Bearcats Edge Out River Otters

PORTLAND, Ore. – The Willamette University men's swimming team secured a hard-fought 97-89 victory over Lewis & Clark College on Saturday at the Zehntbauer Swimming Pavilion. Behind multiple individual wins from Trai Xiong and Jan Beck, the Bearcats utilized their depth to edge out the Pioneers in the final event standings.

Xiong and Beck Lead the Charge The Bearcats were paced by standout performances from Trai Xiong and Jan Beck, who combined for four individual event titles:

• Xiong's Versatility: Trai Xiong dominated the 400-yard Individual Medley, winning with a time of 4:22.19. He later added a victory in the 100-yard breaststroke, touching the wall in 1:00.10.

• Beck's Distance Sweep: Jan Beck proved untouchable in the distance lanes, securing first-place finishes in both the 1,650-yard freestyle (18:17.03) and the 500-yard freestyle (5:00.96).

Relay and Sprint Success Willamette set the tone early by winning the 200-yard medley relay. The "A" team of Xiong, Ka'olapa Masuko, Ethan Barker, and Kevin Olmedo posted a winning time of 1:41.78.

Other key contributors included:

• Kevin Olmedo, who earned crucial points with second-place finishes in the 50-yard freestyle (22.76) and the 100-yard freestyle (50.49).

• Ka'olapa Masuko, who secured second place in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:00.26) and third in the 50-yard freestyle (23.11).

• Ethan Barker, who took third place in both the 100-yard butterfly (58.72) and the 100-yard backstroke (1:01.89).