Oakland Picked to Sweep Horizon League in Pre-Season Coaches’ Poll

ROCHESTER, Mich. -​ After winning both the men’s and women’s swimming and diving titles in their first season as a member of the Horizon League, the Oakland men’s and women’s squads were unanimously predicted to repeat the feat in a preseason poll by member schools’ head coaches.

On the men’s side, Oakland garnered all six possible first place votes to take first in the seven-team poll. The Golden Grizzlies return junior Jorden Merrilees, a three-time individual league champion in 2014 and a member of two freestyle relay conference champion teams. Oakland also features Tuomas Kiviluoma, the league’s 200 IM champion, a two-time relay champion, and 2014 Horizon League Newcomer of the Championship. Jeremiah Morren, who was on two relay title teams, also is back for the 2014-15 campaign.

For the women, Horizon League women’s Diver of the Year and NCAA Championship participant Tricia Grant is back for her senior season. Patricia Aschan aims to repeat in the 400 IM at the Horizon League Championship as a sophomore. Oakland’s depth in the breaststroke events returns, as a trio of top-five finishers in the 200 at the league championships – Takara Martin, Rachel Waite andMelissa VanderMeulen – return for their sophomore seasons.

Link to Horizon League press release 

Oakland will begin the 2014-15 season Friday, Oct. 10 at Milwaukee. Of note, the Panthers were picked to finish second behind both Oakland squads in the preseason poll. The complete polls are below:

The above is a press release submitted by Oakland University.