Bearcat Swimmers Set three Records, Earn All-NWC Honors seven Times
By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
SALEM, Ore. -- Members of the Willamette University swimming teams broke three school records and earned All-Northwest Conference honors a total of seven times during the 2022 NWC Swimming Championships, which were held from Feb. 10 through Feb. 13 at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, Washington. The swimmers also registered nine times during the season that qualified for spots on Willamette's all-time top results list. The Bearcats were led in their efforts by Head Coach Brent Summers and Assistant Coach Sydney Kanne.
School records were set by Anna Hornbeck (Fy., Bend, OR/Bend HS) in the women's 100-yard breaststroke and the women's 200-yard breaststroke. In addition, the men's team broke the school record in the 400-yard medley relay.
Hornbeck set the women's 100-yard breaststroke record by winning the NWC championship with a time of 1:05.11. She also broke the old record in the prelims at 1:06.28. The Willamette record prior othe NWC Meet was 1:06.65 by Ashlyn Witherwax in 2018. Hornbeck added a new record in the women's 200-yard breaststroke while taking second place in the championship final at 2:21.95. She improved on previous record of 2:23.15 by Cassie Tallman in 2017.
The men's 400-yard medley relay team from WU established a school record of 3:31.28 at the NWC Swimming Championships. Swimming on the relay unit for the Bearcats were Will Compton (Jr., Portage, MI/Portage Northern HS), Ben Nickell (Jr., Boulder, CO/Fairview HS), Cole Lindberg (Fy., Moses Lake, WA/Moses Lake Christian Academy), and Julius Wilhelmi (So., Roseville, CA/Woodcreek HS). The old record for the 400-yard medley relay was 3:31.35 set by Jason Bayang, Alika Masei, Mark Yuvienco, and Derek Ludwig in 2017.
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.
Hornbeck earned First Team All-NWC honors in the women's 100-yard breaststroke (1st place) and 200-yard breaststroke (2nd place). Second Team All-NWC recognition went to Tatum Good (Fy., Scottsdale, AZ/Scottsdale Prep Academy) in the women's 200-yard backstroke (6th place) and 200-yard individual medley (7th place).
In the men's competition, Lindberg received Second Team All-NWC recognition in the 100-yard butterfly (4th place) and 200-yard butterfly (4th place), while Wilhelmi claimed Second Team All-NWC honors in the 50-yard freestyle (4th place).
Willamette's All-NWC honorees at the 2022 NWC Swimming Championships are listed below, followed by the new top 10 times earned by the Bearcats.
Willamette Women's Swimming 2021-22
First Team All-NWC
Anna Hornbeck (Fy., Bend, OR/Bend HS)
100-yard breaststroke, 1st place, 1:05.11 (School Record)
200-yard breaststroke, 2nd place, 2:21.95 (School Record)
Second Team All-NWC
Tatum Good (Fy., Scottsdale, AZ/Scottsdale Prep Academy)
200-yard backstroke, 6th place, 2:10.90
200-yard individual medley, 7th place, 2:14.19
Note: Times are from finals
Willamette Men's Swimming 2021-22
Second Team All-NWC
Cole Lindberg (Fy., Moses Lake, WA/Moses Lake Christian Academy)
100-yard butterfly, 4th place, 50.97
200-yard butterfly, 4th place, 1:55.08
Julius Wilhelmi (So., Roseville, CA/Woodcreek HS)
50-yard freestyle, 4th place, 21.34
Note: Times are from finals
Willamette All-Time Top Results
Earned during the 2021-22 Season
Note: Times are from the NWC Swimming Championships unless another meet is listed
Women's 200-yard medley relay
5th - Tatum Good, Anna Hornbeck, Min Wei, Alayna Kisiday, 1:51.06
Men's 400-yard medley relay
1st - Will Compton, Ben Nickell, Cole Lindberg, Julius Wilhelmi, 3:31.28, School Record
Women's 100-yard breaststroke
1st - Anna Hornbeck, 1:05.11 (finals), School Record
2nd - Anna Hornbeck, 1:06.28 (prelims)
Women's 200-yard breaststroke
1st - Anna Hornbeck - 2:21.95 (finals), School Record
6th - Anna Hornbeck - 2:25.27 (prelims)
9th - Sarah Jenner - 2:26.17 (Bruin Invite, Dec., 2021)
Men's 100-yard butterfly
2nd - Cole Lindberg, 50.97 (finals)
7th - Cole Lindberg, 51.46 (prelims)