Oakland’s Susan LaGrand Clocks Horizon League 200 IM Record of 1:57.23 on Day 2

2023 HORIZON LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Wednesday, February 15 – Saturday, February 18, 2023
• IU Natatorium (IUPUI), Indianapolis, IN
• Defending Champions:
  • Women: Oakland (9x)
  • Men: Oakland (9x)
• Live Results
• Live Video
• Championship Central
• Fan Guide
• Psych Sheet

The second day of the 2023 Horizon League Championships is in the books. Thursday’s action saw Oakland build on their lead in the women’s team standings, while IUPUI is still holding onto a lead over the Oakland men.

TEAM SCORES THROUGH THURSDAY

MEN

1. IUPUI – 321
2. Oakland – 294
3. Cleveland State – 161
4. Youngstown State – 142
5. Milwaukee – 141
6. Green Bay – 131

WOMEN

1. Oakland – 361
2. IUPUI – 234
3. Milwaukee – 207
4. Youngstown State – 155
5. Cleveland State – 143
6. Green Bay – 64

The action kicked off with IUPUI’s Emmaleigh Zietlow, a sophomore, winning the women’s 500 free for the second year in a row. Zietlow broke the Horizon League Championships Record in prelims, swimming a 4:47.09. She was a tick slower in finals, still winning the race by six seconds with a 4:47.33. Zietlow notably went 4:44.88 at mid-season, which is still the fastest time in the conference this season.

Oakland’s Susan LaGrand, a fifth year, won the women’s 200 IM once again, breaking her own HL Championship Record in the process. LaGrand, an Honorable Mention All-American in 2021, swam a 1:57.23, winning by over four seconds. Her swim also marks a new Oakland program record.

Golden Grizzly Jordyn Shipps clocked a 22.95 to win the women’s 50 free. Oakland also picked up a win in women’s 1-meter diving, seeing Elleana Chalifoux rack up a total score of 280.30 to earn the title.

The Golden Grizzlies stayed perfect in the women’s relays as well, winning the 200 free relay in 1:32.34. Shipps (23.11), Mia Keranen (22.96), Sam Thiessen (23.32), and Ronja Riihinen (22.95) teamed up to get the job done, winning the event by nearly a full second. Notably, Riihinen, Thiessen, and Shipps were the fastest three splits in the field.

Oakland sophomore Jonas Cantrell took the men’s 500 free in 4:22.87, winning the race handily. He established a lead of about a second on the front half of the race, then pulled away on the back half.

Oakland senior Marko Khotynetskyi won the men’s 200 IM in 1:45.39, marking a new Horizon League Championship Record, as well as an Oakland school record. Khotynetskyi opened up a lead on the first 100, splitting 22.41 on fly and 25.82 on back for a 48.23 on the first 100.

Golden Grizzly Christian Bart took the men’s 50 free in a phot-finish. Bart got his hand on the wall in 19.77, just ahead of IUPUI’s Spencer Jyawook, who was second in 19.80. Jaguar Kevin Burke was right there as well, taking third with a 19.85. Oakland freshman Micah Scheffer had a big swim too, touching fourth in 19.99 to mark his first time under 20 seconds in the event.

IUPUI then snapped the Oakland win streak to close out the session, doing so in Championship Record fashion. Jyawook (19.74), Burke (19.24), Logan Kelly (20.26), and Wes Wickens (19.92) combined for a 1:19.16, beating Oakland (1:19.70) by well over half a second.

Two things of note in the 200 free relay. First, Jyawook’s lead-off split of 19.74 would have been fast enough to win the men’s 50 free final earlier in the session. Next, Christian Bart, who did win the individual 50 free earlier in the session, had the fastest split in the field, clocking a 19.27 on the second leg of Oakland’s relay.