.89), and IUPUI’s Jack Gallob (47.95).

Alaina Heyde picked up the win in women’s 1-meter diving for IUPUI, finishing the event with a score of 301.65 in finals.

In the women’s 400 medley relay, Oakland’s team of Bezuidenhout (55.60), Gary (1:03.59), Shipps (52.86), and Ronja Riihinen (50.20) combined for a 3:42.25, winning the event comfortably.

The session went out with a bang, just as it started. IUPUI took down the championship record in the 400 medley relay, putting up a speedy 3:09.17. Gallob (47.77), Kelly (52.14), Jyawook (46.01), and Kevin Burke (43.25) teamed up to get the job done. Of note, Bart posted a 51.86 breaststroke split on Oakland’s relay.