By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director, (503) 370-6110

FEDERAL WAY, WASH. -- Sean Piper (Fr., Normandy Park, WA/John F. Kennedy HS) of Willamette University attained a spot in the championship final of the men's 200-yard backstroke at the 2012 Northwest Conference Swimming Championships on Sunday, Feb. 12. Piper earned his way into the finals by tying for the fifth fastest time of the prelims at 1:56.82.

Piper will join seven other swimmers in the championship finals of the 200 backstroke on Sunday evening. The evening session begins with the women's 1,650-yard freestyle race at 5 p.m. (PST) at the King Country Aquatic Center. The men's 200 backstroke is scheduled to be the fourth event.

Three Willamette swimmers qualified for the consolation finals in their respective events on Sunday.

Erin Parkinson (So., Everson, WA/Ferndale HS) placed 10th in the preliminary heats in the women's 200-yard breaststroke with a time of 2:31.67. Kayla Kosaki (Jr., Hilo, HI/Waiakea HS) was 14th in the prelims of the women's 200-yard butterfly. Chris Whitehead (So., Sherwood, OR/Sherwood HS) finished the prelims of the men's 200-yard breaststroke ranked 12th, as he finished the race in 2:26.53.

In addition, Parkinson will compete in the top heat of the women's 1,650-yard freestyle and Le Bel will swim in one of the heats in the men's 1,650-yard freestyle. There will be at least two heats in each race, with the top seeds swimming in the final heat. Placings will be determined by the top times recorded in all of the heats.

Sunday is the final day of the NWC Championships.

An updated story will be posted following the evening session on Sunday.