Horizon League Day 2: Meet Records Fall, Oakland Solidifies Lead

Horizon League – Men and Women

• Wednesday, February 24 – Saturday, February 27
• Oakland Aquatic Center, Rochester, MI (Eastern Time Zone)
• Defending Champion: Oakland men (2x); Oakland women (2x) (results)
• Live results (will be here once meet starts)
• Live video (if available)
• Championship Central

Day Two

The Oakland Grizzlies cemented their lead in both the women’s and men’s contests on Thursday, but there remain good battles in the standings after the second day of competition at the Horizon League Championships.

500 Yard Freestyle

1. Brie Hines, Illinois-Chicago, 4:50.36
2. Natalie Johnson, Milwaukee, 4:52.96
3. Viktoria Orosz, Youngstown State, 4:53.06

University of Illinois at Chicago sophomore Brie Hines crushed the field over the second half of the race to win the women’s 500 free with a new Horizon League meet record of 4:50.36. That lowered her own meet mark of 4:50.67, set in last year’s final. In fifth place at the 100, she moved to third by the 200 and second at the 300. Hines then began her descent and finished more than 2.5 seconds ahead of runner-up, Natalie Johnson of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The junior hit the wall in 4:52.96, just out-touching Youngstown State sophomore Viktoria Orosz (4:53.06).

The trio finished in exactly the same order at the 2015 Horizon League Championships.

1. Devon Nowicki, Oakland, 4:27.82
2. Nic Halverson, Milwaukee, 4:28.70
3. Tim Halverson, Milwaukee, 4:29.14

Oakland freshman Devon Nowicki, who had qualified fifth for the championship final, jumped to the early lead in the men’s 500 free. Already out front by nearly a half-second at the 100, he was up by a full body length by the 200 and continued to add about a half second to his lead with each 100. Nowicki finished in 4:27.82 for the win. Milwaukee seniors, twins Nic and Tim Halverson, took second and third with 4:28.70 and 4:29.14, respectively.

200 Yard Individual Medley

1. Patricia Aschan, Oakland, 2:00.53
2. Lexie Joy, Illinois-Chicago, 2:02.52
3. Takara Martin, Oakland, 2:03.92

Oakland junior Patricia Aschan successfully defended her 2015 title in the women’s 200 IM with a 2:00.53 win this year. Freshman Lexie Joy of Illinois-Chicago finished two seconds back with 2:02.52. Third place went to Takara Martin of Oakland (2:03.92), her third consecutive bronze medal in this event.

1. Mitchell Stover, Wright State, 1:45.98
2. Tuomas Kiviluoma, Oakland, 1:46.16
3. Tommi Wolst, Cleveland State, 1:47.83

Wright State sophomore Mitchell Stover won his second straight title in the men’s 200 IM, lowering his 2015 meet and league record of 1:46.72 to 1:45.98. He also set the pool record with his winning performance. Oakland junior Tuomas Kiviluoma was under the old meet and league records as well; he finished second with 1:46.16. Kiviluoma was runner-up to Stover in 2015, too; he won the event with a meet and league record as a freshman in 2014. Cleveland State freshman Tommi Wolst was third to the wall in 1:47.83.

50 Yard Freestyle

1. Amanda Siehs, Milwaukee, 23.00
2. Holly Morren, Oakland, 23.06
3. Shelby Rozeboom, Milwaukee, 23.10 and Nikki Flynn, Oakland, 23.10

Junior Amanda Siehs, the 2015 bronze medalist in this event from Wisconsin-Milwaukee, rose to the top of the medal stand with a 23.00 win this year. Sophomore Holly Morren of Oakland was second with 23.06, coming to the wall just ahead of 2015 runner-up Nikki Flynn of Oakland and freshman Shelby Roseboom of Milwaukee, who tied with 23.10.

1. Jeremiah Morren, Oakland, 19.93
2. Andrew Binder, Oakland, 20.33
3. Nick Menninga, Milwaukee, 20.43

Defending champion Jeremiah Morren of Oakland won his second 50 free in as many years, this time with a decisive 4/10 cushion over teammate Andrew Binder, 19.93 to 20.33. Milwaukee’s Nick Menninga took third, two places better than his 2015 finish.

One-Meter Diving

1. Rachel Margis, Milwaukee, 275.60
2. Kyah Fleckner, Wright State, 274.55
3. McKenzie Stelter, Youngstown State, 259.85

In a very tight contest, Panther senior Rachel Margis, third last year, won the women’s 1-meter boards with 275.60 points. Coming in second was Wright State junior Kyan Fleckner, just 1.05 points behind Margis, with 274.55 points. The Penguins’ McKenzie Stelter took third with 259.85, just 1.15 ahead of Cleveland State’s Tori Taffner and 1.85 ahead of her Youngstown State teammate, Lydia Scheringer.

200 Yard Freestyle Relay

1. Oakland, 1:31.59
2. Milwaukee, 1:33.07
3. Wright State, 1:33.08

The women’s 200 free relay belonged to Oakland from start to finish, as Morren (23.21), Amber Lefler (22.87), Melissa VanderMeulen (23.05), and Flynn (22.46) combined for a winning 1: 31.59. The race for second place was a thriller, however. Milwaukee and Wright State went out together, dead even at the first exchange. Wright State was up by 8/10 at the 100 and the 150, but Milwaukee junior Siehs split a 22.35 to get the second-place finish by 1/100.

1. Oakland, 1:19.28
2. Cleveland State, 1:21.47
3. Milwaukee, 1:22.31

The Grizzlies finished the session with a meet and league record in the men’s 200 free relay, as Paul Huch (20.19), Binder (19.52), Tony Eriksson (20.09), and Morren (19.48) put up a combined 1:19.28. Cleveland State earned the silver with 1:21.47, ahead of Milwaukee’s 1:22.31 for third.

Women’s Standings

1. Oakland University 283.5
2. University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee 243.5
3. Youngstown State University 169
4. Wright State University 160
5. Illinois, University of, Chicago 142
6. Cleveland State University 137
7. University of Wisconsin, Green Bay 127
8. Valparaiso University 44

Men’s Standings

1. Oakland University 308
2. Cleveland State University 222.5
3. Wright State University 181
4. Illinois, University of, Chicago 170
5. University of Wisconsin, Green Bay 145
6. University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee 137.5
7. Valparaiso University 74