Oakland Sweeps Relays, Breaks Record on Night 1 of Horizon League

2019 Horizon league Championships

• Wednesday-Saturday, February 13th-16th
• IUPUI Natatorium, Indianapolis, IN
• Short Course Yards
• Championship Central
• Link to Day 1 Press Release
• Day 1 Results

TEAM SCORES DAY 1

WOMEN

1. Oakland – 80
2. IUPUI /Cleveland State – 66
3. –
4. Milwaukee/Green Bay – 58
5. –
6. Youngstown State/UIC – 50

MEN

1. Oakland – 110
2. IUPUI – 106
3. Cleveland State – 98
4. Green Bay – 71
5. UIC – 65
6. Milwaukee – 59

The 2019 Horizon League Championships kicked off tonight at the IUPUI Natatorium, with the 5-time defending men’s and women’s champions Oakland sweeping all 4 relays tonight. Oakland leads both the men’s and women’s team standing following Day 1, with the men’s team only 4 points ahead of IUPUI due to IUPUI diver Krisztian Somhegyi winning the men’s 3 meter diving over Oakland’s Joe Smith, 352.40 to 345.70.

Women’s 200 Medley Relay

1. Oakland – 1:39.63
2. Cleveland State – 1:41.17
3. IUPUI – 1:41.21

Oakland led this race from start to finish, posting the fastest splits in the field in every stroke except fly. Grace Shinske led that relay off in 25.18, and was followed by Sydney McDowell (28.11), Susan LaGrand (24.20), and Katie Colwell motored to the finishing touch in 22.14. The Golden Grizzlies were just a hair off their HL Championships Record of 1:39.47, set last year, with the only different team member being Holly Morren on the fly leg. IUPUI’s Mallory Buha cranked out the fastest fly split in the field, swimming a 23.93.

. @GoldenGrizzlies take the first event of the #HLSD Championships, the women's 200 medley relay! pic.twitter.com/97eLliqVcm

— Horizon League (@HorizonLeague) February 13, 2019

Men’s 200 Medley Relay

1. Oakland – 1:27.46
2. Cleveland State – 1:28.24
3. Green Bay- 1:29.67

In almost a mirror of the women’s medley relay, Oakland led from the start, posting the fastest splits in the field in the first half of the race. Paul Huch led the relay off in 22.18, while Tony Eriksson posted a 23.98. Mack Flowers swam a 21.38 fly split, and Rudy Aguilar anchored the Golden Grizzlies to victory in 19.92. CSU’s D.J. Arslanian had the fastest fly split in the field (21.31), and Green Bay’s Benjamin Reman was the fastest freestyler (19.53).

The second event of the #HLSD Championship, the men's 200 medley relay, also goes to @GoldenGrizzlies! pic.twitter.com/iW6nybpO2h

— Horizon League (@HorizonLeague) February 13, 2019

Women’s 800 Free Relay

1. Oakland – 7:24.33
2. IUPUI – 7:24.69
3. Cleveland State – 7:24.78

In an incredibly tight relay, Oakland came out on top again, while just .45 seconds separated the top 3 finishers. The Oakland team of 3 freshmen (Erin Donagan, Maddy Cislo, and Susan LaGrand) and 1 senior (Amber Lefler) earned their victory on a heroic anchor from LaGrand, who swam to a fastest-in-the-event split of 1:49.01 to pass both IUPUI and Clevalnad State going into the finish.

Watch @GoldenGrizzlies win the race now! pic.twitter.com/2chLL2Xb0r

— Horizon League (@HorizonLeague) February 13, 2019

Men’s 800 Free Relay

1. Oakland – 6:27.72 (Championship Record)
2. Cleveland State – 6:35.05
3. IUPUI – 6:38.43

The Golden grizzlies were a dominant force in this relay, leading from the 2nd 50, and only expanding that lead through the race, breaking their own 2016 Championship Record of 6:29.10, with no repeating relay members. Like their women’s relay, this team was young, 3 sophomores (Rudy Aguilar, William Gayne, and Mack Flowers) and 1 freshman (Benjamin Davis). Davis, the lone freshman on the squad, actually put down the fastest split on both the Oakland relay and the entire field, swimming to a speedy 1:36.08. Aguilar had the fastest lead-off in the field, clocking a 1:37.07, while Gayne posted a 1:37.63, and Flowers anchored with a 1:36.94.

ICYMI @GoldenGrizzlies set a new HL record in the 800 meter free relay on Day 1! #HLSD pic.twitter.com/NYe5a0PEQ6

— Horizon League (@HorizonLeague) February 14, 2019