May 2, 2011

ROCHESTER, Mich. - After losing the first two dual meets, the Oakland University men's swimming and diving team picked it up several notches closing the season with its 12th straight Summit League Swimming and Diving Championships.

Oakland, which was ranked seventh in the final CollegeSwimming.com Mid-Major poll and received votes in the Division I poll, scored 998 points to win the meet by 459 points and swept the individual awards. The Golden Grizzlies are now 33-0 in conference championship meets in school history.

OU finished the season 6-2 in dual meets with wins over Cleveland State, Eastern Michigan, Wright State and Xavier (who all placed among the top five at their league meets) and Wayne State, who was third at the NCAA Division II National Championship. The Golden Grizzlies also won the Kenyon Invitational which included Kenyon College, who was second at the Division III National Championship, their 32nd straight top two finish.

"This was a great season for us," said head coach Pete Hovland. "Everyone on the team worked together to make this season a success. Our newcomers came in and rose to the challenge. The veterans did what they have always done for us, led by example. Having Marcin (Unold) back was really a key ingredient. He's such a strong swimmer and leader and very unselfish. Everything came together this season and I can't wait to see what we will do next year."

Senior Marcin Unold was named Swimming Championships MVP. Unold earns the award for the second time in his career. He won the 100 backstroke (47.10, NCAA `B' cut), the 200 back (1:44.30, NCAA `B' cut) and swam on the championship 800 free (6:31.10, NCAA `B' cut), the 200 medley (1:28.74, NCAA `B' cut), the 200 free (1:20.80, NCAA `B' cut), the 400 medley (3:16.62, NCAA `B' cut) and the 400 free (2:58.00, NCAA `B' cut) relays. In addition, he set the meet record on his lead-off 100 leg of the 400 free relay at 43.82.

Newcomer of the Championships went to sophomore Nick Evans. Evans won the 16500 freestyle with a time of 15:28.94, breaking the league record of 15:28.94 set by Tim Montague of Oakland in 2009. It was an NCAA `B' cut, broke the school record of 15:35.69 by Andy Schmidt in 2001 and broke the school record in the 1000 free at 9:16.35. He also won the 200 free (1:37.73, NCAA `B' cut), 500 free (4:24.09, NCAA `B' cut) and swam on the championship 800 free (6:31.10, NCAA `B' cut) relay.

Diving Championships MVP went to freshman Jordan Zendejas. Zendejas won the men's 1- and 3-meter springboards (287.50 points, 279 points). He went out to compete on both boards at the NCAA Diving Zone Championships in Columbus, Ohio.

Coach Hovland was named the Men's Swimming Coach of the Championship for the sixth time in his career.

SUMMIT LEAGUE CHAMPIONS

100 Freestyle - Matyas Keresztes

200 Freestyle - Nick Evans

500 Freestyle - Nick Evans

1650 Freestyle - Nick Evans

100 Butterfly - Alex Aceino

100 Backstroke - Marcin Unold

200 Backstroke - Marcin Unold

100 Breaststroke - Scott Yarbrough

200 Breaststroke - Scott Yarbrough

200 IM - Tobias Hansen

400 IM - Joe Rodgers

1-Meter Springboard - Jordan Zendejas

3-Meter Springboard - Jordan Zendejas

200 Freestyle Relay - Marcin Unold, Grant Harding, Zach Johnson, Matyas Keresztes

400 Freestyle Relay - Marcin Unold, Grant Harding, Tobias Hansen, Matyas Keresztes

800 Freestyle Relay - Marcin Unold, Grant Harding, Amr el Sayed, Nick Evans

200 Medley Relay - Marcin Unold, Ben Vavra, Alex Aceino, Matyas Keresztes

400 Medley Relay - Marcin Unold, Scott Yarbrough, Alex Aceino, Matyas Keresztes

NCAA `B' STANDARDS

Amr el Sayed - 500 Free

Nick Evans - 200, 500, 1650 Free

Tobias Hansen - 200 IM

Marcin Unold - 100, 200 Back, 50, 100, 200 Free

200 Freestyle Relay - Marcin Unold, Grant Harding, Zach Johnson, Matyas Keresztes

400 Freestyle Relay - Marcin Unold, Grant Harding, Tobias Hansen, Matyas Keresztes

800 Freestyle Relay - Marcin Unold, Grant Harding, Amr el Sayed, Nick Evans

200 Medley Relay - Marcin Unold, Ben Vavra, Alex Aceino, Matyas Keresztes

400 Medley Relay - Marcin Unold, Scott Yarbrough, Alex Aceino, Matyas Keresztes

ALL-SUMMIT LEAGUE PERFORMERS (Top three in each event)

MEN

Alex Aceino

Amr el Sayed

Nick Evans

Tobias Hansen

Grant Harding

Zach Johnson

Matyas Keresztes

Tim Montague

Antonio Page-Kahn

Joe Rodgers

Marcin Unold

Ben Vavra

Josh Wolf

Scott Yarbrough

Jordan Zendejas

-OAKLAND-