By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
SALEM, Ore. -- The Willamette University swimming teams are ready to start the 2016-17 season. They will begin their schedule this weekend with the NWC Sprint Pentathlon and the NWC Relays.
The NWC Sprint Penathlon will be hosted by Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon, on Friday, Oct. 28. Action is set to get underway at 5 p.m. (PDT). The evening of competition will include 50-yard races in all four strokes, plus the 100-yard individual medley. Last year, Cassie Tallman (Jr., Seattle, WA/Roosevelt HS) finished third in the women's overall standings.
On Saturday, Oct. 29, the Bearcats will participate in the NWC Relays at Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon. Meet time is set for 11 a.m. (PDT). The list of races will include women's relays, men's relays, and coed relays.
The Bearcats enter the season with four returning All-Northwest Conference swimmers from a year ago. Tallman earned First Team All-NWC honors by taking second place in the 200-yard breaststroke. She was Second Team All-NWC in the 100-yard breaststroke and the 200-yard individual medley.
Ashlyn Witherwax (Jr., Honolulu, HI/Punahou School) received Second Team All-NWC recognition in the women's 200-yard breaststroke. Alika Masei (Sr., Salem, OR/West Salem HS) was Second Team All-NWC in men's 100-yard and 200-yard backstroke events. Mark Yuvienco (Jr., San Jose, CA/Bellarmine College Prep) gained Second Team All-NWC honors in the men's 200-yard butterfly.
Willamette has six seniors competing for the Bearcats this year. Seniors on the men's team include Jason Bayang (Sr., Wahiawa, HI/Hoala School), Josh Bumgarner (Sr., Walla Walla, WA/Walla Walla HS), Masei and Shelby Merrill (Sr., Thousand Oaks, CA/Westlake HS). Seniors on the women's team are Michaelyn Laughlin (Sr., San Jose, CA/Leland HS) and Natalie Viescas (Sr., San Marcos, CA/San Marcos HS).
Head Coach Leslie Shevlin enters her eighth season with the Bearcats. Last year, she helped Willamette swimmers set seven school records. Two years ago, in 2014-15, the Bearcats set six school records.
