Three hundred seventy-nine.

That was the point differential the Oakland University Men and Women’s swimming and diving team had in their advantage to claim their 13th Summit League Championship, which took place Feb. 16 to 18.

The men’s team scored a total of 1,040 points and the women scored 1,041 points.

Oakland swept the top three medals for almost every event.

The win came with a few broken records.

Highlights include Vanessza Balogh, breaking her own 500-yard freestyle Summit League record, the women’s 200-yard free relay team, setting a new league record, the women’s 400 IM setting a new pool record and Tobias Hansen setting a new league record in the 200 IM.

In addition to broken records, 25 NCAA B cut times were swam.

No OU women qualified for NCAA nationals this year and it will not be determined if any men qualified for nationals until sometime this week.

Anders Jensen could potentially represent Oakland at nationals from the men’s team.

He swam the 19th fastest 200-yard backstroke time in the nation. “

“NCAAs are the fastest meet in the world,” Shawn Kornoelje, assistant head coach, said. “To even be invited is pretty good. It means you are one of the best  in the country.”

 

Olympic aspirations

In addition to nationals, Oakland will send a few swimmers to the USA Grand Prix meet this weekend. This meet provides swimmers the opportunity for athletes to swim for Olympic qualifying times.

The Olympic trial hopefuls going to compete in Columbus include Scott Yarbrough, Joe Rodgers, Ben Vavra, Alyssa Busch and Zach Johnson.  Johnson will be swimming 50 and 100 meter freestyle.

“They all want to get their cuts as much as I do,” Johnson said. “This is almost like our last shot because the Olympics only come around every four years.”

The opportunity to swim the Olympic trials would provide some of the greatest competition in the world for these athletes, according to Kornoelje.

“The Olympic trials are a really big deal. That will be the highlight of my career,” Johnson said. “There is no place I could do as well. You can swim with the world’s greatest athletes there.”

Almost every athlete swam their best times at the championships.

The swimming and diving team will soon find out their national rank as a team this year.

Oakland is currently expected to place in the nation’s top 40 teams.

A goal for next year is getting a few relays to qualify for nationals.

“It’s always special to win a championship no matter when it is or how many you have. You can never take it for granted,” Kornoelje said. “You still have to preform, and they did.”

 

Contact staff reporter Emma Claucherty via email at [email protected]