Willamette Women Defeat Lewis & Clark, 104-95

By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director, (503) 370-6110

SALEM, ORE. -- The Willamette University women's swimming team opened its Northwest Conference dual match schedule with a 104-95 victory over Lewis & Clark College on Friday, Nov. 6 at Cone Field House. Willamette is 1-0 on the season, 1-0 in the NWC. Lewis & Clark dropped to 0-1, 0-1 in the NWC.

In the men's competition, Lewis & Clark defeated the Bearcats, 144-56. L&C is 1-0 overall and 1-0 in the NWC. Willamette fell to 0-1 overall, 0-1 in the conference.

Hanna Connett (Jr., Pullman, WA/Pullman HS) led the Willamette women's team, as she won two events and finished second in another. She was stellar in the distance events, winning the 1,000-yard freestyle in 11:40.25 and taking first in the 500-yard freestyle in 5:45.26.

In both races, Connett started a 1-2 finish for the Bearcats, with Jenna Larrow (Sr., Boise, ID/Timberline HS) taking second place each time. Larrow completed the 1,000 free in 11:45.59 and swam the 500 free in 5:47.28.

Connett claimed second place in the 100-yard breaststroke. WU teammate Janelle Higashida (So., Kaneohe, HI/Hawaii Baptist Academy) won the event with a time of 1:14.75. Connett finished the race in 1:17.74.

Gwen Schulze (Sr., Silverdale, WA/Central Kitsap/Austin College) also won two events for the WU women's team. She took first place in the 100-yard butterfly after clocking in at 1:02.83. She also prevailed in the 100-yard backstroke, as her time of 1:05.06 allowed her to edge out Cat Menkel-Lawrence of L&C, who finished in 1:05.28.

Also for the Bearcats, Lauren Ballinger (Fr., Wenatchee, WA/Wenatchee HS) won the 200-yard freestyle. She recorded a time of 2:06.49.

Rachael Cazden achieved first place finishes for L&C in the sprints. She was victorious in the 50-yard freestyle in 25.68 seconds and won the 100-yard freestyle in 55.13 seconds. Menkel-Lawrence placed first for L&C in the 200-yard individual medley with a time of 2:20.32.

The Pioneers also won both of the women's relay events. The 200-yard medley relay was very close, with L&C clocking in at 1:58.97 and WU following just 0.25 seconds later at 1:59.22. Swimming for WU were Schulze, Higashida, Kara Koetje (So., Arlington, WA/Stanwood HS) and Ballinger.

Senior Matt Tanigawa (Kailua, HI/Hawaii Baptist Academy) was Willamette's only first place finisher in the men's events. He won the 200-yard individual medley at 2:10.02. He also finished second in the 100-yard butterfly, as his time of 1:01.25 was 0.77 seconds behind Steven Carreno of L&C, who took first in 1:00.48.

Carreno was one of three Pioneer men to win two events. In addition to the 100 fly, he won the 200-yard freestyle in 1:58.11.

Josh Spegman of L&C won the 500-yard freestyle in 5:24.44 and the 1,000-yard freestyle in 11:03.43. Isaac Ekblad prevailed in the 50-yard freestyle in 23.17 seconds and the 100-yard freestyle in 52.51 seconds.

Ekblad's triumph in the 50 free was part of a close finish by three swimmers. Ekblad won by just 0.04, as Michael McGeehan (So., Moscow, ID/Moscow HS) of Willamette took second place at 23.21 seconds. Shuichi Matsumoto of L&C placed third in 23.34 seconds.

Lewis & Clark won the men's relay races. The Pioneers clocked in at 1:44.52 in the 200-yard medley relay and registered a time of 1:40.15 in the 200-yard freestyle relay.

Willamette will travel to Tacoma, Wash., on Saturday, Nov. 7 to take on the University of Puget Sound in another NWC match-up. The action is set to begin at 1 p.m. (PST).