INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The Oakland men's and women's swimming and diving teams began their pursuit of another league title Wednesday night at the Horizon League Championships. At the conclusion of day one, the Golden Grizzlies recorded a top-three finish in every event and set a new league and school record.

The day-one lineup featured the 200 medley relay, the women's three-meter dive, and the 800 free relay.

200 MEDLEY RELAY
The women's 200 medley relay saw only sophomore Grace Albrecht return from last year's championship team, resulting in a new, young lineup. Joining Albrecht in the first race of the championships were fellow sophomore Maya Dobry and freshmen Lydia Soldatke and Avery Beal. Looking to make an early statement, the team finished third in 1:40.77, just 0.75 seconds behind champion Milwaukee.

On the men's side, seniors Christopher Palvadre, Micah Scheffer, and Charles Brown, along with freshman Ajjuub Ezzat, claimed second place in 1:24.85. The team finished only behind IU Indianapolis, who jumped from a projected fourth to first.

WOMEN'S THREE-METER DIVE
With diving prelims earlier in the day, two Golden Grizzlies earned their spots in the finals, guaranteeing top-eight finishes. Senior Victoria Sanders led prelims with an outstanding 304.75 points, while sophomore Elizabeth Woollcott entered the finals in fourth.

In the finals, Sanders secured third place with 258.10 points, marking at least a top-four finish every year she has competed at the Horizon League Championships. Woollcott finished just a few points behind Sanders in fifth.

800 FREE RELAY
Oakland dominated the 800 free relay, with both teams taking the victory. Seniors Erika Pietras and Mia Englender, along with sophomores Kelley Hassett and Viviane Partridge, won the women's race in 7:18.47. Pietras, Englender, and Hassett, all members of last year's third-place relay, improved their time by nearly four seconds to claim this year's title.

The men's relay featured seniors Nicholas Karel Subagyo and Harry Nicholson and juniors Max Haney and Joseph Countryman, who captured the win in 6:21.43. Subagyo, Countryman, Haney, and Nicholson shattered the previous league and school record by nearly two seconds, etching their names into the history books. The old record, set in 2023, also included Nicholson, who was a freshman when he first helped break the mark. 

With podium finishes in every event of day one, the Golden Grizzlies sit atop the standings on both the men's and women's sides. The men currently have 74 points, while the women have 103.

STANDINGS - DAY ONE
Women

1. Oakland: 103
2. IU Indianapolis: 101
3. Milwaukee: 90
4. Cleveland State: 85
5. Green Bay: 70
6. Youngstown State: 60
7. Northern Kentucky: 24

Men

1. Oakland: 74
2. IU Indianapolis: 72
3. Youngstown State: 66
4. Milwaukee: 58
5. Green Bay: 54
6. Northern Kentucky: 50
7. Cleveland State: 30

UP NEXT: The Horizon League Swimming and Diving Championships continue on February 19, beginning with prelims at 10 a.m. (ET). Finals of the 500 free, 200 IM, 50 free, men's one-meter dive, and 200 free relay will begin at 5:30 p.m. (ET). All sessions are available to stream on ESPN+. More information on streaming can be found HERE.

Additional information can be found on Horizon League Championship Central.

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.