Bearcat Swimmers Reach Championship and Consolation Finals at NWC Meet

Kiley Lin (Fr., Palo Alto, CA/Henry M. Gunn HS)

February 13, 2016

By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director

FEDERAL WAY, Wash. -- Willamette University earned five berths in the championship finals and gained 10 spots in the consolation finals during the second day of preliminary heats at the 2016 Northwest Conference Swimming Championships, on Saturday, Feb. 13 at the King County Aquatic Center. The evening session, featuring all of Saturday's finals, will begin at 6 p.m. (PST).

Leading the way was Kiley Lin (Fr., Palo Alto, CA/Henry M. Gunn HS), who placed second in the prelims of the women's 100-yard backstroke with a time of 58.11 seconds to advance to the championship final. It was the second fastest time in WU history, trailing only her own school record of 57.88 set on Friday as the leadoff swimmer on the record-setting 400-yard medley relay team.

Lin also reached the championship final in the women's 100-yard butterfly. Her time of 59.46 placed her sixth in the prelims and was the fourth-fasted time in WU history. Malia Santos (Sr., Kailua-Kona, HI/Kealakehe HS), who completed the 100 butterfly in 59.64 seconds during the prelims, will join Lin in the championship final. The time for Santos was fifth-best all-time for the Bearcats and placed seventh in the prelims.

Santos holds the school record in the 100-yard butterfly at 59.03, set at the 2015 NWC Championships.

In the women's 100-yard breaststroke, Cassie Tallman (So., Seattle, WA/Roosevelt HS) of Willamette placed fifth in the prelims in 1:07.69 to reach the championship final. Tallman's time was a personal record and ranks third on the WU all-time list. Annette Marinello set the Bearcats' record in 2013 at 1:07.27.

Alika Masei (Jr., Salem, OR/West Salem HS) Alika Masei (Jr., Salem, OR/West Salem HS) earned a berth in the championship final of the men's 100-yard backstroke, but he had to swim twice to secure it. In the preliminary heats, Masei and David Olson from the University of Puget Sound each recorded a time of 53.42 seconds and tied for eighth overall.

Masei and Olson returned to the pool about 15 minutes later for a swim-off to determine who received the final spot in the championship final. Masei won the swim-off with a time of 52.83 seconds, while Olson finished in 53.53. Olson will swim in the consolation final.

Three members of the Willamette women's team and six swimmers on the Bearcat men's team advanced to the consolation finals on Saturday.

For the WU women, Ashlyn Witherwax (So., Honolulu, HI/Punahou School) and Leah Freeborn (Sr., Federal Way, WA/Todd Beamer HS) reached the consolation final in the 100-yard breaststroke, while Michaela Zuber (Sr., Sacramento, CA/Sheldon HS) moved into the consolation final in the 100-yard backstroke.

Zuber was ninth in the prelims of the 100 backstroke. Her time was 1:00.08. She missed the championship final by 0.46.

Witherwax placed 12th in the prelims of the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:09.05. Her result ranks ninth all-time at Willamette. Freeborn was 15th in the prelims at 1:10.14. Anna Burdine (Fr., Seattle, Wash./Mount Rainier HS) of WU placed 17th in 1:11.76 and became the first alternate if athletes scratch from the finals.

Mark Yuvienco (So., San Jose, CA/Bellarmine College Prep) from the Willamette men's team recorded the 10th-best time of the 100-yard butterfly prelims at 52.20 seconds to qualify for the consolation final. His time ranks fifth on Willamette's list.

Andrew Lum (Sr., Honolulu, HI/Punahou School) of WU also earned a spot in the consolation final of the 100-yard butterfly. He registered a time of 53.84 seconds to rank 16th in the prelims.

In the men's 200-yard freestyle, Reuben White (So., Portland, OR/Westview HS) was 11th in the prelim to gain a berth in the consolation final. Whit'es time was 1:45.48.

Josh Bumgarner (Jr., Walla Walla, WA/Walla Walla HS) and Dan Aki (Jr., Union City, CA/James Logan HS) both reached the consolation final in the 400-yard individual medley. Bumgarner placed 13th in the prelims at 4:23.47, while Aki claimed a time of 4:26.28 to place 15th.

Jason Bayang (Jr., Wahiawa, HI/Hoala School) of WU achieved a berth in the consolation final of the 100-yard backstroke. He was 12th in the prelims at 54.41 seconds. Bayang also advanced to the consolation final in the 100-yard breaststroke. His time of 1:00.60 placed 14th in the prelims.

In addition to championship finals and consolation finals in all of Saturday's individual events, the evening session will include the 200-yard medley relay and the 800-yard freestyle relay.