Promoted in July 2025, Associate Head Coach Molly Hebzynski enters her third year alongside Head Coach Mitch Alters. Completing another successful season, which was capped off by the women's 31st consecutive championship and the men's 47th consecutive championship. The women achieved tremendous success, highlighted by first-year Grace Albrecht, who won the newcomer of the year award at the Horizon League Championship meet for her significant wins in both the 100 and 200 backstroke events. Spotlighting the meet was Senior Jordyn Shipps, who was the only swimmer, male or female, to win 3 individual titles, including a school record in the 200 butterfly. The men had a historic landslide win, with an outstanding point gap of 325 points, making it the most significant win in league history. Jonas Cantrell kicked off the meet, completing a four-peat victory in the 500 free, followed by his teammate, Charlie Brown, knocking down the 50 Free School Record. Harry Nicholson was named 'Men's Swimmer of the Meet'. Individually, he won two events and was a part of the 3 Horizon League and School Records in the 200 Medley, 400 Medley, and 200 Free Relays. The season wrapped up with the Men’s and Women’s teams being named Scholar All-America, 3 NCAA Zone Qualifiers, 7 New School Records, and 12 NCAA B Cuts.Â
The summer of 2024 was an exciting one, as five Golden Grizzlies competed at their respective Olympic Trials. Representing Canada, Senior Ajete Eggers swam in the 200 M Butterfly, narrowly missing finals. Representing Team USA, Senior Jordyn Shipps competed in the newly minted Indianapolis stadium pool in the 100 M Butterfly. Continuing for Team USA, Graduate Student Christian Bart and Freshman Alex Lakin raced in the 100 M Breaststroke while Graduate Student Ian Allen competed in the 200 M Individual Medley.
In the 2023-2024 season, Coach Molly completed her first season alongside Head Coach Alters. The Golden Grizzlies continued their dynasty at the Horizon League Championship, winning their 30th consecutive Women's Championships and the Men's 46th. On the women's side, Junior Jordyn Shipps brought home 3 individual first-place finishes while writing her name individually on the Oakland Record Board for the first time in the 100 and 200 butterfly, while setting a new Horizon League Record in the 100 butterfly. Freshman Clarissa Bezuidenhout earned Newcomer of the Year, winning both the 100 and 200 backstroke. The OU women also won all five relays. On the men's side, Senior Jack Wike took down the Horizon League 200 IM record while also notching a new school record. Wike was also a contributing member of the Horizon League record-breaking 200 free relay, 1:18.49, alongside teammates Micah Scheffer, Charlie Brown, and Christian Bart. The OU men also set a new school record in the 200 medley relay, 1:25.31, with the team of Harry Nicholson, Bart, Colin Martin, and Brown. Overall, the Oakland University Swim and Dive team had a tremendous season, accumulating 3 new Horizon League Records, 16 NCAA B Cuts, 7 New School Records, and over 150 Lifetime Best Swims.
Hebzynski was hired as Assistant Coach in June of 2023 after a two-year stint with the University of Northern Colorado. While with the Bears, Hebzynski oversaw 11 NCAA qualifying standards, 83 swims qualifying for the CSCAA National Championships, and 92 all-time marks in program history through the 2021-23 seasons. UNC finished third at the Western Athletic Conference Championships with five top-three performances in February 2023. Two Bears were represented at the World Swimming Championships in Abu Dhabi.
The Minnesota native swam at St. Cloud State University and afterward joined the workforce as a Marketing Coordinator for an Architecture & Engineering firm before returning to the pool deck as Head Development Coach at Minnetonka Swim Club, eventually making her way to swim camps at NC State, Stanford University, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Hebzynski graduated from UNC in 2023 with a Master's in Sport and Exercise Science, Social Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity, following a Bachelor's in Mass Communication Advertising from St. Cloud State in 2017.
