By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director
SALEM, Ore. -- The Willamette University men's swimming team has a tremendous group of juniors and sophomores who have brought speed and power to the Bearcats. The have been among the team's most consistent performers in dual meets and will likely be key swimmers for Willamette at the Northwest Conference Championships in mid-February.
Juniors for the Bearcats this season are Dan Aki (Jr., Union City, CA/James Logan HS), Jason Bayang (Jr., Wahiawa, HI/Hoala School), Josh Bumgarner (Jr., Walla Walla, WA/Walla Walla HS), Alika Masei (Jr., Salem, OR/West Salem HS) and Shelby Merrill (Jr., Thousand Oaks, CA/Westlake HS).
Sophomores include Max Thompson (So., Lebanon, OR/Lebanon HS), Reuben White (So., Portland, OR/Westview HS) and Mark Yuvienco (So., San Jose, CA/Bellarmine College Prep).
They have combined to give Willamette strength throughout the strokes, providing solid times in freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly events. Many have contributed in relay events.
Willamette's men defeated Pacific University, 118-77, on Friday, Jan. 22 and downed Lewis & Clark College, 117.5-87.5, on Saturday, Jan. 23 in NWC dual meets. In the win over Pacific, the juniors and sophomores scored 94 points. Against L&C, the juniors and sophomores scored 93 points.
In addition to providing most of the points scored by the Bearcats, the juniors and seniors also helped Willamette win the medley relay both days. They earned eight wins overall during the two meets. Masei, Bayang and Thompson recorded a 1-2-3 finish in the 100-yard backstroke against Lewis & Clark.
Masei is one of the Bearcats' most versatile swimmers. He is the team's top backstroke swimmer and regularly competes in the individual medley and on the medley relay team. He also swims well in the breaststroke. In 2014, he set the school record in the 200-yard backstroke in 1:53.82.
Bayang also competes in backstroke and breaststroke events, and is a member of the medley relay team. He also swims sprint freestyle events. He has consistently provided points in dual meets. Bumgarner participates in the breaststroke and the individual medley.
Merrill provides Willamette with good results in the distance races. He recently won the 1,000-yard freestyle against Pacific University on Jan. 22 and was second in two other distance races over the weekend.
Yuvienco has provided quality swims in the butterfly and individual medley. He's also part of the medley relay team. He set a WU record in the 200-yard butterfly last season at 1:53.86, which was an NCAA "B" qualifying time. In addition, Yuvienco can swim for the Bearcats in middle distance freestyle races.
Thompson is a backstroke and sprint freestyle swimmer. He provides important depth behind Masei in the backstroke events.
White is consistently strong in freestyle events, especially sprints, and he swims the anchor leg on the medley relay team. He placed eighth in the 200-yard freestyle at the 2015 NWC Championships.
At the 2013 NWC Championships, held the year before the juniors arrived at Willamette, the Bearcats placed eighth in the conference. When the juniors were freshman in 2013-14, WU placed fifth at the NWC Championships and defeated all three NWC rivals from Oregon during the dual meet season. Last year, when this year's sophomores were freshmen, Willamette maintained control of fifth place in the NWC.
The Bearcats will complete this year's dual meet season by hosting archrival Linfield College on Saturday, Jan. 30 at the WU Natatorium. Meet time is scheduled for 1 p.m. (PST). The NWC Championships are set for Feb. 12-14 in Federal Way, Washington.
