Michigan Freshman on Display as Wolverine Men and Women Sweep Oakland in Duel

Michigan vs. Oakland University

• Full results

Women’s Team Scores

1. Michigan – 174 points
2. Oakland – 117 points

Men’s Team Scores

1. Michigan – 189 points
2. Oakland – 105 points

Despite the University of Michigan sending 18 of its best athletes–9 men and 9 women–to the SMU Classic, the Wolverines still comfortably defeated in-state mid-major neighbors Oakland University in their duel Saturday.

Michigan won all but 4 races and even had two ties for first place. First, Michigan’s ‘A’ and ‘B’ men’s 200 yard medley relay squads tied for first in 1:29.06, then later Claire Newman and Abbey Ketslakh tied for 1st in the women’s 100 freestyle in 51.25.

Oakland’s victories came in the women’s 100 backstroke (Susan Lagrand, 56.20), the men’s 100 breaststroke (Christian Bart, 55.37), the women’s 200 breaststroke (Taylor Bailey, 2:20.24), and the women’s 200 IM (Jordyn Shipps, 2:05.38). All three of Michigan’s swimmers in the women’s 200 IM swam exhibition, though even their fastest finisher, Claire Donan, touched behind Shipps in 2:05.55. Lagrand, meanwhile, nearly pulled off a sweep of the backstrokes but was edged out in the 200, finishing in 2:01.90 to Wolverine Kalli Fama‘s 2:01.37. Bart would also finish 2nd in another one of his races, the men’s 100 freestyle, with a 46.41.

Michigan’s Bence Szabados dominated the men’s 100 butterfly, posting a 47.99 to get the win by nearly 3 seconds and come within a second of his 2021 lifetime best of 47.34 from the Big Ten Championships. Wolverine teammates Andrew Trepanier and Charlie Morici also recorded times under 49 seconds, posting a 48.61 and a 48.98, respectively, though both swam the 100 fly exhibition. Szabados also placed 2nd in the 200 fly in 1:50.97, led off the 400 freestyle relay in 44.49, just over a second off his lifetime best, and contributed a 19.43 freestyle split to Michigan’s ‘B’ medley relay team which tied for 1st with the ‘A’ team.

James LeBuke claimed the men’s 100 and 200 freestyles for the Wolverines, stopping the clock in 45.09 and 1:39.26, respectively. The 200 was a strong swim for LeBuke and comes within 1.5 seconds of his personal best set at the 2021 Big Ten Championships.

Michigan’s Katii Tang swam the 500 freestyle exhibition in 5:01.78 and was back in the water shortly after to win the 100 butterfly in 54.98, a new lifetime best. Tang also won the 200 butterfly in 2:03.88, which also registered as a personal best for the junior.

Michigan freshman Connor Hunt picked up wins in the 1000 freestyle (9:14.53) and the 500 freestyle (4:30.90). Freshman Jacque Wenger also picked up a victory in the 200 backstroke in 1:50.57, a little over 3 seconds off his lifetime best from 2019. Wenger also placed 4th in the 100 backstroke in 50.91, a little over a second off his lifetime best from the 2019 Winter Junior Championships.

Similar to Hunt, freshman Kathryn Shanley won both the women’s 1000 and 500 freestyles for the Wolverines, clocking times of 10:07.25 and 4:58.92, respectively.

AJ Bornstein dominated the men’s 200 breaststroke, winning by 4 seconds in 2:01.05. The unofficial runner-up, Jack McCurdy, swam exhibition, as did 3 other Michigan men, meaning the points for 2nd through 4th in the men’s 200 breast all went to Oakland swimmers.