Oakland University’s women's swimming and diving team kept the lead the entire meet to capture its fourth-straight National Independent Conference (NIC) championship title Feb. 26 at OU’s Aquatics Center. The team finished with 984 points, while North Florida came in second with 899 and South Dakota State was third with 419.

Melissa Jaeger of Ann Arbor, Mich., led the Golden Grizzlies with three first-place finishes. She also was part of three of OU’s four winning relay teams. In the 200 IM, she led a group of five Golden Grizzlies that took the first five spots in the final.

Oakland took the top three places in the 100- and 200-yard breaststroke. In each race, Maria Musialczyk was first, Lindsey Unrath came in second and Kim Bacon placed third.

The Golden Grizzlies also took first and second place in the 50-, 100- and 500-yard freestyle events.

Oakland placed second thru sixth place in the 200-yard backstroke, with Amanda Burwell leading the way for the Golden Grizzlies, and second through fifth place in the 200-yard freestyle, with Line Jensen leading OU. 

In the women’s one-meter diving competition, Oakland’s Linda Keskey and Andrea Endres placed second and third respectively.

Overall, the Golden Grizzlies turned in 13 first-place finishes including:

·        Amanda Burwell: 400-yard IM (4:28.22)

·        Jenna Dejonge: 50-yard freestyle (24.13)

·        Karoline Freytag: 500-yard freestyle (4:59.68)

·        Melissa Jaeger: 100-yard butterfly (55.20), 200-yard butterfly (2:02.28) and 200-yard IM (2:03.92)

·        Line Jensen: 100-yard freestyle (51.98)

·        Maria Musialczyk: 100-yard breaststroke (1:04.33) and 200-yard breaststroke (2:20.59)

·        200-yard freestyle relay: Jenna DeJonge, Karoline Freytag, Riley Rigoli and Line Jensen (1:35.16)

·        200-yard medley relay: Renie Green, Maria Musialczyk, Melissa Jaeger and Line Jensen (1:44.15)

·        400-yard medley relay: Renie Green, Maria Musialczyk, Melissa Jaeger and Karoline Freytag (3:47.99)

·        800 freestyle relay: Melissa Jaeger, Line Jensen, Karoline Freytag and Holly Miller (7:32.72)