Academic Snapshot
Acceptance Rate
70%
Avg SAT
1,110
Avg ACT
25
Enrollment
12,450
Team Information
Sport
Swimming
Gender
Women's
Division
NCAA Division 1
Location
Rochester, MI
Coaching Staff (3)
Pete Hovland
Head Coach
Hovland Notables Pete Hovland Position: Men's and Women's Head Coach Alma Mater: Chico State, 1976 E-mail coach Pete Hovland The 2015-16 season marked the 37th consecutive year for Pete Hovland as a mentor of the Oakland University men's and women's swimming and diving teams. His tenure as a head coach for the Golden Grizzlies is tied for the second-longest among current NCAA Division I head coaches. And during Hovland's storied career, the Golden Grizzlies have captured national championships, multiple conference crowns and seemingly countless individual accolades and titles. Hovland has amassed a 38-year record of 262-102 with the men's team, which includes 38 consecutive conference championships, four NCAA Division II National Championships, 54 individual national champions and 38 relay national champions. As the women's mentor for 20 seasons, including the last 18 consecutively, the Golden Grizzlies have posted a 139-71-4 record and 23 straight conference titles. For his efforts, Hovland has been named a conference coach of the year 23 times, including his most recent sweep of bith Horizon League Men's and Women's Swimming Coach of the Year honors in 2015. Hovland arrived on campus in 1979 and spent his first two years as the women's head coach and the men's assistant coach. In 1981, he relinquished his women's duties to become the men's head coach. Then, in 2001, Hovland re-added the head coaching duties for the Oakland women's program. In Oakland's first two seasons as a member of the Horizon League, the Golden Grizzlies carried over their storied winning tradition by capturing both the men's and women's league titles in consecutive years, including the first Horizon League championships for Oakland University. Oakland's swimming sweep in 2015 also aided the Golden Grizzlies in capturing the coveted McCafferty Trophy, the Horizon League's all-sport championship. The 2013-14 campaign also marked a first for the Horizon League thanks to Oakland, when diver Tricia Grant became the first league diver - men's or women's - to advance to the NCAA Championships. Prior to Oakland's move to the Horizon League, the Golden Grizzlies had sole ownership of the Summit League's swimming and diving titles. Over a 14-year span, the Golden Grizzlies captured every team title - both men's and women's - for each season the teams were eligible for the championship. Eleven times since Oakland's move to Division I, Hovland has seen swimmers and divers qualify for the NCAA Division I Championships, seven for the men and four for the women. Of those, Anders Jensen (2009, 200 back), Marcin Unold (2008, 100 & 200 back; 2007, 100 back), Chris Sullivan (2006, freestyle) and Tanya Korniyenko (2004, butterfly) went on to score at the national meet and earn All-America honors. The Golden Grizzlies have done it all under Hovland, winning numerous national and conference championships. In Oakland's Division II days, his men's team finished in the top-three at the national championships in 15 of 16 appearances, including winning four consecutive NCAA titles before making the move to Division I status. In 1997, Oakland captured its fourth consecutive Division II National Championship in San Antonio, Texas. In the 1990s alone, Hovland and his team claimed four national championships, three NCAA runner-up finishes and one third-place mark. In his 18 years, Oakland has finished in the top three in the country 15 times, with eight second-place finishes, including five in a row from 1987-91. The success has become habitual for the man who has been selected NCAA Division II Coach of the Year six times. Hovland has had the honor of coaching the NCAA Division II Swimmer of the Year in seven of the 18 seasons he coached.Chris Zoltak was the last to win the honor, being named Division II's top swimmer in 1994. Prior to that, former assistant coach Doug Allen captured the honor in 1991. Tracy Huth, Oakland's former women's swimming coach, won the honor three times, while Mark VanderMey won it in 1988 and Hilton Woods won it in 1989. All four of Oakland Olympians have competed for Hovland.Hilton Woods, who won a bronze in the 50-meter freestyle at the 1987 Pan-American Games, swam for the Netherlands Antilles at the 1988 Summer Olympics.He was joined by Hovland who served as his coach.Also competing at the games were Scott Dickens (Canada - 2004), Dario DiFazio (Venezuela - 1992, 1996) and Haitham Hassan (Egypt - 2000). While the success in the pool has been astounding, it has been matched by success in the classroom. The Golden Grizzlies are consistently named as an All-Academic Team by the National Swimming Coaches Association of America, and a number of Oakland individuals, including 1997 graduate Jay Judson, have been honored by being named to the NSCAA All-Academic Team. With his 3.74 GPA in English Literature and his many athletic accolades, Judson was awarded a prestigious NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarship in 1997, becoming the seventh Oakland male swimmer to do so. Prior to being handed the head coaching reins, Hovland served as an assistant to Oakland head coach and Oakland Hall of Honor member Ernie Maglischo for two seasons, one of which was Oakland's NCAA Championship year. The pair first connected at Chico State, where Maglischo coached Hovland.As a swimmer, Hovland won five individual national titles and was part of eight national championship relay squads as he was a 23-time NCAA Division II All-America. He swam on four NCAA Championship teams. In 1976, he was selected as the Far Western Conference (FWC) Athlete of the Year and was inducted into the Chico State Hall Of Honor in 1998 and the City of Chico Hall of Fame in 2009. Hovland earned his bachelor's degree in physical education Chico State in 1976, and received his master's degree from the Northern Iowa in 1979. Following his swimming career, Hovland was an assistant coach at Chico State and Northern Iowa. Pete Hovland Position: Men's and Women's Head Coach Alma Mater: Chico State, 1976 E-mail coach Pete Hovland The 2015-16 season marked the 37th consecutive year for Pete Hovland as a mentor of the Oakland University men's and women's swimming and diving teams. His tenure as a head coach for the Golden Grizzlies is tied for the second-longest among current NCAA Division I head coaches. And during Hovland's storied career, the Golden Grizzlies have captured national championships, multiple conference crowns and seemingly countless individual accolades and titles. Hovland has amassed a 38-year record of 262-102 with the men's team, which includes 38 consecutive conference championships, four NCAA Division II National Championships, 54 individual national champions and 38 relay national champions. As the women's mentor for 20 seasons, including the last 18 consecutively, the Golden Grizzlies have posted a 139-71-4 record and 23 straight conference titles. For his efforts, Hovland has been named a conference coach of the year 23 times, including his most recent sweep of bith Horizon League Men's and Women's Swimming Coach of the Year honors in 2015. Hovland arrived on campus in 1979 and spent his first two years as the women's head coach and the men's assistant coach. In 1981, he relinquished his women's duties to become the men's head coach. Then, in 2001, Hovland re-added the head coaching duties for the Oakland women's program. In Oakland's first two seasons as a member of the Horizon League, the Golden Grizzlies carried over their storied winning tradition by capturing both the men's and women's league titles in consecutive years, including the first Horizon League championships for Oakland University. Oakland's swimming sweep in 2015 also aided the Golden Grizzlies in capturing the coveted McCafferty Trophy, the Horizon League's all-sport championship. The 2013-14 campaign also marked a first for the Horizon League thanks to Oakland, when diver Tricia Grant became the first league diver - men's or women's - to advance to the NCAA Championships. Prior to Oakland's move to the Horizon League, the Golden Grizzlies had sole ownership of the Summit League's swimming and diving titles. Over a 14-year span, the Golden Grizzlies captured every team title - both men's and women's - for each season the teams were eligible for the championship. Eleven times since Oakland's move to Division I, Hovland has seen swimmers and divers qualify for the NCAA Division I Championships, seven for the men and four for the women. Of those, Anders Jensen (2009, 200 back), Marcin Unold (2008, 100 & 200 back; 2007, 100 back), Chris Sullivan (2006, freestyle) and Tanya Korniyenko (2004, butterfly) went on to score at the national meet and earn All-America honors. The Golden Grizzlies have done it all under Hovland, winning numerous national and conference championships. In Oakland's Division II days, his men's team finished in the top-three at the national championships in 15 of 16 appearances, including winning four consecutive NCAA titles before making the move to Division I status. In 1997, Oakland captured its fourth consecutive Division II National Championship in San Antonio, Texas. In the 1990s alone, Hovland and his team claimed four national championships, three NCAA runner-up finishes and one third-place mark. In his 18 years, Oakland has finished in the top three in the country 15 times, with eight second-place finishes, including five in a row from 1987-91. The success has become habitual for the man who has been selected NCAA Division II Coach of the Year six times. Hovland has had the honor of coaching the NCAA Division II Swimmer of the Year in seven of the 18 seasons he coached.Chris Zoltak was the last to win the honor, being named Division II's top swimmer in 1994. Prior to that, former assistant coach Doug Allen captured the honor in 1991. Tracy Huth, Oakland's former women's swimming coach, won the honor three times, while Mark VanderMey won it in 1988 and Hilton Woods won it in 1989. All four of Oakland Olympians have competed for Hovland.Hilton Woods, who won a bronze in the 50-meter freestyle at the 1987 Pan-American Games, swam for the Netherlands Antilles at the 1988 Summer Olympics.He was joined by Hovland who served as his coach.Also competing at the games were Scott Dickens (Canada - 2004), Dario DiFazio (Venezuela - 1992, 1996) and Haitham Hassan (Egypt - 2000). While the success in the pool has been astounding, it has been matched by success in the classroom. The Golden Grizzlies are consistently named as an All-Academic Team by the National Swimming Coaches Association of America, and a number of Oakland individuals, including 1997 graduate Jay Judson, have been honored by being named to the NSCAA All-Academic Team. With his 3.74 GPA in English Literature and his many athletic accolades, Judson was awarded a prestigious NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarship in 1997, becoming the seventh Oakland male swimmer to do so. Prior to being handed the head coaching reins, Hovland served as an assistant to Oakland head coach and Oakland Hall of Honor member Ernie Maglischo for two seasons, one of which was Oakland's NCAA Championship year. The pair first connected at Chico State, where Maglischo coached Hovland.As a swimmer, Hovland won five individual national titles and was part of eight national championship relay squads as he was a 23-time NCAA Division II All-America. He swam on four NCAA Championship teams. In 1976, he was selected as the Far Western Conference (FWC) Athlete of the Year and was inducted into the Chico State Hall Of Honor in 1998 and the City of Chico Hall of Fame in 2009. Hovland earned his bachelor's degree in physical education Chico State in 1976, and received his master's degree from the Northern Iowa in 1979. Following his swimming career, Hovland was an assistant coach at Chico State and Northern Iowa. Pete Hovland by the Numbers Grizz Vision with Pete Hovland Swimming & Diving 05/17/2014 Grizz Vision with Pete Hovland Swimming & Diving 05/16/2014
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Shawn Kornoelje
Associate Head Coach
Kornoelje concluded his 11th season with the Golden Grizzlies in 2015, including his seventh year as the program's associate head coach. Kornoelje brings over 25 years of high-level coaching experience to the Oakland University staff, where his primary responsibilities include working with distance swimmers and coordinating recruiting activities. Distance swimmers have thrived at Oakland under Kornoelje's guidance, as the Golden Grizzlies captured the men's 500 freestyle title in each of the last two conference championships. In 2014, the Oakland men swept the 1650 freestyle (Amr el Sayed, 15:12.18), 1000 freestyle (Amr el Sayed, 9:00.03) and 500 freestyle (Jorden Merrilees, 4:18.83). Oakland boasts the Horizon League record in both the 1650 and 500 free. While Kornoelje's recruiting efforts for Oakland have brought in some of the top talent both regionally and nationally, his biggest recruit joined the Golden Grizzlies' roster in 2015 when the men's swimming and diving program of nearby New Baltimore, Mich. Kornoelje's swimming expertise is not only shared with the student-athletes at Oakland, but among the top international competitors in the pool. He has coached multiple medalists for the United State Paralympic teams, with many of his swimmers posting multiple American and world record-holding swims. Over the past four Paralympic Games, Kornoelje's swimmers have captured eight medals. For his coaching efforts at the international level, Kornoelje received the 2011 Rick Knas Lifetime Achievement Award from the Athletes with Disabilities Hall of Fame. The award acknowledges the exceptional success, sportsmanship and community service of one outstanding individual. Kornoelje also received the Jimi Flowers Coach of the Year Award in August 2010. The award recognizes significant contributions by coaches to the inclusion of swimmers with a disability in USA Swimming programs as well in the sport of swimming. Recently, Kornoelje was recently bestowed with his second Order of Ikkos Medallion, presented by the United States Olympic Committee, for the 2012 London Paralympics. The Order of Ikkos is a special order reserved for the coach of an Olympic/Paralympic medalist. The medallion signifies the highest level of excellence that a coach can achieve. Prior to his arrival at Oakland, Kornoelje was a key member of the U.S. Paralympics coaching staff from 1998-2004. Kornoelje assisted in the training and preparation for team camps going into the 2000 Sydney Games, the 2002 World Championships in Argentina and the 2004 Athens Games, where he served as the head coach of the men's swim team. In 2004, Kornoelje was selected as one of the top 25 most influential coaches by Aquatics Magazine for his work with the Paralympic movement. Kornoelje served as a volunteer assistant coach for the University of Michigan's women's swim team, which finished as the NCAA championship runners-up in 1995. A native of Zeeland, Mich., and a 1991 graduate of Eastern Michigan University, Kornoelje's coaching experience includes stints at the high school and club level. Kornoelje garnered Coach of the Year accolades as the head coach for the Grosse Pointe South girls swim team in 2003 and also led Ann Arbor Huron High School to back-to-back Class A state runner-up finishes for both the boys and girls in 1990 and 1991. Kornoelje has also mentored the Rapids Area YMCA in Grand Rapids and the Ann Arbor Swim Club from 1991-95 and 1998-2000; serving first as an assistant coach and then as the head coach. Kornoelje trained national champions along with Paralympic and Olympic gold medalists during his tenure. He is married to and coaches, Cheryl Angelelli, a world class Paralympic swimmer who won two bronze medals in Athens in 2004 and two silver medals at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics. Kornoelje earned his master's degree in Sports Administration at Wayne State University and is certified with the American Swim Coaches Association. In addition, he is the swimming coordinator on the Michigan Wheelchair Athletic Association's board. He and his wife Cheryl currently reside in Clinton Township, Mich. with their dogs, Lexi and Charlie. Swimming & Diving Home Email this article Printer-friendly format Position: Associate Head Coach Alma Mater: Eastern Michigan, 1991 Shawn Kornoelje Position: Associate Head Coach Alma Mater: Eastern Michigan, 1991 E-mail coach Shawn Kornoelje paired with team IMPACT to bring in
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Larry Albright
Coach
Albright is in his ninth season as the diving coach for men and women for the Golden Grizzlies after joining the program in 2006. Albright arrived at Oakland after a three-year stint as a club coach for Starz Diving in Indianapolis where he worked with John Wingfield, the USA national team coach/director. In 2014 and again in 2015, Albright earned Horizon League Women's Diving Coach of the Year honors after mentoring Tricia Grant to a stellar junior and senior campaigns, respectively. Grant became the first diver in Horizon League history to advance to the NCAA Championships in 2014, where she finished 31st on the 1-meter board and 25th on the 3-meter. In 2012-13, Albright tutored Grant to a 13th place finish on the 1-meter board and a 15th place finish on the 3-meter board at the NCAA Zone C Regionals. He coached and administered the Starz Diving Satellite Program and was responsible for coaching the techniques and mechanics of diving while also overseeing the strength and conditioning component of the program. Albright also served as the head diving coach at Franklin Community High School for both the boys and girls programs. A native of Walled Lake, Michigan, Albright has also coached diving at his high school alma mater, Walled Lake Central. He has also worked with former Oakland diver and coach Buck Smith, who is now the head diving coach at Eastern Michigan and head coach of the highly successful Legacy Diving Program. During his time in the coaching ranks he has coached four high school All-Americans and six all-state performers. He has also had a pair of high school regional champions under his tutelage.
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