Oakland University’s 2014-2015 season in review

The following is a press release courtesy of Oakland University:

ROCHESTER, Mich.– Continuing the program’s storied tradition, the 2014-15 season for Oakland swimming and diving brought another year of team and individual success for the Golden Grizzlies. Under the tutelage of head coach Pete Hovland, Oakland once again claimed both the men’s and women’s conference titles and captured multiple honors for individual swimmers.

TEAM HIGHLIGHTS

• The Oakland men’s swimming and diving team continued its streak of consecutive conference championships with its almost 200-point victory at the 2015 Horizon League Championship. The Golden Grizzlies extended their streak to 37 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 21 and 24th out of a possible 25 conference titles with their team title at the 2015 Horizon League Championship, which was by a margin of over 230 points.
• The men went 7-2 in head-to-head competitions, while the women posted a 8-3-1 dual record in 2014-15.
• At the Oakland Aquatic Center, the men’s team went 2-1 along with winning the four-team winter invitational; for the women, the Golden Grizzlies posted a 3-2-1 record and also were victorious in the four-team winter invite.
• Both the women’s and men’s programs received CSCAA Team Scholar All-America honors.

INDIVIDUAL HIGHLIGHTS

• Takara Martin (200 breaststroke) and Jorden Merrilees (200 freestyle, 500 freestyle, 400 IM) set new Oakland records in individual events.
• The men’s 800 free relay team of Jorden Merrilees, Andrew Binder, Tuomas Kiviluoma and Jacob Pearson set a new program and Horizon League record with a time of 6:29.64. Merrilees’ leadoff leg time of 1:35.55 set Oakland’s and the Horizon League’s record in the 200 free.
• The men’s 200 medley relay team of Aleksander Danielewski, John Schihl, Tuomas Kiviluoma and Jeremiah Morren set a new program and Horizon League record with a time of 1:27.32.
• The women’s 800 free relay team of Nikki Flynn, Patricia Aschan, Arynn de Leeuw and Emily Flowers set a new program record with a time of 7:21.44.
• The women’s 200 medley relay team of Kyra Rietveld, Takara Martin, Holly Morren and Nikki Flynn set an Oakland record with a time of 1:41.32.
• The women’s 400 free relay team of Nikki Flynn, Emily Flowers, Kyra Rietveld and Holly Morren set a Horizon League record with a time of 3:21.63, missing the Oakland record by four tenths of a second.
• Overall, and including relays, the Oakland men updated or entered the program’s top 10 times performance list 26 times on the season, while the women made 26 updates for their respective events.
• Tricia Grant, Stirling Fordham and Jorden Merrilees all advanced to the postseason, with Grant and Fordham competing in NCAA Zone Championships and Merrilees swimming at the NCAA Championship.

HORIZON LEAGUE CHAMPIONS

Men
• 50 Freestyle – Jeremiah Morren – 20.17
• 100 Freestyle – Tuomas Kiviluoma – 44.71
• 500 Freestyle – Jorden Merrilees – 4:17.05 (Horizon League record)
• 1000 Freestyle – Seth Timmons – 9:15.61
• 200 Backstroke – Jorden Merrilees – 1:43.86 (Horizon League record)
• 100 Breaststroke – John Schihl – 54.39
• 200 Breaststroke – John Schihl – 1:58.44
• 200 Butterfly – Mitch Alters – 1:47.65
• 400 IM – Jorden Merrilees – 3:45.73 (Horizon League record)
• 400 Free Relay – Tuomas Kiviluoma, Jeremiah Morren, Andrew Binder, Jorden Merrilees – 2:56.74
• 800 Free Relay – Jorden Merrilees, Andrew Binder, Tuomas Kiviluoma, Jacob Pearson – 6:29.64 (Horizon League record)
• 200 Medley Relay – Aleksander Danielewski, John Schihl, Tuomas Kiviluoma, Jeremiah Morren – 1:27.32 (Horizon League record)
• 400 Medley Relay – Aleksander Danielewski, John Schihl, Mario Rusnak, Jorden Merrilees – 3:14.35

Women
• 100 Freestyle – Nikki Flynn – 50.20
• 200 Freestyle – Nikki Flynn – 1:48.32
• 100 Breaststroke – Takara Martin – 1:02.33
• 200 Breaststroke – Takara Martin – 2:13.54
• 200 Butterfly – Patricia Aschan – 2:01.65
• 200 IM – Patricia Aschan – 2:01.45
• 400 IM – Patricia Aschan – 4:16.84 (Horizon League record)
• 400 Free Relay – Nikki Flynn, Emily Flowers, Kyra Rietveld, Holly Morren – 3:21.63 (Horizon League record)
• 800 Free Relay – Nikki Flynn, Patricia Aschan, Arynn de Leeuw, Emily Flowers – 7:21.44
• 200 Medley Relay – Kyra Rietveld, Takara Martin, Holly Morren, Nikki Flynn – 1:41.32
• 400 Medley Relay – Kyra Rietveld, Takara Martin, Patricia Aschan, Holly Morren – 3:42.66
• 1 Meter Dive – Tricia Grant – 300.95
• 3 Meter Dive – Tricia Grant – 330.10

AWARDS

In Season
• Earning Horizon League weekly honors for Oakland were:
– Patricia Aschan (Swimmer of the Week: Oct. 14, Jan. 20)
– Aleksander Danielewski (Swimmer of the Week: Oct. 14, Oct. 28, Nov. 11)
– Nikki Flynn (Swimmer of the Week: Dec. 8)
– Tricia Grant (Diver of the Week: Oct. 14, Nov. 4, Nov. 11, Dec. 8)
– Jorden Merrilees (Swimmer of the Week: Dec. 8, Jan. 20)
– Holly Morren (Swimmer of the Week: Nov. 4)
– Seth Timmons (Swimmer of the Week: Feb. 3)

Postseason
• Pete Hovland was named Horizon League Men’s Swimming Coach of the Year and Women’s Swimming Coach of the Year.
• Larry Albright was named Horizon League Women’s Diving Coach of the Year.
• Tricia Grant was named Horizon League Diver of the Championship Meet.
• Patricia Aschan was named Horizon League Women’s Swimmer of the Year and Women’s Swimmer of the Championship.
• Jorden Merrilees was named Horizon League Men’s Swimmer of the Year and Men’s Swimmer of the Championship.
• Earning First-Team All-Horizon League honors for winning individual and relay titles at the 2015 Horizon League Championship were:
– Mitch Alters (200 Fly)
– Patricia Aschan (200 Fly, 200 IM, 400 IM, 800 Free Relay, 400 Medley Relay)
– Andrew Binder (400 Free Relay, 800 Free Relay)
– Aleksander Danielewski (200 Medley Relay, 400 Medley Relay)
– Arynn de Leeuw (800 Free Relay)
– Emily Flowers (400 Free Relay, 800 Free Relay)
– Nikki Flynn (100 Free, 200 Free, 400 Free Relay, 800 Free Relay, 200 Medley Relay)
– Tricia Grant (1-Meter, 3-Meter)
– Tuomas Kiviluoma (100 Free, 400 Free Relay, 800 Free Relay, 200 Medley Relay)
– Takara Martin (100 Breast, 200 Breast, 200 Medley Relay, 400 Medley Relay)
– Jorden Merrilees (500 Free, 200 Back, 400 IM, 400 Free Relay, 800 Free Relay, 400 Medley Relay)
– Holly Morren (400 Free Relay, 200 Medley Relay, 400 Medley Relay)
– Jeremiah Morren (50 Free, 400 Free Relay, 200 Medley Relay)
– Jacob Pearson (800 Free Relay)
– Kyra Rietveld (400 Free Relay, 200 Medley Relay, 400 Medley Relay)
– Mario Rusnak (400 Medley Relay)
– John Schihl (100 Breast, 200 Breast, 200 Medley Relay, 400 Medley Relay)
– Seth Timmons (1000 Free)

• Earning Academic All-Horizon League honors were Mitch Alters, Aleksander Danielewski, John Ferrara, Jacob Pearson, Mario Rusnak and Hrafn Traustason for the men and Patricia Aschan, Nikki Flynn, Tricia Grant, Megan Hunter, Takara Martin, Kyra Rietveldand Melissa VanderMeulen for the women.