By Sara Elcano, Assistant Athletics Communications Director

FEDERAL WAY, WASH. -- The Willamette University swimming teams competed at the 62nd Annual Husky Invitational on Saturday, Dec. 4 at the Weyerhauser King County Aquatic Center. Competition began on Friday, Dec. 3 and will conclude on Sunday, Dec. 5. There are seven NCAA schools competing at the Invitational and 20 USA Swimming Club teams. Northwest Conference opponents Lewis & Clark College, the University of Puget Sound, Whitman College and Whitworth University are all competing at the Invite.

The Willamette women's 200-yard medley relay team placed ninth in the prelims. Kayla Kosaki (So., Hilo, HI/Waiakea HS), Erin Parkinson (Fr., Everson, WA/Ferndale HS), Chelsea Ibarra (Sr., Santa Cruz, CA/Georgiana Bruce Kirby Prep) and Lauren Ballinger (So., Wenatchee, WA/Wenatchee HS) finished the event in 2:08.38.

Ibarra competed in two other events for Willamette. The senior swimmer finished 75th in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 1:18.02. In the 200-yard freestyle, Ibarra finished 97th at 2:22.36.

Ballinger also swam in the 200-yard freestyle. She touched the wall at 2:02.54 to earn 61st place. Susie Barnes (Fr., Santa Fe, NM/Desert Academy) swam to a 99th place finish in the same event with a time of 2:58.01.

Parkinson and Barnes also swam in the 100-yard breaststroke event. Parkinson finished 38th with a time of 1:11.54, while Barnes finished at 1:52.19 for 61st place.

In the men's competition, Chris Whitehead (Fr., Sherwood, OR/Sherwood HS) earned a 46th place finish in the 100-yard breaststroke. Whitehead touched the wall at 1:12.11. The freshman also competed in the 200-yard freestyle where he took 89th with a time of 2:04.03.

Ian McGahan (So., Tacoma, WA/Stadium HS) competed in the 200-yard freestyle and the 100-yard butterfly. In the 200-yard freestyle he finished 92nd with a time of 2:10.82. McGahan swam to a 66th place finish in the 100-yard fly at 1:06.15.

Freshman Austin Williams (University Place, WA/Curtis Senior HS) also competed in the 100-yard fly and finished 67th with a time of 1:09.62.

"The team swam well today," said Head Coach Leslie Shevlin. "Our student-athletes had many best times on the season, which is what
you want to see at this time of the year."

The Bearcats will continue to compete at the Husky Invitational on Sunday, Dec. 5th.