By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

CORVALLIS, Ore. -- Ben Hedman (So., Davis, CA/Davis HS) of Willamette University placed third in the men's 200-yard butterfly and Cassie Tallman (Sr., Seattle, WA/Roosevelt HS) was seventh in the women's 100-yard breaststroke on the first day of the Oregon Senior Open at the Osborn Aquatic Center on Friday, Dec. 1. The meet is hosted by the Corvallis Aquatic Team.

Hedman and Tallman each qualified for the "A" final in their respective event. Mark Yuvienco (Sr., San Jose, CA/Bellarmine College Prep) joined Hedman in the "A" final in the men's 200-yard butterfly. Yuvienco took fifth place.

The winner of the men's 200 butterfly was Elijah Clements from Hillsboro Heat Swim Team with a time of 1:54.64. Isaiah Ross from Mount Hood Aquatics was second in 1:55.18, and Hedman was third in 1:56.09. Nathan Esplin of the Boise Y Swim Team placed fourth at 1:57.30. Yuvienco earned fifth place in 1:57.86.

Tallman's time for seventh place in the women's 100-yard breaststroke was 1:07.87. She reached the "A" final with a preliminary time of 1:06.98 for a personal record and second place all-time at Willamette. Her time in the prelims was 0.04 from the WU record, set by Ashlyn Witherwax (Sr., Honolulu, HI/Punahou School) last season.

Witherwax reached the "B" final on Friday, as she placed 15th overall in 1:09.06. Tallman and Witherwax hold the top five times and six of the top 10 in Willamette history in the 100 breaststroke.

Competing for Willamette in the "B" finals in addition to Witherwax were Hedman and Derek Ludwig (So., Moraga, CA/Campolindo HS). Hedman earned 10th place in the men's 200-yard individual medley with a time of 1:57.75 in the "B" final, as he set a personal record and moved into sixth place on WU's all-time list. Ludwig advanced to the "B" final in the men's 200-yard butterfly. He took 13th place in 2:02.25.

Ludwig and Tallman each represented the Bearcats in a "C" final race. Ludwig placed 19th in the men's 200 I.M. with a time of 2:01.96. Tallman was 24th in the women's 200 I.M., as she finished the "C" final in 2:19.49.

In the men's 1,000-yard freestyle and the women's 1,000-yard freestyle, competitors swam once against the clock to determine overall standings. Colin Hakeman (So., Bellingham, WA/Sehome HS) of Willamette placed sixth in the men's 1,000 freestyle in a career-best time of 10:24.86. Anna Burdine (Jr., Seattle, WA/Mount Rainier HS) was 24th in the women's 1,000 freestyle, as she registered a personal record of 11:14.88.

The Willamette men's 400-yard medley relay team placed sixth in 3:42.86. Swimming for the Bearcats during the relay were Ludwig, Mykah Fujiwara (Jr., Kaneohe, HI/Punahou School), Yuvienco and Jacob Hulti (So., Astoria, OR/Astoria HS). In the women's 400-yard medley relay, Willamette took 12th place in 4:11.04 through the efforts of Kiley Lin (Jr./So., Palo Alto, CA/Henry M. Gunn HS), Witherwax, Tallman and Rachel Harvill (Jr., Alamo, CA/Monte Vista HS). 

Willamette will continue to compete at the Oregon Senior Open on Saturday, Dec. 2. Preliminary heats will start at 9 a.m. (PST), with finals set to begin at 6 p.m.