Bearcats Compete in Sprint Meet against Oregon State, SW Oregon CC

Derek Ludwig (So., Moraga, CA/Campolindo HS)
Derek Ludwig (So., Moraga, CA/Campolindo HS)

By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

CORVALLIS, Ore. -- Willamette University competed against Oregon State University and Southwestern Oregon Community College in a sprint meet on Friday, Sept. 22 at the Osborn Aquatic Center. Oregon State registered five of the top six times in all five women's events with unattached swimmer Arianna Letrari breaking up a sweep in each event. Jamie Johnson (Sr., Seattle, WA/Nathan Hale HS) of Willamette placed seventh in the women's 50-yard breaststroke and Claire Johnson (Fr., Deerfield IL/Deerfield HS) from WU took seventh place in the women's 50-yard butterfly.

Oregon State does not compete in men's swimming, so the Bearcats battled only Southwestern Oregon in the men's events. Derek Ludwig (So., Moraga, CA/Campolindo HS) led the Bearcats by winning the 50-yard backstroke, placing fourth in the 50-yard freestyle, taking sixth place in the 50-yard breaststroke, earning second place in the 50-yard butterfly, and finishing fourth in the 100-yard individual medley.

Ludwig registered a time of 26.34 seconds in the men's 50-yard backstroke. He won by 0.26 over Brisen Pearson from SWOCC, who was timed at 26:60 seconds. Pearson won the other four events by completing the 50-yard freestyle in 22.35 seconds, the 50-yard breaststoke in 28.39 seconds, the 50-yard butterfly in 23.76 seconds, and the 100-yard individual medley in 56.75 seconds.

For Willamette, Ludwig swam the 50-yard freestyle in 23.71 for fourth, the 50-yard breaststroke in 30.50 seconds for sixth, the 50-yard butterfly in 24.55 for second, and the 100 I.M. in 58.08 seconds for fourth.

Mark Yuvienco (Sr., San Jose, CA/Bellarmine College Prep) of WU, also placed high in several events. He was seventh in the 50-yard freestyle at 24.08 seconds, and placed sixth in the 50-yard backstroke in 27.67 seconds. Yuvienco was seventh in the 50-yard breaststroke in 30.58 seconds, took third in the 50-yard butterfly in 24.88 seconds, and claimed sixth in the 100-yard I.M.

In the women's competition, Felicia Anderson of Oregon State won four of the five events. She was victorious in the 50-yard freestyle in 25.08 seconds, the 50-yard backstroke in 26.90 seconds, the 50-yard butterfly in 26.42 seconds, and the 100-yard I.M. in 1:01.04. Allie Kilroy, also from OSU, won the women's 50-yard breaststroke with a time of 30.73 seconds.

jamie Johnson's seventh place finish for Willamette in the women's 50-yard breaststroke was achieved with a time of 35.77 seconds. The time for Claire Johnson while taking second place for WU in the women's 50-yard butterfly was 28.69 seconds. Kate Harvey (Sr., Atlantic Beach, FL/Duncan Fletcher HS) from Willamette was eighth in the 50-yard breaststroke in 35.83 seconds and placed 11th in the 50-yard butterfly in 29.58 seconds.

Claire Johnson led the Bearcats with 15th place in the 50-yard freestyle in 27.07 seconds. Harvey was WU's top finisher in the 100-yard I.M. in 15th place with a time of 1:08.78

The Bearcats will not compete again until Saturday, Oct. 7 in an intrasquad meet. Action is set to begin at 8 a.m. (PDT).

Wilamette's Top Finishers

Women's 50-yard Freestyle:
Claire Johnson, 15th place, 27.07 seconds
Jamie Johnson, 16th place, 27.11 seconds
Kate Harvey, 17th place, 27.15 seconds
Rachel Harvill (Jr., Alamo, CA/Monte Vista HS), 18th place, 27.20 seconds

Women's 50-yard Backstroke:
Kate Harvey, 13th place, 31.13 seconds
Niki Kates (So., Truckee, CA/Forest Charter School), 16th place, 31.25 seconds

Women's 50-yard Breaststroke:
Jamie Johnson, 7th place, 35.77 seconds
Kate Harvey, 8th place, 35.83 seconds
Anna Burdine (Jr., Seattle, WA/Mount Rainier HS), 15th place, 36.43 seconds

Women's 50-yard Butterfly:
Claire Johnson, 7th place, 28.69 seconds
Kate Harvey, 11th place, 29.58 seconds

Women's 100-yard Individual Medley:
Kate Harvey, 15th place, 1:08.78
Jamie Johnson, 17th place, 1:09.51

Men's 50-yard Freestyle:
Derek Ludwig, 4th place, 23.71 seconds
Daniel Fang (Fr., Rancho Santa Margarita/Catholic HS), 5th place, 23.80
Evan Segimoto (Fr., Alamo, CA/The Athenian School), 6th place, 23.84
Mark Yuvienco, 7th place, 24.08 seconds

Men's 50-yard Backstroke:
Derek Ludwig, 1st place, 26.34 seconds
Mark Yuvienco, 2nd place, 27.67 seconds

Men's 50-yard Breaststroke:
Derek Ludwig, 6th place, 30.50 seconds
Mark Yuvienco, 7th place, 30.58 seconds
Mykah Fujiwara (Jr., Kaneohe, HI/Punahou School), 8th place, 30.64 seconds

Men's 50-yard Butterfly:
Derek Ludwig, 2nd place, 24.55 seconds
Mark Yuvienco, 3rd place, 24.88 seconds
Ben Fritz (Fr., Los Gatos, CA/Leigh HS), 7th place, 26.16
Ben Hedman (So., Davis, CA/Davis HS), 9th place, 26.21

Men's 100-yard Individual Medley:
Derek Ludwig, 4th place, 58.08 seconds
Mark Yuvienco, 6th place, 59.21 seconds
Ben Hedman, 8th place, 1:00.27
Daniel Fang, 10th place, 1:00.51