Sophomore Colton Phelps has many top finishes this swim season and is looking to accomplish his number one goal at the Horizon Championship. Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Phelps caught the eye of Oakland University’s head coach, Pete Hovland, during his last year of high school.

“Pete Hovland reached out to me during my senior year, and after my recruiting trip here, I canceled all my other ones because I could not see myself anywhere else,” he said. “The team’s established culture of success was everything I was looking for.”

Being forced to swim many different events in high school due to a lower program helped push him to the best of his ability, eventually being able to swim at a Division I school.

“My high school team lacked a lot of depth, and I was forced to swim all different types of races as a result,” Phelps said. “My team was super close and super supportive in preparing me to swim in college.”

Over the summer, Phelps received surgery on his wrist and thought this would push him back for this season. However, Phelps recently showed the wrist is no longer a factor.

“On Friday [Jan. 24] against IUPUI, I placed first in the 100-yard backstroke, 100-yard butterfly, 100-yard IM (individual medley), and on Saturday [Jan. 25] against Cleveland State, I placed first in the 200-yard IM,” he said.

Phelps and the Golden Grizzlies were also given the opportunity to travel to Puerto Rico for training camp over winter break.

“It was great to focus in on just training and not worry about outside distractions that I can have here at Oakland,” he said. “It also helped bond our team even more and improve our team chemistry.”

Phelps said the Golden Grizzlies have pushed him since his first day in the program.

“My teammates and my coaches have definitely helped me get to where I am now, and they have continued to push me to new levels and never let me give up,” he said. 

This kind of team atmosphere has always been something Phelps looked for while being recruited and thought Oakland provided him with the perfect team for that.

“The team chemistry is unrivaled by any that I have seen on other teams,” he said. “It is truly a brotherhood between all of us, and I love being a part of it.”

Phelps and the Golden Grizzlies are just about three weeks away from the Horizon League Championships, which will be hosted on Oakland’s campus. Phelps has two major goals in mind for this meet. 

“I want to help contribute to winning the 42nd consecutive men’s team conference championship,” he said. “I want to win the 200-yard IM because I won it last year, and I want to have fun.”

As the swimming and diving season is coming to an end, the most important meet for the Golden Grizzlies takes place on their home campus. Phelps and the Golden Grizzlies will be attempting to win the 42nd consecutive conference championship in program history Wednesday, Feb. 19 through Friday, Feb. 21.