Wildcats Nip Bearcats in Men's and Women's Swimming

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

McMINNVILLE, ORE. -- Linfield College edged out Willamette University in men's and women's swimming during a Northwest Conference dual meet on Saturday, Jan. 31 at the Linfield Aquatics Center. The Wildcats defeated the Bearcats, 112.50-92.50 in the women's competition, and earned a 107-98 victory with a win in the final men's event.

Both of Willamette's teams completed the dual meet season at 2-5 overall and 2-5 in the NWC. Linfield's teams also finished 2-5 overall and 2-5 in the NWC.

The men's competition was decided by the slim margin of 0.20 in the 200-yard freestyle relay. Entering the relay, the Wildcats held a 96-92 lead.

Linfield finished first in the free relay in 1:30.95 and Willamette took second in 1:31.15. Linfield's anchor, Jonathan Tillery, trailed by a small margin entering the final length, but edged out Mark Yuvienco (Fr., San Jose, CA/Bellarmine College Prep) at the final touch.

The Wildcats also edged Willamette in several battles for first and third place in individual men's events. Overall, the Wildcats won both relays and four individual events, while the Bearcat men's team won four individual events.

Linfield claimed women's team victory despite a trio of wins by Cassie Tallman (Fr., Seattle, WA/Roosevelt HS) of Willamette. Tallman won the 400-yard individual medley in 4:53.25. She also achieved first place in the 100-yard backstroke in 1:02.63 and the 100-yard breaststroke in 1:09.86

Tallman led the Bearcats to 1-2 finished in backstroke and breaststroke races. Michaela Zuber (Jr., Sacramento, CA/Sheldon HS) placed second in the 100 backstroke in 1:03.23, while Ashlyn Witherwax (Fr., Honolulu, HI/Punahou School) was second in the 100 breaststroke in 1:11.00.

Also winning an individual event for the WU women's team was Malia Santos (Jr., Kailua-Kona, HI/Kealakehe HS), who took first place in the 100-yard butterfly. She completed the race in 1:01.55 to win by more than three seconds.

In addition, Santos tied for first place with Rita Cohen of Linfield in the women's 50-yard freestyle. Both swimmers were timed at 25.88 seconds. Jamie Johnson (Fr., Seattle, WA/Nathan Hale HS) of Willamette was third in 26.68 seconds, as she held off Tori Nickerson of Linfield, who finished fourth in 26.97.

Santos helped Willamette win the 200-yard medley relay to start the meet. The Bearcats achieved a winning time of 1:54.58, while Linfield was second in 1:59.71. Zuber, Witherwax, Santos and Johnson swam on the relay team for Willamette.

Yuvienco won two events for the Bearcat men's team, as he bested the field in the 100-yard butterfly and the 500-yard freestyle. In the 100 butterfly, Yuvienco's time was a personal season-best 53.05 seconds. Ian White of Linfield placed second in 53.87 seconds. In the 500 freestyle, Yuvienco registered a time of 4:58.11.

Shelby Merrill (So., Thousand Oaks, CA/Westlake HS) of WU was second in the 500 in 5:04.87, as the Bearcats attained a 1-2 finish.

Earlier in the meet, Merrill took first place in the 1,650-yard freestyle. He recorded a winning time of 17:28.81, as he gained an advantage over the final quarter of the race, after swimming evenly with Juan Vidal of Linfield. Vidal placed second in 17:32.35.

Alika Masei (So., Salem, OR/West Salem HS) led a 1-2 result for Willamette in the men's 100-yard backstroke. Masei achieved a time of 54.71 seconds, while teammate Jason Bayang (So., Wahiawa, HI/Hoala School) earned second place in 57.95 seconds.

Willamette's Reuben White (Fr., Portland, OR/Westview HS) placed second in the men's 200-yard freestyle in a personal-best time of 1:50.22. Ian White won the event for Linfield in 1:48.81. Reuben White also took second in the 100-yard freestyle in 51.61 seconds, as he trailed only Hayden Cooksey of Linfield, who won in 50.17 seconds.

Dan Aki (So., Union City, CA/James Logan HS) of WU placed a close second in the men's 400-yard individual medley in 4:31.73. The event was won by Vidal from Linfield with a time of 4:29.17.