Oakland University Women's Softball

A native of Ypsilanti, Mich., Brenner's distinguished career in diving at both the high school and collegiate levels, coupled with his coaching experience, makes him a strong addition to the program. Brenner's impressive diving background began at Huron High School, where he was a three-time All-American and a four-time All-State and All-District selection. He set 11 school and pool records during his high school career, showcasing his exceptional talent. Continuing his diving career at the University of Iowa from 2015 to 2019, Brenner excelled as a four-year varsity diver, serving as team captain and earning multiple NCAA qualifications. He holds the school record in the One Meter dive. Following his collegiate career, Brenner contributed to the Hawkeyes' diving program as the Dive Club Assistant Coach and Varsity Assistant Dive Coach from 2021 to 2022. In 2022, Brenner returned to Michigan to coach at Wolverine Club Diving in Ann Arbor, where he introduced new equipment and techniques at the junior world level. He also served as the Head Diving Coach at Lincoln High School, Ann Arbor Skyline, and Ann Arbor Pioneer from 2022 to 2024, guiding multiple state qualifiers and achieving a state runner-up finish in 2024. With his blend of local success and national experience, Brenner is poised to enhance the Golden Grizzlies' storied diving program and continue its legacy of excellence in the pool.

Chris Stelma was hired as the Head Oakland Softball Coach ahead of the 2025 season. Prior to Oakland, Stelma served an eight-year tenure (2016-2024) at the helm of the Saint Peter's University Softball program. While the leader of Peacocks, Stelma saw a great deal of success, sitting second in all-time wins at Saint Peter's. As 2022 MAAC Coach of the Year, Stelma took a team that went 2-28 in 2021 and guided them to an unprecedented jump where they improved by 20 games to go 22-33 in 2022. He followed up in 2023 by leading the Peacocks to a 30-21 record, achieving the program's first back-to-back 20-win seasons and first 30-win season since 2002.  In a three-season stretch from 2022 to 2024, Stelma led his team to 68 wins, the most over a three-year span at Saint Peter's since 2003. In 2024 he also coached three All-Conference and an impressive nine MAAC All-Academic student-athletes as well. Stelma hopes to set fire to the bats of the Golden Grizzlies this season. In 2024 the Peacocks ranked among the best offenses in the MAAC, ranking third in batting average, hits, triples, and slugging percentage, while ending the season tied for first in doubles.

Mitch Alters joined the Golden Grizzlies men’s and women’s swimming and diving programs in July 2021 as the associate head coach. Alters joined Oakland after spending three seasons at the University of Richmond. Prior to his time with the spiders, Alters spent two years as a graduate assistant at the University of Arkansas and was a four-year letterwinner for the Oakland University Golden Grizzlies of the Horizon League. Alters helped lead Richmond back to an Atlantic 10 Championship during the 2020-21 season. In one of the most unprecedented seasons in history, the Spiders brought home the Atlantic 10 Championship trophy in convincing fashion, scoring 687.5 points, the most points for a winning team since Richmond won during the 2012-13 season (737.00). Freshman Alexa Connors earned Richmond's 14th Atlantic 10 Most Outstanding Rookie Performer award. Overall, the 2020-21 team earned 13 individual All-Time Top 10 times, and broke three school records. Lauren Medlin is now Richmond's top 100 freestyle performer, finishing first in the meet with a 49.61 time. Claire O'Shaughnessy broke the school record becoming the first Spider to crack the 2-minute mark in the 200 fly at 1:59.53. The quartet of Medlin, Maggie Purcell, Katelyn Pennell and O'Shaughnessy took down a record that had stood for a decade in the 400 freestyle relay, finishing at 3:21.03, 0.07 seconds faster than the record set in 2011. Four of five relay teams brought home medals, led by the 400 freestyle relay team's school record. Purcell earned a pair of gold medals, taking first in the 200 IM (2:00.17) and defended her title in the 200 breaststroke (2:13.70). Medlin's school record in the 100 freestyle also brought home gold. The 200 medley relay, the 800 freestyle relay and the 400 medley relays all brought in silver medals. Connors had a pair of individual silvers in the 500 freestyle (4:50.92) and the 1650 freestyle (16:41.62). Fellow freshman Pennell added a silver in the 200 backstroke (1:58.20). Richmond brought home six bronze medals as part of its championship effort. Purcell took third in the 400 IM (4:18.14), Medlin in the 50 freestyle (23.30), O'Shaughnessy in the 100 (54.83) and 200 butterfly (1:59.53). Sara Greene took third in the 100 breaststroke (1:01.84) and Pennell in the 100 backstroke (54.80) During the 2019-20 season, Alters helped the Spiders earn a fourth-place finish at the Atlantic 10 Championships at the SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio. Alters saw the Spiders finish with 11 medalists in the conference meet and had five relays earn medals. He worked with senior Hannah Gouger as she took first in both the 100 and 200 backstroke events, becoming the first person in A-10 history to win both backstroke competitions in all four years of eligibility and the third person all-time to win two events in all four years of competition. Sophomore Maggie Purcell had a highly decorated season with Alters' tutelage. Purcell was named the Atlantic 10 Performer of the Week three times during the season, and took first in the 200 breaststroke event at the Atlantic 10 Championships, turning in a time of 2:12.84, second-best all-time at the University of Richmond. Gouger's two backstroke times, Purcell's 200 breaststroke and Jordan Kohut in the 100 backstroke, the Spiders had four times earn an NCAA B Cut. Alters also played a pivotal role in recruiting as two of his freshman etched their names into the Spider All-Time Top 10. Lauren Medlin is currently sixth in program history in the 100 freestyle and Claire O'Shaughnessy currently sits ninth all-time in the 100 butterfly.  In Alter's first year with the Spiders, Richmond had four competitors qualify for NCAA events at the end of the regular season. Three divers in Alex Beran, Maddy Chao and Sydney Weiskopf qualified for NCAA Zone Diving in Annapolis. Hannah Gouger set a new school and A-10 Conference record in the 200-backstroke, finishing with a time of 1:53.56 at the UNC Last Chance meet and becoming one of just seven Spiders to qualify for the NCAA Championships meet in Austin, Texas. Gouger went on to qualify for the Olympic Trials at the TYR Pro Series after swimming a 1:02.39 time in the 100-backstroke. Richmond finished in fourth place at the Atlantic 10 Championships in Ohio. Gouger has now set the school record in the 200-backstroke in each of her first three seasons as a Spider. Gouger was named the A-10 Championships Most Outstanding Performer after winning the 100 and 200-backstroke events with NCAA qualifying times as well as meet and A-10 records, finished in third place in the 50-freestyle and appeared on four relay teams at the A-10 meet. The Swim and Dive team was one of just six Spider programs to earn the NCAA Public Recognition awards for APR Success after finishing the year in the top 10 percent of their sports in the most recent Academic Progress Rates (APR).    At Oakland University, Alters was twice selected as a team captain and the Golden Grizzlies won their conference championship all four seasons. He was a College Swimming Coaches Association of America All-American Honorable Mention in 2016 and he won the Horizon League in the 200 Fly. Alters was a Horizon League Academic All-Conference honoree and was named to Horizon League Fall Honor Roll three times.   As a graduate assistant at Arkansas, Alters oversaw and conducted workouts for the team and individual training groups, working with sprint, stroke and distance during the season with a focus on the sprint group. He also planned official and unofficial visits as well as coordinating team travel and compliance management.   While in Lafayette, Alters also worked with the Aquahawgs Razorback Aquatic Club as an assistant coach, where he worked with swimmers of all ages, focusing on technique and training habits. He also helped coach the senior level group during a transition phase for coaching at the senior level.   Other coaching opportunities including working as an assistant swim coach and swim instructor at Canton City Schools, Starting Line Health and Fitness and Heart of the Hills.  

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.  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.

Taylor Turner began her career at Oakland as Assistant Softball Coach in the fall of 2024. Taylor was a standout softball player at the collegiate level, playing three years at Miami of Ohio and one at Bowling Green State University. Her leadership qualities were further recognized as she served on the team's leadership committee, where she was instrumental in fostering teamwork and discipline.   Taylor's coaching experience includes her volunteer work at Total Sports in Wixom, Mich. and Rossford, Ohio, where she trained young athletes in sport-specific skills, including pitching and hitting techniques. Her ability to communicate effectively and challenge athletes to reach their full potential has been a hallmark of her coaching style.

Jonny Simoes enters his third season with Oakland University after two successful years under head coach Mitch Alters. During this time, the Golden Grizzlies have continued their dominance in the Horizon League, with the men winning their 46th and 47th consecutive titles and the women capturing their 30th and 31st straight championships. In the 2024–25 season, Simoes helped guide the team to another championship sweep and a series of standout performances. Junior Harry Nicholson was named Men's Swimmer of the Meet after contributing to three Horizon League relay records. He teamed up with Chris Palvadre, Sofus Balladone, and Charlie Brown to break league records in both the 200 and 400 medley relays. Nicholson also helped lead the 200 freestyle relay—alongside Micah Scheffer, Jack Wike, and Brown—to a new conference record. On the women’s side, freshman Grace Albrecht was named Women’s Freshman of the Meet. The team broke 3 Horizon League records, 6 school records, and posted dozens of lifetime bests. In the 2023–24 season, Simoes played a role in developing both individual and relay success across the roster. Junior Jordyn Shipps won three individual Horizon League titles and set school records in the 100 and 200 butterfly, breaking the league record in the 100 fly. Freshman Clarissa Bezuidenhout was named Newcomer of the Year after winning the 100 and 200 backstroke. On the men’s side, senior Jack Wike broke both the Horizon League and Oakland records in the 200 IM and was part of the record-setting 200 freestyle relay with Micah Scheffer, Charlie Brown, and Christian Bart. The men also set a school record in the 200 medley relay with Harry Nicholson, Bart, Colin Martin, and Brown. The team totaled 3 Horizon League records, 7 school records, 26 NCAA B cuts, and over 150 lifetime best swims across this season. Simoes was hired as Assistant Coach in August 2023 after graduating from John Carroll University with a degree in Accounting. As a student-athlete at JCU, he was a Division III All-American in the 200 Backstroke and 400 IM and a CSCAA Scholar All-American in 2021. While pursuing his undergraduate degree, Simoes coached with Seneca Valley Swim Club and spent his summers on deck at Stanford and NC State swim camps, working alongside some of the top coaches in collegiate swimming. Simoes is currently in his first year of the Ph.D. program in Human Movement Science at Oakland University, after completing his Master’s in Exercise Science in spring 2025. His research focuses on the use of novel force sensor technology in swimming to analyze performance and deliver real-time feedback to athletes.