By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director
TACOMA, Wash. -- University of Puget Sound defeated Willamette University in Northwest Conference men's and women's swimming action on Friday, Nov. 13. The Puget Sound women's team won, 138-66, while the Loggers won the men's competition, 111-94. UPS has a metric (short course) pool.
The Willamette women's team is 1-2 overall, 1-2 in the NWC, while the Bearcat men's team is 0-3 overall, 0-3 in the NWC. Puget Sound's women are 3-0 overall, 3-0 in the NWC. The Loggers are 2-1 in men's swimming, 2-1 in the NWC.
Cassie Tallman (So., Seattle, WA/Roosevelt HS) from the Willamette women's team took first place in two events. She won the 200-meter individual medley 2:31.93 and led the field in the 200-meter breaststroke with a time of 2:47.17. She won the 200 I.M. by 4.66 seconds and won the 200 breaststroke by 10.80 seconds.
Kiley Lin (Fr., Palo Alto, CA/Henry M. Gunn HS) produced a win for the Bearcats in the women's 200-meter backstroke. She completed the race in 2:30.60. Aza Verhoeven of Puget Sound was second at 2:31.22 and Sam Anders of UPS was third at 2:31.25.
Puget Sound edge out Willamette in the women's 400-meter medley relay. The Loggers earned a time of 4:41.52, while the Bearcats finished in 4:42.78. Swiming for WU in the relay were Michaela Zuber (Sr., Sacramento, CA/Sheldon HS), Tallman, Lin and Jamie Johnson (So., Seattle, WA/Nathan Hale HS).
The Willamette men won both relays and also received two individual wins, as Alika Masei (Jr., Salem, OR/West Salem HS) took first place in the 200-meter individual medley and Mark Yuvienco (So., San Jose, CA/Bellarmine College Prep) placed first in the 200-meter butterfly.
In the 400-meter medley relay, Willamette's winning team included Jason Bayang (Jr., Wahiawa, HI/Hoala School), Masei, Dan Aki (Jr., Union City, CA/James Logan HS) and Reuben White (So., Portland, OR/Westview HS). They combined for a time of 4:09.47. Puget Sound took second in 4:10.19.
Swimming for Willamette in the 400-meter freestyle relay were Yuvienco, Shelby Merrill (Jr., Thousand Oaks, CA/Westlake HS), Andrew Lum (Sr., Honolulu, HI/Punahou School) and Baker Armstrong (Fr., Fresno, CA/Bullard HS). Willamette's time was 3:45.99, as the Bearcats held off Puget Sound, which finished in 3:46.60.
Masei won the 200-meter individual medley in 2:18.38. He led a 1-2 finish for WU, as Aki took second in 2:22.91. Aki narrowly defeated Caleb Van Boven, who placed third in 2:22.95.
Yuvienco won by 2.63 seconds in the 200-meter butterfly. He completed the race in 2:13.20. Nick Mitchell of UPS was second at 2:15.83.
Willamette received second place in several events in addition to the men's 200 I.M.
For the women's team, Anna Burdine (Fr., Seattle, Wash./Mount Rainer HS) was second in the 800-meter freestyle in 10:07.72.
For the men, Armstrong was second in the 800-meter freestyle in 8:59.66, while Yuvienco placed second in the 200-meter freestyle in 2:02.41 and Masei was second in the 200-yard backstroke in 2:17.33. Masei was just 0.40 behind the 200 backstroke winner, Connor King, who was timed at 2:16.93.
King won two events for the Loggers. He also placed first in the 800-meter freestyle at 8:56.83.
Other UPS swimmers winning two events for the men's team were Nick Mitchell and Keven Henley. Mitchell took first in the 200-meter freestyle in 1:58.96 and was first in the 400-meter freestyle in 4:18.19. Henley prevailed in the 50-meter freestyle in 24.46 seconds and placed first in the 100-meter freestyle in 54.16 seconds.
Carmen Mena and Melisa Kegans each won two events for the Puget Sound women's team. Mena was first in the 80-meter freestyle with a time of 10:00.84 and finished first in the 400-meter freestyle in 4:52.73. Kegans won the 200-meter freestyle in 2:17.24 and placed first in the 100-meter freestyle in 1:02.47.
Willamette's swimming teams will take on Pacific Lutheran University in Parkland, Washington, on Saturday, Nov. 14. The meet will get underway at 1 p.m. (PST).
