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Oakland University Athletics Timeline

2006-07: Oakland won three Mid-Continent Conference championships; women’s soccer and men’s and women’s swimming and diving ... the Golden Grizzlies also won one regular season Mid-Con title; women’s basketball ... two teams represented Oakland in NCAA Tournament competition, women’s soccer and men’s swimming and diving, with men’s swimming finishing 35th ... women’s basketball competed in the WNIT for the first time ... In the Mid-Con Conference Oakland finished fourth in the overall Commissioner’s Cup Standings, with the men’s sports finishing fourth and the women’s third ... Marcin Unold (men’s swimming) earned All-America honors ... Johnathon Jones (men’s basketball) was named to the Mid-Major Freshman All-America team ... Nicole Piggott (women’s basketball) earned ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District honors as well as a spot on the Division I-AAA Athletics Directors Association Scholar-Athlete team along with teammate Jessica Pike ... Kristi Tomczyk (women’s soccer – offensive), Cat Panabaker (women’s soccer – defensive), Zoltan Horvath (men’s swimming) and Amanda Burwell (women’s swimming) were all named their sport’s Mid-Con Athlete of the Year ... Sarah Lieblein (women’s cross country) and Marcin Unold (men’s swimming) were honored with the Mid-Con Newcomer of the Year awards ... Jessica Boyle (women’s soccer) was named her sport’s Mid-Con Tournament MVP and a total of 12 student-athletes were named to their respective All-Tournament teams ... Oakland student-athletes earned All-Mid-Con honors 38 times ... Beckie Francis (women’s basketball) and Greg Kampe (men’s basketball) were tabbed as Mid-Con Coaches of the Year ... Oakland placed 181 student-athletes, the most of any conference school, on the the Academic All-Mid-Con list ... Oakland hosted its first-ever post-season basketball tournament game when the women’s basketball team played Kentucky in the WNIT.

2005-06: Oakland won four Mid-Continent Conference championships ... women's basketball, men’s cross country and men's and women's swimming & diving. The Golden Grizzlies also won a pair of regular season Mid-Con titles ... men's and women's soccer. Oakland also added two new sports; men’s and women’s outdoor track & field. Two teams represented Oakland in NCAA Tournament competition, women’s basketball and men’s swimming and diving. In the Mid-Con Conference Oakland finished fourth in the overall Commissioner's Cup Standings, with the men's sports finishing third and the women's fourth. Adam Frezza (men's cross country), Jeff Wiese (men’s soccer – defensive), Laura Chomokos (softball – pitcher), Kristi Swaving (women’s soccer – offensive), Chris Sullivan (men's swimming), Melissa Jaeger (women’s swimming) and Linda Keskey (women’s diving) were all named their sport's Mid-Con Athlete of the Year. Calvin Wooten (men’s basketball) and Sophia Gustafsson (women’s swimming) were both honored with Mid-Con Newcomer of the Year awards, with Wooten and Adrienne Leone (volleyball) getting a spots on the Mid-Con All-Freshman/Newcomer teams. Anne Hafeli (women’s basketball) was named her sport’s Mid-Con Tournament MVP. A total of 61 student-athletes earned All-Mid-Con honors. Laura Chomokos (softball), Jeff Wiese (men’s soccer) and Chris Edwards (men's soccer) were all tabbed All-Region players. Wes Allen (men’s soccer) was selected as a  Freshman All-American. Pete Hovland (women’s swimming), Glenn MacDonald (softball) and Paul Rice (men’s cross country) were tabbed as Mid-Con Coaches of the Year. Adam Frezza (men's cross country), Chris Sullivan (men's swimming) and Melissa Jaeger (women's swimming) garnered Mid-Con Athlete of the Month honors. Oakland placed 159 student-athletes on the rolls of the Academic All-Mid-Con list for achieving a 3.0 GPA in the semester in which they competed. The Golden Grizzlies also placed the names of 68 student-athletes on the Mid-Con’s Commissioner’s List of Academic Excellence which recognizes student-athletes that carry a 3.0 cumulative GPA. OU's Excellence in Academics (3.0 or above) award was handed out 340 times over the course of the school year. Jeff Wiese (men's soccer) and Anne Hafeli (women's soccer) were honored by being named the Lepley Award recipients as the top senior athlete. Chris Edwards (men’s soccer) was drafted into the professional ranks (3rd-round, Detroit - MISL). Rawle Marshall (men's basketball) became the first Oakland player to play a game in the NBA, playing with the Dallas Mavericks.

2004-05: Oakland won three Mid-Continent Conference championships ... men's basketball and men's and women's swimming & diving. Oakland's women's swimming & diving team also won its fourth straight National Independent Conference title.  The men's basketball team made history by earning its first bid to the NCAA Tournament where it won its Opening Round game against Alabama A&M before falling to eventual national champion North Carolina in the First Round. The win against Alabama A&M enabled the men's team to join softball as teams that have won games in NCAA Tournament competition. In the Mid-Con Conference Oakland finished sixth in the overall Commissioner's Cup Standings, with the men's sports finishing seventh and the women's fifth. Brian Stuard (men's golf), Jeff Wiese (men’s soccer – defensive), Bryon Tansel (men's swimming), Ryan Kish (men's diving), Line Jensen (women’s swimming) and Becky Renkola (women’s diving) were all named their sport's Mid-Con Athlete of the Year. A total of 50 student-athletes earned All-Mid-Con honors. Zoltan Horvath (men’s swimming) and Kim Bacon (women’s swimming) were all honored with Mid-Con Newcomer of the Year awards, with Chelsea Licavoli (volleyball) getting a spot on the Mid-Con All-Freshman team and Petra Manacova (women's basketball) earning the Sixth-Women of the Year Award. Chris Edwards (men's soccer), Jeff Wiese (men’s soccer) and Brett McNabb (men's soccer) were all tabbed All-Region players. Nate Recknagel (baseball) was selected as a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American. Pete Hovland (women’s swimming) was tabbed a Mid-Con Coach of the Year. Ryan Rzepka (men’s soccer) earned first team Academic All-America honors, with Matt Connor (men's soccer) and Laura Cowham (women's soccer) getting named to the Academic All-District IV team. Rawle Marshall (men's basketball), Brian Stuard (men's golf) and Line Jensen (women's swimming)  garnered Mid-Con Athlete of the Month honors. Anne Haflei (women's basketball) earned the school's first College Sports Television National Player of the Week award. Oakland placed 77 student-athletes on the rolls of the Academic All-Mid-Con list -- four baseball players, two men's basketball players, six women's basketball players, three men's cross country runners, three women's cross country runners, six men's golfers, three women's golfers, 10 men's soccer players, eight women's soccer players, six softball players, six men's swimmers & divers, 12 women's swimmers & divers, three women’s tennis players and five volleyball players. OU's Excellence in Academics (3.0 or above) award was handed out 273 times over the course of the school year. Ryan Rzepka (men's soccer) and Laura Cowham (women's soccer) were honored by being named the Lepley Award recipients as the top senior athlete. In addition Rzepka won his second Mid-Con Scholar-Athlete of the Year award while Cowham was honored as one of Oakland's Wilson Award (top award for an OU student). Paul Phillips of the baseball team was the lone Golden Grizzly drafted into the professional ranks (9th-round, Toronto Blue Jays). Rawle Marshall (men's basketball) signed a free agent contract with the Dallas Mavericks of the NBA.

2003-04: Oakland won three Mid-Continent Conference championships ... women's soccer and men's and women's swimming & diving ... The Golden Grizzlies also added one regular season Mid-Con title to its totals ... men's soccer. Oakland's women's swimming & diving team also won its third straight National Independent Conference title.  A total of five teams were represented in NCAA Championships – women’s cross country (Kristie Kieffer), men's soccer, women's soccer, men's swimming & diving (Hunor Ma’te’ and Chris Sullivan) and women's swimming & diving (Tanya Korniyenko and Oksana Strelets). Kristie Kieffer’s appearance at the NCAA Cross Country Championships marked the first time an OU runner competed at the championships since the move to Division I. In the Mid-Con Conference Oakland finished fifth in the overall Commissioner's Cup Standings, with the men's sports finishing tied for sixth and the women's fifth. On the national stage Oakland once again had the second best showing of a Mid-Con school, finishing 167th in the Sears Cup standings. Jason Perry (men’s soccer) was named a third team All-American by the NSCAA, while Lisa-Marie Woods (women’s soccer) earned freshman All-America honors from Soccer Buzz. Kristie Kieffer (women’s cross country), Jason Perry (men’s soccer – defensive), Shelly Piccirillo (women’s soccer – offensive), Therese Bjorke (women’s soccer – defensive), Chris Sullivan (men's swimming), Tanya Korniyenko (women’s swimming) and Linda Keskey (women’s diving) were all named their sport's Mid-Con Athlete of the Year. A total of 61 student-athletes earned All-Mid-Con honors. Woods (women’s soccer), Hunor Ma’te’ (men’s swimming) and Amanda Burwell (women’s swimming) were all honored with Mid-Con Newcomer of the Year awards, with Petra Manakova (women’s basketball) getting a spot on the Mid-Con All-Newcomer team. Jason Perry (men's soccer) and Jeff Wiese (men’s soccer) and Lisa-Marie Woods (women’s soccer) were all tabbed All-Region players.  Nick O’Shea (women’s soccer) and Pete Hovland (women’s swimming) were tabbed the Mid-Con Coach of the Year. Ryan Rzepka (men’s soccer) earned second team Academic All-America honors, with Therese Bjorke (women’s soccer) getting named to the Academic All-District IV team. Kristie Kieffer (women’s cross country) and Jeff Wiese (men’s soccer) garnered Mid-Con Athlete of the Month honors. For a second straight year OU increased its school record for the number of Academic All-Mid-Con awards earned, with a total of 95 student-athletes so honored -- nine baseball players, two men's basketball players, nine women's basketball players, three men's cross country runners, eight women's cross country runners, six men's golfers, four women's golfers, 14 men's soccer players, seven women's soccer players, two softball players, five men's swimmers & divers, 14 women's swimmers & divers, four women’s tennis players and eight volleyball players. Nearly 150 were named to OU's Excellence in Academics (3.0 or above) following both the fall and winter semesters.  Jason Perry (men's soccer) and Kristie Kieffer (women's cross country) were honored by being named the Lepley Award recipients as the top senior athlete. Four student-athletes were drafted into the professional sports ranks, with Jason Perry (men’s soccer) selected in the fifth round by the Los Angeles Galaxy and three baseball players; Dominic Carmosino (27th-round, Detroit Tigers), Kyle Boehm (17th-round, Baltimore Orioles, and Brad Morenko (40th-round, Cincinnati Reds) taken in the Major League Baseball draft.

2002-03: Oakland won a school record six Mid-Continent Conference championships ... men's cross country, men's and women's soccer, softball and men's and women's swimming & diving ... The Golden Grizzlies also added one regular season Mid-Con title to its totals ... men's soccer. Oakland's women's swimming & diving team also won its second straight National Independent Conference title.  A total of five teams were represented in NCAA Championships -- men's soccer, women's soccer, men's swimming & diving (Sean Broadbent, Scott Dickens, Doug Drazin, Eric Lynn and Chris Sullivan), women's swimming & diving (Danielle Ward) and softball. The men's swimming and diving contingent scored 17 points at the NCAA Championships to finish 27th, their best finish and the top finish on the national stage for any Oakland team since the move to Division I. OU's softball team also scored its second straight win at the NCAA Tournament. In the Mid-Con Conference Oakland finished fourth in the overall Commissioner's Cup Standings, with the men's sports finishing fourth and the women's fifth. On the national stage Oakland had its highest-ever finish in the Sears Cup standings, coming in at 134th, the second best showing by a Mid-Con school. Mike Helms (men's basketball) became Oakland's first men's basketball player to earn Division I All-America recognition by the Associated Press with his honorable mention selection. He was also named the Mid-Con's Player of the Year and MVP by CollegeInsider.com. Helms, Philip Braathen (men's soccer), Ericka Burns (softball), Erica Demers (women's soccer), Scott Dickens (men's swimming), Linda Keskey (women's diving) and Tanya Korniyenko (women's swimming) were all named their sport's Mid-Con Athlete of the Year. In addition Nicole Marzano (softball) was named the Mid-Con's Pitcher of the Year. Scott Dickens (men's swimming), Sarah Drouillard (women's cross country), Rawle Marshall (men's basketball), Kristi Swaving (women's soccer) and Jeff Wiese (men's soccer)  were all honored with Mid-Con Newcomer of the Year plaudits. Marshall was also named the Mid-Con's Defensive Player of the Year and named to the National All-Defensive team by CollegeInsider.com as well as being named to the Mid-Con's All-Newcomer team in men's basketball along with Cortney Scott. Jayme Wilson (women's basketball) and Amanda Fowler (volleyball) were also named to the conference's All-Newcomer teams. Mike Helms (men's basketball) and Jason Perry (men's soccer) were all tabbed All-Region players.  Pete Hovland (men's swimming), Paul Rice (men's cross country) and Mike Tomlinson (softball) were tabbed the Mid-Con Coach of the Year. Greg Kampe (men's basketball) was CollegeInsider.com's Mid-Con Coach of the Year. Ericka Burns (softball) was named to the Verizon Academic All-District IV team.  In addition, a school record 70 student-athletes were named All-Mid-Continent Conference -- four baseball players, three men's basketball players, two women's basketball players, six men's cross country runners, two women's cross country runners, three men's golfers, two women's golfers, six men's soccer players, seven women's soccer players, eight softball players, 14 men's swimmers & divers and 13 women's swimmers & divers. Overall it was a successful year in the classroom for OU student-athletes, with 86 student-athletes named Academic All-Mid-Continent Conference and over 150 were named to OU's Excellence in Academics (3.0 or above) following both the fall and winter semesters.  Ryan Bissell (men's cross country) and Danielle Ward (women's swimming) were honored by being named the Lepley Award recipients as the top senior athlete. Baseball's Brent Brown was chosen by the Anaheim Angles in the 22nd round of the Major League Baseball draft.

2001-02: Oakland won five Mid-Continent Conference championships ... women's basketball, women's soccer, men's and women's swimming & diving and softball.  The Golden Grizzlies also won a pair of Mid-Con regular season titles ... men's and women's soccer. OU also won the tne National Independent Conference title in women's swimming & diving. Five teams represented Oakland in NCAA Championships ... women's soccer, women's basketball, men's swimming & diving (Chris Sullivan), women's swimming & diving (Oksana Strelets) and softball. Anita Rapp (women's soccer) and Sarah Judd (women's basketball) were both tabbed All-Americans following their senior year performances.  Rapp, Tamara Swaby (women's swimming), Marc Gray (men's swimming), Devon Cunningham (women's diving), Chris Gawronski (men's diving) and Judd were all Mid-Con Athletes of the Year.   Katie Arnott (women's soccer), Tara Berringer (women's swimming) and Jared Thomas (baseball) were all honored with Mid-Con Newcomer of the Year plaudits.  Inge Pedersen (men's soccer), Rapp (Great Lakes Player of the Year), Kim Moore (women's soccer) and Katie Arnott (women's soccer) were all tabbed All-Region players.  Pete Hovland (women's swimming) and Paul Rice (men's cross country) were tabbed the Mid-Con Coach of the Year.  Nick O'Shea (women's soccer) was the NSCAA Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year.  Jennifer Kunst (women's cross country), Ashley McGhee (women's soccer) and Anita Rapp (women's soccer) were named to the Verizon Academic All-District IV team.  Rapp went on to earn Verizon Academic All-American second team honors, while McGhee was named to the third team.  Rob Maxwell (men's soccer) and Chris King (men's soccer) both earned Scholar Athlete All-Region North/Central academic honors.  In addition, 58 student-athletes were named All-Mid-Continent Conference -- six baseball players, three men's basketball players, three women's basketball players, three men's cross country runners, two women's cross country runners, two men's golfers, two women's golfers, four men's soccer players, eight women's soccer players, five softball players, nine men's swimmers & divers and 11 women's swimmers & divers.   Throughout the 2001-02 season, 90 student-athletes were named to the Mid-Con's All-Academic team and nearly 150 were named to OU's Excellence in Academics (3.0 or above) following both the fall and winter semesters.  McGhee and Mike Skolnik (men's soccer) were honored by being named the Lepley Award recipients as the top senior athlete.   Two baseball players were chosen in the Major League Baseball draft -- Jared Thomas (11th round) and David Viane (20th round).

2000-01: In its second year as a full Mid-Con member, Oakland won a total of three conference championships ... men's and women's swimming & diving and women's soccer. The Golden Grizzlies claimed four regular-season titles ... men's & women's soccer, women's basketball & softball. Katie Wolfe (women's basketball) was named an All-American.  Kristie Kieffer (women's cross country), Kristin Luoma (women's soccer), Tamara Swaby (women's swimming) and Haitham Hassan (men's swimming) were named Mid-Continent Conference Athletes of the Year.   Shelley Aurit (women's swimming), Sean Broadbent (men's swimming), Mike Helms (men's basketball) and Jaymie Voss (softball) were the Mid-Con Newcomers of the Year.  Pete Hovland (men's & women's swimming) and Steve Ogg (softball) were honored as Mid-Con Coaches of the Year.   Gary Robinson (men's golf) and Ericka Burns (softball) were both named to the Verizon Academic All-District IV team.  Throughout the 2000-01 season, 57 student-athletes were named All-Mid-Continent Conference -- two baseball players, two men's basketball players, four women's basketball players, three women's cross country runners, one men's golfer, one women's golfer, eight men's soccer players, eight women's soccer players, four softball players, 12 men's swimmers & divers, 11 women's swimmers & divers and one volleyball player.  Paul Snape (men's soccer) played in the Senior Bowl.  Snape, Viggo Anthonsen (men's soccer) and Gunnar Halvorsen (men's soccer) were all named All-Great Lakes Region.  Adam Sokoll (baseball) was chosen in the 21st round of the Major League Baseball draft.

1999-00: First official Division I season. OU claimed two Mid-Continent Conference championships in its first year of eligibility in the league ... men's and women's swimming and diving. The Golden Grizzlies also won three Mid-Con regular season titles ... men's and women's basketball and women's soccer. The women's swimming & diving team saw Georgi Kinsela earn All-American honors at the NCAA Swimming & Diving Championship.  Anita Rapp (Norway/women's soccer) and Haitham Hassan (Egypt/men's swimming) represented their respective countries at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia.  Rapp was a member of the gold medal winning Norwegian soccer team.   Rapp, Thiago Orso (men's swimming), Rachelle Atrasz (women's swimming) and Kazi Murr (diving) were tabbed the Mid-Continent Conference Athletes of the Year.  Kristie Kieffer (women's cross country), Drew Williams (men's swimming), Danielle Ward (women's swimming) and Katie Wolfe (women's basketball) were Mid-Con Newcomers of the Year.   Nick O'Shea (women's soccer), Scott Teeters (women's swimming), Pete Hovland (men's swimming), Beckie Francis (women's basketball) and Greg Kampe (men's basketball) were honored as the Mid-Con Coaches of the Year.  Kampe was also tabbed the NCAA Coach of the Year by College Hoops Insider.  Myke Thom (men's basketball) was honored as the Mid-Con Student-Athlete of the Year.  Rapp was named to the Verizon Academic All-District IV team.  In addition, 47 student-athletes were named to All-Mid-Continent Conference teams -- two baseball players, two men's basketball players, three women's basketball players, one men's cross country runner, one women's cross country runner, two men's golfers, six men's soccer players, one softball player, seven women's soccer players, 13 men's swimmers & divers, eight women's swimmers & divers, one women's tennis player and one volleyball player.  Mike Dodd (men's soccer) played in the Senior Bowl.  Dodd, Paul Snape (men's soccer), Rapp, Kristen Luoma (women's soccer) and Kim Moore (women's soccer) were all named All-Great Lakes Region.  Erick Swanson (baseball) was chosen in the 12th round of the Major League Baseball draft.

1998-99: OU's first Division I season, with all athletic programs playing Division I schedules. First home Division I basketball game played against the MSU Spartans in the new Recreation and Athletics Center arena. OU introduces a new athletics nickname and mascot, the Golden Grizzlies, replacing the Pioneers.

1997: OU announces its plan to move from NCAA Division II to NCAA Division I-AAA affiliation. The transition is a two-year process that begins in 1997-98. Oakland University joins the Mid-Continent Conference and will compete in the Mid-Con in 1998-99.

1996: Men's Basketball team wins first GLIAC Championship. Women's Basketball wins the GLIAC Championship, marking the first GLIAC basketball sweep in 11 seasons.

1995: Women's Basketball team advances to the NCAA II Elite Eight.

1994: Men's Soccer team loses in overtime in the NCAA Championship game. Both the Women's and Men's Swimming and Diving teams win the NCAA II Championship. The men start a streak of four consecutive titles, while the women's team wins the last of five straight championships. Men's Basketball team earns first of three straight NCAA Tournament bids.

1993: Volleyball team earns first NCAA Tournament berth.

1990: Women's Swimming and Diving team wins first of five straight NCAA II championships. Women's Basketball wins second of two straight league titles and advances to NCAA semi-finals.

1989: Women's Swimming and Diving wins first GLIAC title, starting a streak of seven in eight years.

1986: Men's Soccer team begins a streak of nine straight appearances in the NCAA Tournament and advances to NCAA title game.

1982: Men's Soccer team earns first of six trips to the NCAA semi-finals. Women's Swimming and Diving team finishes third nationally in the first NCAA championship meet for women. Women's Basketball team wins first of six GLIAC Championships and advances to the NCAA II semi-finals in the first year of NCAA Championships for women.

1981: Board of Trustees adopts Policy on Intercollegiate Athletics. Board policy addresses the following: purpose, sports, league affiliation and governance.

1980: Men's Swimming and Diving team wins the school's first NCAA Championship.

1979: Volleyball team wins first GLIAC title. Men's Tennis wins first GLIAC title.

1978: Baseball wins its first GLIAC title.

1977: Board of Trustees approves student fee supporting intercollegiate athletics.

1976: Men's Soccer team earns first NCAA Tournament berth in the fourth year of the program. Men's Swimming and Diving team wins first GLIAC Championship. No other GLIAC school won a men's league swimming title while OU was a member.

1974: Men's Swimming and Diving team finishes seventh at the NCAA II Championships, starting a streak of 23 straight top-seven finishes.

1973: Oakland University Board of Trustees approves Oakland University's membership into the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

1972: President O'Dowd institutes athletic scholarships for men and women.

1966: Faculty Athletic Committee recommends the addition of the sports of men's and women's basketball.

1965: Sports of women's swimming and diving added.

1964: Responding to faculty concern, Chancellor Durward Varner creates a Faculty Athletic Committee, advisory to the chancellor through the University Senate. Mr. Lepley authorized to begin the following men's intercollegiate sports: soccer, cross country, tennis and swimming.

1963: Intramural building completed.

1959: Hollie Lepley hired to shape intramural and recreation activities at Oakland University.