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

SALEM, ORE. -- The Willamette University men's swimming team provided University of Puget Sound with quite a battle at the WU Natatorium on Friday, Nov. 14. The Bearcats held a 97-91 lead entering the final event, the 200-yard freestyle relay. Puget Sound took first and third in the relay to slip past the Bearcats, 104-101.

In the women's competition, Puget Sound defeated the Bearcats, 144-60. Puget Sound's teams both improved to 3-0 on the season and 3-0 in the Northwest Conference. Both of Willamette's teams fell to 0-3 overall and 0-3 in the NWC.

The Willamette men won five events, including the first event of the evening, the 200-yard medley relay.

Alika Masei (So., Salem, OR/West Salem HS), Kulananalu Tarnas (So., Kamuela, HI/Hawaii Preparatory Academy), Dan Aki (So., Union City, CA/James Logan HS) and Mark Yuvienco (Fr., San Jose, CA/Bellarmine College Prep) combined to win the medley relay in 1:42.21. Puget Sound was second in 1:45.18.

Masei (So., Salem, OR/West Salem HS) also provided two victories in individual events. He won the 100-yard backstroke in 55.77 seconds and was first in the 100-yard breaststroke in 1:03.52.

In the backstroke, Masei led a 1-2 finish, as teammate Jason Bayang (So., Wahiawa, HI/Hoala School) took second in 57.72 seconds. David Olson of UPS was third in 58.12. In the 100 breaststroke, Masei won by 1.22 seconds over Jarik Bainco of Puget Sound, who placed second in 1:03.52.

Yuvienco brought the Bearcats a win in the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 53.27 seconds. He won by more than two seconds over Jared Fisk, who claimed second place for the Loggers in 55.56 seconds.

Reuben White (Fr., Portland, OR/Westveiw HS) helped WU achieve a 1-2 finish in the 200-yard freestyle, as he took first place in 1:51.60. Andrew Lum (Jr., Honolulu, HI/Punahou School) was second in 1:52.20.

In the 200-yard freestyle relay at the end of the meet, Puget Sound's team of Mitch Kilgore, Matt Goldberg, Fisk and Clayton Jacobson won in 1:30.73. Willamette placed second in 1:32.75, as Zander Le Bel (Sr., Dallas, TX/Richardson HS), Lum, Bayang and Yuvienco combined for a solid race.

The Loggers were able to grab the overall victory when the second UPS relay team took third in 1:34.49 to edge out Willamette's second relay team, which finished in 1:34.97.

Willamette's men earned second place in several other individual events.

Shelby Merrill (So., Thousand Oaks, CA/Westlake HS) placed second in the 1,000-yard freestyle in 10:47.64, while Yuvienco was second in the 500-yard freestyle in 4:59.57. Bayang finished second in the 50-yard freestyle in 23.60 seconds. Aki was second in the 400-yard individual medley with a time of 4:33.92. Le Bel was second in the 100-yard freestyle in 50.59 seconds.

The Bearcat women's team registered the two fastest times in the 100-yard breaststroke, as Ashlyn Witherwax (Fr., Honolulu, HI/Punahou School) won the event in 1:09.58, while Cassie Tallman (Fr., Seattle, WA/Roosevelt HS) took second in 1:10.61.

Willamette placed second in two other individual events and also placed second in both relays.

Michaela Zuber (Jr., Sacramento, CA/Sheldon HS) was second in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 2:10.80. Jamie Johnson (Fr., Seattle, WA/Nathan Hale HS) achieved second in the 100-yard freestyle in 59.31 seconds. Teammate Kristi Miyakawa was third in the 100 free in 59.64 seconds.

Puget Sound finished a short distance in front of Willamette in the 200-yard medley relay with a winning time of 1:55.32. Willamette's team of Zuber, Witherwax, Tallman and Johnson was second in 1:56.44. In the 200-yard freestyle relay, UPS won in 1:46.39, while Willamette was second in 1:51.63.

Johnson of Willamette was third in the 50-yard freestyle, but missed second place by just 0.05. Melisa Kegans of Puget Sound placed first in the event after finishing the race in 25.94 seconds. Alex Koga was second for the Loggers in 26.73, while Johnson was third at 26.78.

The WU swimming teams will compete at home again on Saturday, Nov. 15, when they host Pacific Lutheran University. Meet time is set for 11 a.m. (PST).