Both the men's and women's teams placed top three in the GLIAC last season.

Men's Swimming & Diving 9/8/2022 4:45:00 PM Zachary Manning, Sports Information Graduate Assistant

Swimming and Diving Teams Set To Open Season at Oakland

The men's team placed 15th at the National Championship meet last season, while the women's squad earned 16th place.

DETROIT -- The Wayne State University men's and women's swimming and diving teams will kick off their season with a meet at Oakland University this Friday. The Warriors will hit the pool at 5 PM.

ABOUT THE GOLDEN GRIZZLIES
The Oakland swim and dive programs have been dominant over the years, as the Golden Grizzlies' latest Horizon League titles mark the 44th consecutive league championship on the men's side, and the 28th-straight title for the women. Golden Grizzlies coach Pete Hovland is the second longest tenured coach among current NCAA Division I coaches. Hovland arrived to campus in 1979 and has amassed more than 400 wins between the men's and women's programs since.

LAST MEETING
The Warriors and Golden Grizzlies swam in a pair of meets last season, with one coming in Detroit and the other being held in Rochester Hills. In the first meet, Oakland took care of business in Detroit, claiming a 170.50-108.50 victory on the men's side and a 179-96 win in the women's meet.

The following day, Oakland hosted the Warriors and collected a pair of wins. This time, the Golden Grizzlies claimed a 194.50-86.50 win in the men's meet and earned a 197-82 victory on the women's side.

SEAN PETERS' HOMECOMING
Wayne State head coach Sean Peters will return to his alma mater for this meet, as he was a student-athlete at Oakland and swam under Hovland from 1991-94. He was a four-time NCAA National Champion, earning his first titles as part of the 200 and 400 Free Relay teams in 1993. In 1994, Peters served as captain and led the Pioneers to the national title. He anchored the championship winning 200 Medley Relay with a split time of 19.87 and his 400 Free Relay team defended its title. Peters also finished as national runner-up in the 50 Freestyle to an OU teammate. In total, Peters earned 13 All-America honors during his collegiate career.

From there, Peters went on to become an assistant coach for the Oakland swim and dive programs, where the Pioneers were Division II national champions in 1995, 1996 and 1997. Peters came to Wayne State in 1997.  Since his arrival at Wayne State, every men's and women's varsity swimming record has been broken.

KEY RETURNERS
Both the men's and women's squads bring back key pieces from last year's teams. The men's team will be headlined by senior Luka Cvetko (Varazdin, Croatia) and junior Michael Wolsek (Trenton, Mich.). Both competed at the NCAA Championships last season, helping the Warriors claim 15th place at the national meet and third at the GLIAC Championships. Last season, Wolsek earned four First Team All-GLIAC honors, along with two Second Team accolades and one Third Team award prior to being a five-time All-American (1 First Team Individual, 1 First Team Relay and 3 Honorable Mention Relays) at the National Championships. Wolsek earned fifth place in the 100 fly (46.82) at the NCAA Championship meet. For Cvetko, he earned two First Team All-GLIAC awards, one Second Team honor and two Third Team accolades before earning six All-American (1 First Team Individual, 1 First Team Relay, 1 Honorable Mention as an Individual and 3 Honorable Mention Relays) certificates.

On the women's side, seniors Jordan Fox (Melbourne, Austrailia) and Marina Tarlev (Athens, Greece), along with junior Barbara Munoz (Yumbo, Colombia) should have strong seasons for the Warriors. Fox returns after collecting four individual top-12 finishes at the NCAA Championships. She also earned one First Team All-GLIAC honor, along with five Second Team certificates and one Third Team award.

Tarlev and Munoz will also be key contributors as the duo brings back a wealth of national championship and GLIAC experience. Both swam at the 2022 national championship meet, and the two combined to earn seven All-GLIAC awards. Munoz tallied one First Team honor to go with a pair of Second Team awards, while Tarlev added a First Team honor and three Second Team accolades.

Diving wise, the Warriors should be strong again, as juniors Mikaela Senkus (Macomb, Mich. / Utica Academy for International Studies) and Marissa Woida (Lincoln Park, Mich. / Wyandotte Roosevelt) return for another season. At last year's national championship meet, Senkus placed third in the one-meter diving event and 11th on the three-meter board.  Woida was also strong for the Green and Gold, notching 16th place in the one-meter diving competition.

FRESH FACES
After a successful 2021-22 campaign, the Warriors will welcome several newcomers to each roster. The men welcomed freshmen Quinn Aho (Chassel, Mich. / Houghton), Trevor Frerichs (Pontiac, Mich. / Stoney Creek), Thomas Jackowski (Wroclaw, Poland), Andy Maiz (Northville, Mich.), Mitchell McMath (Midland, Mich.) and James Violassi (West Bloomfield, Mich. / North Farmington).

For the women, seven new athletes joined the program. Those include Elly Belmore (St. Clair Shores, Mich. / Lakeview), Megan Delaere (Rochester Hills, Mich. / Rochester), Hasten Horling (Grand Rapids, Mich. / Northview), Diana Muccioli (Grosse Pionte Woods, Mich. / Grosse Pointe North), Saree Schlitt (Bay City, Mich. / John Glenn) McKenzie Valencia-Moore (South Lyon, Mich.) and Madison Verbeke (Clarkston, Mich.).

WHAT'S NEXT?
The Warriors will have some time off before their next meet. The next time WSU hits the pool will be on Oct. 21 at 5 PM against Davenport inside the Matthaei Natatorium. Wayne State defeated the Panthers on both the men's and women's sides last year.

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Players Mentioned

Luka Cvetko: Free/Back; 6' 2"; Junior

Michael Wolsek: Sprint/Fly; 6' 0"; Sophomore

Jordan Fox: Back/Free; 5' 11"; Junior

Barbara Munoz: Free/Fly; 5' 10"; Sophomore

Mikaela Senkus: Diving; 5' 8"; Sophomore

Marina Tarlev: Sprint Free/Fly; 5' 7"; Junior

Marissa Woida: Diving; 5' 5"; Redshirt Sophomore

Trevor Frerichs: Distance Free; 5' 9"; Freshman

Thomas Jackowski: Sprint Free; 6' 3"; Freshman

Andy Maiz: Diving; 5' 8"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

Luka Cvetko
: 6' 2"; Junior
: Free/Back

Michael Wolsek
: 6' 0"; Sophomore
: Sprint/Fly

Jordan Fox
: 5' 11"; Junior
: Back/Free

Barbara Munoz
: 5' 10"; Sophomore
: Free/Fly

Mikaela Senkus
: 5' 8"; Sophomore
: Diving

Marina Tarlev
: 5' 7"; Junior
: Sprint Free/Fly

Marissa Woida
: 5' 5"; Redshirt Sophomore
: Diving

Trevor Frerichs
: 5' 9"; Freshman
: Distance Free

Thomas Jackowski
: 6' 3"; Freshman
: Sprint Free

Andy Maiz
: 5' 8"; Freshman
: Diving