By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director
SALEM, Ore. -- Willamette University swimmer Mark Yuvienco (So., San Jose, CA/Bellarmine College Prep) won two individual events, and the Bearcats took first place in both of the women's relays, but Whitworth University won the team scores in a Northwest Conference meet on Friday, Nov. 6 at the WU Natatorium.
The Whitworth women's team defeated Willamette, 124-81, while the Pirates won the men's competition, 139-66. Both of Whitworth's teams are 1-1 overall and 1-0 in the NWC. Willamette's teams are both 0-1 overall, 0-1 in the NWC.
Willamette opened the meet by winning the women's 400-yard medley relay in 4:10.17. The Bearcats won by more than five seconds, with Whitworth finishing second at 4:15.45.
Swimming for Willamette in the women's medley relay were Kiley Lin (Fr., Palo Alto, CA/Henry M. Gunn HS), Ashlyn Witherwax (So., Honolulu, HI/Punahou School), Cassie Tallman (So., Seattle, WA/Roosevelt HS) and Jamie Johnson (So., Seattle, WA/Nathan Hale HS).
In the final women's race of the evening, the Bearcats claimed a narrow victory in the 400-yard freestyle relay. Willamette's team of Michaela Zuber (Sr., Sacramento, CA/Sheldon HS), Rachel Harvill (Fr., Alamo, CA/Monte Vista HS), Kate Harvey (So., Atlantic Beach, FL/Duncan Fletcher HS) and Johnson recorded a time of 2:18.32 to edge out Whitworth by 0.04. The Pirates were timed at 2:18.36.
Yuvienco won the men's 200-yard freestyle and the men's 200-yard butterfly. He took first place in the 200 free with a time of 1:49.42, just 0.03 in front of Jason Smith of Whitworth, who registered a time of 1:49.72. In the 200 fly, Yuvienco was clocked at 1:59.50. He won by 1.31 seconds over Jake McCullough of Whitworth, whose time in second place was 2:00.81.
In addition, Yuvienco placed second in the men's 500-yard freestyle with a time of 5:05.60. Kevin Moore won the event for the Pirates in 4:57.98.
Also winning an event for the Bearcats were Tallman and Harvill from the women's team. Tallman was victorious in the women's 200-yard breaststroke in 2:31.47. Witherwax made it a 1-2 finish for Willamette, as she took second place in 2:33.87. Tallman placed second in the 200-yard individual medley at 2:16.70.
Harvill prevailed in the women's 100-yard freestyle in 57.38 seconds. She won by 0.05, as Kayla Burnight of Whitworth placed second in 57.43 seconds.
Lin took second place for the Bearcats in the women's 50-yard freestyle in 26.45 seconds. Kayla Burnight was the winner for Whitworth with a time of 26.16 seconds.
Warren "Baker" Armstrong (Fr., Fresno, CA/Bullard HS) of Willamette placed second in the men's 1,000-yard freestyle. His time was 10:14.35. Brandon Smith of Whitworth won the 1,000 in 10:09.48.
Blake James of Whitworth barely outlasted Alika Masei (Jr., Salem, OR/West Salem HS) of Willamette in the men's 200-yard breaststroke. James claimed first place in 2:18.32, while Masei was second in 2:18.36.
Willamette will host Whitman College on Saturday, Nov. 7. Meet time is scheduled for 1 p.m. (PST).
