Bearcats Take on Oregon State and Southwestern Oregon in Corvallis
By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director
CORVALLIS, Ore. -- The Willamette University swimming teams competed against Oregon State University and Southwestern Oregon Community College on Saturday, Jan. 16 at the Stevens Natatorium. Oregon State's women defeated Willamette, 138-78, while the Bearcat women's team downed Southwestern Oregon, 166-53. The SWOCC men's squad outscored Willamette, 137-87. OSU's women defeated SWOCC, 143-62.
The team results against Southwestern Oregon do not count on the Willamette or Oregon State dual meet records because SWOCC is a two-year college. The Willamette women fell to 1-4 on the season with the loss to Oregon State. The Bearcat men's team remained 0-4. Oregon State does not compete in men's swimming.
Alika Masei (Jr., Salem, OR/West Salem HS) had a strong meet for the Bearcat men's team. He won the 100-yard breaststroke, took first place in the 100-yard individual medley and placed second in the 50-yard backstroke.
Masei registered a time of 1:01.87 in the 100-yard breaststroke to take 0.18 off his season-best. He won by 0.26 over Christian Broschat of SWOCC, who took second in 1:02.13.
In the 100 I.M., Masei's time was 55.94, again just below his season-best of 56.06. Mykah Fujiwara (Fr., Kaneohe, HI/Punahou School) of WU placed second in 1:01.03.
The men's 50-yard backstroke was won by Thomas Reams of Southwestern Oregon, who earned a time of 25.39 seconds. Masei followed at 25.86. Jason Bayang (Jr., Wahiawa, HI/Hoala School) of Willamette was third at 26.49.
Bayang placed second in 100-yard backstroke by just 0.03 behind Adam Todd of SWOCC. Todd won the race in 57.59 seconds, while Bayang achieved a time of 57.82. Bayang took a solid third place finish in he 50-yard breaststroke in 29.25 seconds.
Mark Yuvienco (So., San Jose, CA/Bellarmine College Prep) won the men's 100-yard butterfly for the Bearcats, as he recorded a time of 54.97 seconds. Dan Aki (Jr., Union City, CA/James Logan HS) of WU placed second in 55.89 seconds.
Yuvienco was second in the 50-yard butterfly in 25.27 seconds. Christian Kubo from Southwestern Oregon won the event with a time of 25.10 seconds.
Also for the Willamette men's team, Shelby Merrill (Jr., Thousand Oaks, CA/Westlake HS) was second in the 500-yard freestyle and third in the 100-yard freestyle, while Reuben White (So., Portland, OR/Westview HS) placed second in the 100 free.
Merill's time in the 500 free was 5:01.28. White was timed at 50.81 in the 100 free, with Merrill finishing in 52.05. Wyatt Engler won the 100 free for Southwestern Oregon in 50.26 seconds.
In the women's competition, OSU, WU and SWOCC competed together in each event, with the double-dual team scoring determined by time. The Beavers competed exhibition in the final few events after OSU built solid leads on the Bearcats and Southwestern Oregon.
Willamette won the final three women's events.
Kiley Lin (Fr., Palo Alto, CA/Henry M. Gunn HS) earned first place in the 50-yard butterfly in 28.18 seconds. Sienna Smith of SWOCC was second in 28.39. OSU's top swimmer in the event, was Constance Toulemonde, competing exhibition with a time of 25.94.
Cassie Tallman (So., Seattle, WA/Roosevelt HS) took first in the 100-yard individual medley, with teammate Leah Freeborn (Sr., Federal Way, WA/Todd Beamer HS) in second place. Tallman registered a time of 1:04.08 and Freeborn finished in 1:09.19.
In the 200-yard freestyle relay, Willamette won the event in 1:45.64. Swimming for the Bearcats on the relay team were Lin, Michaela Zuber (Sr., Sacramento, CA/Sheldon HS), Jamie Johnson (So., Seattle, WA/Nathan Hale HS) and Rachel Harvill (Fr., Alamo, CA/Monte Vista HS). Southwestern Oregon was second with a time of 1:46.99.
During earlier events with Oregon State competing for team scoring, top finishes for WU included Lin taking second in the 100-yard backstroke and fourth in the 50-yard backstroke. In the 100 back, she was clocked at 1:01.67, as she trailed only Megan Lam of OSU, who won the event in 59.28 seconds. Lin earned a time of 28.82 seconds in the 50 back.
Other top performances for the Willamette women's team:
Anna Burdine (Fr., Seattle, Wash./Mount Rainer HS) took third place in the 500-yard freestyle. Her time was 5:40.38. She was just 2.65 seconds behind Taylor Frank of Oregon State, who placed second in 5:37.73. Sammy Harrison of OSU won the race in 5:00.28.
Ashlyn Witherwax (So., Honolulu, HI/Punahou School) finished in third place in the 50-yard breaststroke. Witherwax completed the race in 32.00 seconds. Czarina Isleta placed first for the Beavers in 30.76 seconds, whole Corrine Shigeta of OSU was second in 31.79.
Up next for the Bearcats:
Willamette will host Northwest Conference opponent Pacific University in a dual meet on Friday, Jan. 22 at 6 p.m. (PST) in the WU Natatorium. The Bearcats will travel to Portland, Oreogn, on Saturday, Jan. 23 to battle NWC rival Lewis & Clark College at 1 p.m.