By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director, (503) 370-6110

PORTLAND, ORE. -- The Willamette University women's swimming team is in eighth place and the Bearcat men's swimming team is in ninth place following the first day of the Northwest Invitational on Saturday, Nov. 21. The two-day event, which will conclude on Sunday, is being hosted by Lewis & Clark College.

FIRST DAY RESULTS

The University of Puget Sound was at the top of the women's team standings with 420 points. Whitworth University held second place at 306 and Whitman College was third at 191.

California State University-East Bay was fourth with 150 points, while Pacific Lutheran University was fifth at 147, Linfield College was sixth at 146, Lewis & Clark was seventh at 104, Willamette was eighth at 80, Pacific University was ninth at 76, and the College of Idaho was eighth with 18 points.

Gwen Schulze (Sr., Silverdale, WA//Central Kitsap HS/Austin College) of Willamette took eighth place in the women's 200-yard backstroke with a time of 2:21.10. Schulze also finished ninth in the women's 200-yard individual medley with a time of 2:23.12.

Kayla Kosaki (Fr., Hilo, HI/Waiakea HS) provided the Bearcats with 11th place in the 200-yard butterfly. She recorded a time of 2:29.74. Lauren Ballinger (Fr., Wenatchee, WA/Wenatchee HS) placed 13th in the 100-yard freestyle, as she achieved a time of 58.14 seconds. Jenna Larrow (Sr., Boise, ID/Timberline HS) was 15th in the 500-yard freestyle after clocking in at 5:44.14.

Willamette took seventh in the women's 400-yard medley relay. Schulze, Janelle Higashida (So., Kaneohe, HI/Hawaii Baptist Academy), Kara Koetje (So., Arlington, WA/Stanwood HS) and Ballinger swam the event for Wu and registered a time of 4:23.72.

In the men's competition, Whitworth held first place with 368 points. Puget Sound was second with 324 points, while Whitman was third at 260 points.

Pacific Lutheran followed in fourth place at 162.5. Pacific was fifth at 142.5, Linfield was sixth at 128, the College of Idaho was seventh at 115, Lewis & Clark was eighth at 106 and Willamette was ninth at 18.

Jason Munson-McGee (So., Las Cruces, NM/Las Cruces HS) of Willamette placed 10th in the men's 200-yard backstroke. He completed the race in 2:22.58.

For Willamette in the 200-yard butterfly, Kevin Tangeman (Sr., Sherwood, OR/Sherwood HS) was 12th and Ian McGahan (Fr., Tacoma, WA/Stadium HS) was 13th. Tangeman recorded a time of 2:25.35. McGahan was timed at 2:29.17.