Willamette Places Fourth in Several Events at NWC Relays in Tacoma

By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

TACOMA, Wash. -- The Willamette University swimming teams earned fourth place finishes in four events at the Northwest Conference Relays on Saturday, Oct. 29. Willamette was fourth in the men's 200-yard backstroke relay, the women's 500-yard freestyle relay, the women's 400-yard medley relay, and the men's 400-yard medley relay. The meet was hosted by the University of Puget Sound. No team scores were recorded.

In the men's 200-yard backstroke relay, Willamette's time was 1:50.29. Swimming for the Bearcats were Cole Lindberg (So., Moses Lake, WA/Moses Lake Christian Academy), Asher Kiel (Fy., Carson City, NV/Carson City HS), Ethan Davies (Fy., Hong Kong/Discovery College), and Logan Copeland (Jr., Sparks, NV/Spanish Springs HS).

Willamette's entry in the women's 500-yard freestyle relay included Alayna Kisiday (So., Silverdale, WA/Central Kitsap HS), Tatum Good (So., Scottsdale, AZ/Scottsdale Prep Academy), Emma Noffsinger (Fy., Arvada, CO/Northglenn HS), and Sarah Jenner (So., Normandy Park, WA/Stanford Online HS). They combined for a time of 5:18.85.

The women's 400-yard medley relay unit for the Bearcats featured Good, Kisiday, Jacqueline Hall (So., Bainbridge Island, WA/Bainbridge HS), and Jenner. The four swimmers produced a time of 4:29.93. Competing for Willamette in the men's 400-yard medley relay were Lindberg, Julius Wilhelmi (Jr., Roseville, CA/Woodcreek HS), Copeland, and Davies. The Bearcats finished the race in 3:57.95.

Also at the NWC Relays, Willamette's mixed 200-yard medley relay team -- with two members of the men's team and two members of the women's team -- placed fifth out of 12 entries. Swimming for the Bearcats and recording a time of 1:55.47 were Noffsinger, Ben Nickell (Sr., Boulder, CO/Fairview HS), Ava Reich (Fy., Reno, NV/Robert McQueen HS).

"It was a good weekend for us overall," Willamette Head Swimming Coach Brent Summers commented. "It was exciting to get some racing in against our NWC competition. We have some things we need to clean up as we move into dual meets, but I'm confident we'll make the adjustments we need to and be ready to go next weekend."

Willamette will open the dual match season on Friday, Nov. 4 when the Bearcats host Linfield University at the WU Natatorium. Action is set to begin at 6 p.m. (PDT). Willamette will take on Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon, on Sunday, Nov. 5, starting at 11 a.m. (PST).