After a ring ceremony to celebrate their 2014 Horizon League championship, the men and women of Division 1 Oakland University topped visiting Wayne State at the Oakland Aquatics Center on Parents Day weekend.
The squad from Oakland started things off with a 1 – 2 finish in the 200 medley relay. The ‘A’ squad of Aleksander Danielewski, John Schihl, Mario Rusnak, and Jeremiah Morren took the win with a 1:32.79 effort. The ‘B’ squad from Oakland took 2nd in 1:34.98. Rusnak, who posted a 22.28 butterfly relay split in the medley relay, went on to win the 100 butterfly as well. Led by Rusnak (50.29), Oakland swept the top three spots in the event with Tuomas Kiviluoma (51.38), and Aaron Helander (52.28) taking 2nd and 3rd respectively.
Kiviluoma, the sophomore from Finland, split the top honors in the 100 freestyle with Till Barthel from Wayne State. The pair both touched in 46.66, with Morren, from Oakland coming in 3rd with a 46.99 effort. Morren (21.26) was also the victor in the 50 freestyle, out-touching Eric Gensheimer (21.57) from Wayne State.
The meet included numerous sprint events, Rusnak continued his dominance, winning the 50 butterfly in 22.77, topping the effort of Gensheimer from Wayne State who touched in 23.26. The 50 breaststroke was won by Hrafn Traustason from Oakland in 27.22, and the 50 backstroke was taken, again by Oakland, with Danielewski touching in 23.37.
Wayne State’s Bob Stephenson-Ganner took the 1,000 freestyle with a time of 9:43.36, topping Seth Timmons from Oakland who touched second in 9:50.84. In the 500 free, Timmons was again second, swimming a 4:46.56 effort behind teammate Jacob Pearson who posted a 4:42.97 effort for the top spot.
Diving was split between the Warriors from Wayne State and the Host Grizzlies from Oakland. In the 1-meter event, Dylan Szegedi from Wayne State was the victor with 285.67 points, with Oakland’s Stirling Fordham coming in second with 249.82 points. In the 3-meter event the pair then swapped positions, with Oakland’s Fordham taking the win with 294.15 points over Szegedi who posted a 280.05 point effort.
With Oakland shifting into exhibition mode, Wayne State swept the 100 IM event, with Jayson Hansen (57.25), Nick Victor (59.21), and Mitchell Bohr (59.24). Wayne State then went on to take the top spot in the final 200 freestyle relay with the Warrior ‘A’ squad of Barthel, Gensheimer, Joshua Schacht, and Benn Winn touching in 1:24.44.
With the 179.5 – 113.5 victory, the Oakland men next host Eastern Michigan and Bowling Green on November 8th at the Oakland Aquatics Center. Wayne State have two weeks before their next meet – hosting Calvin at the Matthaie Natatorium on November 14th.
On the women’s side, the D1 women from Oakland University were also the victors, topping the visitors 167 – 126
Oakland took the 200 medley relay with the ‘A’ team of Kyra Rietveld, Melissa VanderMeulen, Holly Morren, and Nikki Flynn posting a 1:46.32 win. Flynn also took the 500 free (5:07.45) and the 50 free (24.23), with teammate Morren winning the 100 free (52.65) and the 50 butterfly (26.16).
Kristina Novichenko, the Wayne State senior, won the 100 butterfly in 58.16, topping Patricia Aschan from Oakland who touched second in 58.71. Aschan was the victor in the 1,000 freestyle over Novichenko, however. Aschan touched in 10:27.65 over the 10:35.04 effort from Novichenko.
In diving, Elizabeth Rawlings from Wayne State was solid in both the 1, and 3-meter, events. Placing second in both, with 253.42 and 283.73 points respectively. Oakland took first in both diving events, however, with Tricia Grant winning both the 1-meter (307.27 points), and 3-meter (316.35) events.
With the women from Oakland also shifting into exhibition mode, Wayne state took the win in the 100 IM with Gloria Martinez Perez posting a 1:01.20 effort and the ‘A’ squad of Hanna Loesch, Emily Maraskine, Makayla Myers, and Elly Maleski taking the top spot in the 200 free relay in 1:40.75.
The women of Oakland join the men on November 8th as they host Eastern Michigan and Bowling green. Wayne State next host Calvin at home on November 14th.