ROCHESTER, Mich. – The Oakland University women won 11 of 16 events against Eastern Michigan University in the women-only dual meet, the first victory for the Golden Grizzlies against the Eagles since the 2022-23 season.

Oakland excelled in their matchup against Eastern Michigan, securing numerous first-place finishes. The "A" team of Lydia Soldatke, Maya Dobry, Brooke Mahneke, and Kendra Venter got the meet started, capturing the first win of the night in the 200 medley with a time of 1:41.35. Megan Donnelly led the way individually in the 1000 free with a time of 10:04.70, with Kelley Hassett close behind in third place.

For the first time this season, the swimming and diving team swept an entire event. Tonight, they did it on three different occasions. First up was the 200 free, where Mia Englender, Erika Pietras, and Viviane Partridge took the 1-2-3. Then, in the very next race, OU took the top four spots. Soldatke took the victory in the 100 back with 53.57, then Grace Albrecht, Clarissa Bezuidenhout, and Mahneke finished just behind her. The 200 back was the final sweep of the night, with Soldatke leading the way again with 1:56.91. Albrecht and Bezuidenhout took 2-3 behind Soldatke for the second time. These performances highlighted the team's strength in freestyle and backstroke events

In diving, Victoria Sanders topped the 3-meter event with a score of 266.85, edging out the top Eastern diver by just 0.52 points. Sanders also placed second in the 1-meter event, followed by Hannah Clark in third place.

Venter impressed with wins in both the 50 free and the 100 free, clocking in at 23.44 and 51.38. Avery Beal was the runner-up Golden Grizzly in both events, taking second in the 50 and third in the 100. Charisse Hickman claimed first in the 200 breast while Grace Aguilar-Fernàndez took third in the event, contributing to Oakland's dominance in individual races. Hassett and Pietras claimed second and third in the 500 free, while Soldatke and Bezuidenhout placed first and second in the 200 IM, rounding out individual events.

To finish off the night, the team continued their success in relay events, with the "A" team of Venter, Albrecht, Beal, and Pietras clinching first place in the 400 free relay. Overall, the women's depth and consistent top finishes across various events secured their strong performance in the meet.

FINAL RESULTS
Oakland vs. Eastern Michigan 189.00-111.00

UP NEXT: Both the men's and women's teams will host the Golden Grizzly Classic from December 3-6 at the OU Aquatic Center, with the first day of competition beginning on Dec. 3 at 5 PM EST.

How to Follow Oakland Swimming and Diving: For complete information on Oakland Swimming and Diving, follow the team on Instagram and on X at @OAK_swim_dive.