ROCHESTER, Mich. – Oakland University Athletics has announced the induction of former women's swimming and diving standout Dana (Kennedy) Abbasse into the Hollie L. Lepley Hall of Honor as a part of the Class of 2026, honoring her accomplishments as a swimmer and a national champion with the Oakland "Pioneers" from 1988 to 1991.

"I am truly humbled even to be considered for this honor, let alone be inducted into this group of people I have known and looked up to throughout my swimming career," said Abbasse. "I owe my swimming accomplishments to the other individuals who were on the team and participated in relays with me, as well as to those who supported me during training and outside of practices. My most memorable successes were those that involved group efforts. I am truly honored to be recognized as playing a role in the team's success."
 
Growing up nearby in Bingham Farms, Mich., Abbasse was a part of OLY Swimming in Rochester, where she was coached by Tracy Huth for many years, and was later recruited to become the head coach of swimming and diving at Oakland. 

"Tracy invited me to be a part of his team as his first recruit," Abbasse explained. "Although I was considering other schools and planned on going out of state, I had tremendous respect for him and wanted to continue swimming with him. When I went on an official visit and met the team, I knew OU was the place for me. I loved the close-knit atmosphere of the team and wanted to be part of the work. I knew Tracy would put in the hard work needed to build the women's program into a highly successful team."

During her time at Oakland, Abbasse contributed to the 1990 and 1991 Division II National Championship teams, where she was a part of the championship teams for both the 200 free relay and 400 free relay each year. She and her team helped the Pioneers achieve their first-ever National Championship during the 1989-90 season, which led to winning five back-to-back national titles from 1990 to 1994. Abbasse and the women's swim team also helped set the then-record for the all-time GLIAC title mark, earning eight league titles between the 1989 and 1997 seasons.

Along with her conference and national championship teams, Abbasse was also the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletics Conference (GLIAC) 50 free champion during the 1988-89 season. Her continued success and leadership are evidenced by multiple awards, including selections to the GLIAC All-Conference Team (1989-91) and Division II All-American honors (1988-91).
Even with the national championships and years of success, one of Abbasse's favorite memories was traveling to Curacao for a winter training trip, where the team got to train outdoors and just bond as a team.

"The first thing that always comes to mind when I think of OU swimming and diving is the bond among the team, not just within my four years but across all years," Abbasse said. "During my time, we worked together to accomplish many new accolades, such as the first GLIAC championship win and the first NCAA DII championship wins. Tracy's passion and drive were of utmost importance. He not only motivated the team to compete at our highest potential but also supported us in all aspects of our lives. Furthermore, my time at OU would not have been the same without my teammates, Shelly Pilarski-Robinson and Niki Kelsey, with whom I lived with for several years. Their unconditional support and friendship are things I will always treasure."

After graduating from Oakland, Abbasse served as a graduate assistant coach for Wayne State swimming and diving. Later, she began teaching for Lake Orion Community Schools, spending 20 years teaching second grade and currently teaching middle school language arts.

"Swimming has definitely helped me in life. I have learned to be very punctual and manage my time well because of years of balancing swimming with everything else,  Abbasse said. "I am also goal-oriented in both my personal and professional life, which has helped me tremendously."

She expresses her gratitude to Coach Tracy for providing her the opportunity to be part of the OU swim and dive program, and is honored to have been a part of the start of his career at Oakland.

Abbasse will be officially inducted at the 2026 Hall of Honor Induction Ceremony on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026, in the Oakland Center Ballrooms. To learn more about the ceremony and to register to attend, click HERE.
 

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