Bearcats Set 6 Records, Earn All-NWC Honors 12 Times at NWC Championships

By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

SALEM, Ore. -- Members of the Willamette University swimming teams broke six school records and earned All-Northwest Conference honors a total of 12 times during the 2020 NWC Swimming Championships, which were held from Feb. 13 through Feb. 16 at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, Washington. The swimmers also achieved 19 times that qualified for spots on Willamette's all-time top 10 lists. The Bearcats were led in their efforts by Head Coach Brent Summers and Assistant Coach Erin McVeigh.

Athletes received First Team All-NWC recognition by placing in the top three of an individual event or by participating on a winning relay team. Second Team All-NWC recognition went to swimmers who placed fourth through eighth in an individual event or competed on a relay team that finished second or third.

Bearcats who set school records in individual events at the NWC Championships were Ben Fritz (Jr., Los Gatos, CA/Leigh HS), Niki Kates (Sr., Truckee, CA/Forest Charter School), and Derek Ludwig (Sr., Moraga, CA/Campolindo HS). Fritz tied the men's record in the 200-yard freestyle, and set new men's records in the 1,000-yard freestyle and 1,650-yard freestyle. Kates established a new record in the women's 200-yard individual medley, while Ludwig set a new top mark in the men's 100-yard butterfly.

Fritz tied the men's 200-yard freestyle record with a time of 1:42.65 while taking third place in the championship final. The record was previously earned by Danny James in 1992. Fritz took fourth place in the 1,650-yard freestyle, while setting the Willamette record for the third year in a row with a new top time of 16:15.75. He broke his own previous records of 16:22.00 at the 2019 NWC Championships and 16:30.34 at the 2018 NWC Championships.

In addition, Fritz set a new record in the 1,000-yard freestyle during the race, as he swam the first 1,000 yards in 9:47.78. Last year, Fritz set the previous 1,000-yard record with a time of 9:54.46. Prior to last season the Willamette record for 1,000 yards was 9:59.84 by Brady Childs in 2000.

Kates set a women's 200-yard individual medley record by completing 50-yard in each of the four strokes in 2:09.26, as she placed fourth in the championship final. The previous WU record in the 200 I.M. was set by Cassie Tallman in 2:10.25 at the 2017 NWC Championships.

Ludwig broke his own record in the men's 100-yard butterfly twice during the championship meet. First, he registered a time of 51.03 seconds in the prelims. Then, he set the record again in 50.87 seconds on his way to a fifth place finish in the championship final. The WU record prior to the meet was set by Ludwig at the 2019 NWC Championships when he earned a time of 51.42 seconds. In one year, he lowered his record time by 0.55.

The Bearcats also set a record in the men's 800-yard freestyle relay on the first evening of the competition. The four record-setting swimmers were Fritz, Daniel Fang (Jr., Rancho Santa Margarita, CA/Catholic HS), Alex Hougan (Sr., Olympia, WA/Olympia HS) and Ludwig, who completed the race in 7:02.05 to take fourth place. The previous school record was 7:02.28, set by the same four swimmers in 2019. A year ago, Hougan swam the second leg and Fang completed the third leg.

Fritz received First Team All-NWC recognition in the men's 200-yard freestyle (3rd place) and qualified for Second Team All-NWC honors in the 1,650-yard freestyle (4th place) and the 500-yard freestyle (8th place). Kates claimed Second Team All-NWC finishes in three events -- the women's 200-yard individual medley (4th place), the 200-yard backstroke (6th place), and the women's 100-yard backstroke (8th place).

Ludwig and Ben Hedman (Sr., Davis, CA/Davis HS) each placed between fourth and eighth in two events. Ludwig was named Second Team All-NWC in the men's 100-yard butterfly (5th place) and the 200-yard butterfly (5th place), while Hedman garnered Second Team All-NWC results in the men's 400-yard individual medley (5th place) and the 200-yard butterfly (7th place).

Corinne Pierson (So., Port Townsend, WA/Port Townsend HS) grabbed Second Team All-NWC status in the women's 100-yard backstroke (7th place). Will Compton (Fy., Portage, MI/Portage Northern HS) registered Second Team All-NWC recognition in the men's 1,650-yard freestyle (6th place).

The Bearcats achieved 19 times in individual and relay events that rank in the top 10 all-time for Willamette. Those top 10 times were recorded in 12 events. Willamette's All-NWC honorees at the 2020 NWC Championships are listed below, followed by the new top 10 times earned by the Bearcats.

Willamette Men's Swimming
First Team All-NWC

Note:  Times are from finals

Ben Fritz (Jr., Los Gatos, CA/Leigh HS)
200-yard freestyle, 3rd place, 1:42.65 (tied school record)

Willamette Men's Swimming
Second Team All-NWC

Note:  Times are from finals

Ben Fritz (Jr., Los Gatos, CA/Leigh HS)
1,650-yard freestyle, 4th place, 16:15.75 (school record), also set a school record in the 1,000 in this race (9:47.78)
500-yard freestyle, 8th place, 4:43.95

Derek Ludwig (Sr., Moraga, CA/Campolindo HS)
100-yard butterfly, 5th place, 50.87 (school record)
200-yard butterfly, 5th place, 1:54.48

Ben Hedman (Sr., Davis, CA/Davis HS)
400-yard individual medley, 5th place, 4:12.24
200-yard butterfly, 7th place, 1:58.09

Will Compton (Fy., Portage, MI/Portage Northern HS)
1,650-yard freestyle, 6th place, 16:38.05 

Willamette Women's Swimming
Second Team All-NWC

Note:  Times are from finals

Niki Kates (Sr., Truckee, CA/Forest Charter School)
200-yard individual medley, 4th place, 2:10.77
200-yard backstroke, 6th place, 2:09.50
100-yard backstroke, 8th place, 1:00.06

Corinne Pierson (So., Port Townsend, WA/Port Townsend HS)
100-yard backstroke, 7th place, 59.66

Willamette All-Time Top 10 Results
Earned at the 2020 NWC Championships

Men's 800-yard freestyle relay
1st - Ben Fritz, Daniel Fang, Alex Hougan, Derek Ludwig, 7:02.05, School Record

Men's 500-yard freestyle
2nd - Ben Fritz, 4:37.52 (prelims)

Women's 200-yard individual medley
1st - Niki Kates, 2:09.26 (prelims), School Record
7th - Niki Kates, 2:10.77 (finals)

Women's 400-yard medley relay
4th - Corinne Pierson, Min Wei, Niki Kates, Olivia Frenkel, 4:02.23

Men's 400-yard medley relay
2nd - Will Compton, Ben Nickell, Derek Ludwig, Ben Fritz, 3:31.44

Men's 100-yard butterfly
1st - Derek Ludwig, 50.87 (finals), School Record
2nd - Derek Ludwig, 51.03 (prelims)

Men's 200-yard freestyle
1st - Ben Fritz, 1:42.65 (finals), School Record
5th - Ben Fritz, 1:43.44 (prelims)

Women's 100-yard backstroke
4th - Corinne Pierson, 58.78 (prelims)
6th - Niki Kates, 59.17 (prelims)

Men's 1,650-yard freestyle
1st - Ben Fritz, 16:15.75 (finals), School Record
4th - Will Compton, 16:38.05 (finals)

Men's 1,000-yard freestyle
1st - Ben Fritz, 9:47.78 (as part of 1,650), School Record
6th - Will Compton, 10:02.62 (as part of 1,650)

Women's 200-yard backstroke
6th - Niki Kates, 2:08.54 (prelims)
10th - Niki Kates, 2:09.50 (finals)

Men's 200-yard butterfly
7th, Derek Ludwig, 1:54.48 (finals)