By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
TACOMA, Wash. -- Willamette University men's swimmer Cole Lindberg (Jr., Moses Lake, WA/Moses Lake Christian Academy) won the 50-yard freestyle and the 100-yard butterfly as the Bearcats took on Pacific Lutheran University on Friday, Nov. 3 on the PLU campus. The Lutes won the men's team competition, 117-72, to start the season 1-0 overall, 1-0 in the Northwest Conference. Willamette moved to 0-1 on the season, 0-1 in the NWC.
Lindberg and teammate Kevin Olmedo (So., La Canada, CA/St. Francis HS) finished the 50-yard freestyle at virtually the same time, with Lindberg winning in 22.90 seconds and Olmedo taking second place in 22.91 seconds. Ben Thompson of Pacific Lutheran was third at 23.44.
In the 100-yard butterfly, Lindberg earned a winning time of 53.01 seconds. Dylan Dang from PLU placed second in 54.52, as Lindberg won by 1.51 seconds.
"The men's team showed great effort today against an improved PLU team," Willamette Director of Swimming Brent Summers commented. "Our swimmers put up times that were close to, or faster, than our opening season dual, but with way more training in their bodies than when we went against Southwestern Oregon Community College. with a two-week break in competition, we can head back to the pool and really dial in the details to prepare for the Whits."
Nicholas Moore (Fy., Moses Lake, WA/Moses Lake HS) claimed second place in two individual distance events for the Bearcats. He was second in the 1,000-yard freestyle in 10:48.53 behind PLU's Tyler Tanaka, who won in 10:29.70. In the 500-yard freestyle, Moore again was second behind Tanaka. Moore's time was 5:11.95, while Tanaka completed the race in 4:57.22.
Olmedo, Ash Kiel (So., Carson City, NV/Carson City HS), and Logan Copeland (Sr., Sparks, NV/Spanish Springs HS) each took second place in one event. Olmedo was second for WU in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 50.10 seconds. Hoskoo Amgalan from PLU won the 100 freestyle in 49.17 seconds. Keil placed second in the 200-yard freestyle in 1:44.02, while Copeland grabbed second place in the 100-yard breaststroke at 1:06.29.
Willamette took second in both of the men's relays. In the 200-yard medley relay, the Lutes' team of Amgalan, Tanaka, Dang, and Devin Stanley registered a winning time of 1:40.40 and WU's top team was timed at 1:43.28. Swimming for the Bearcats in the medley relay were William LaDuca (So., Salem, OR/South Salem HS), Copeland, Lindberg, and Olmedo.
The 200-yard freestyle relay went to Pacific Lutheran in 1:30.27 behind Amgalan, Dang, Ben Thompson, and Stanley. Willamette followed at 1:35.92, with Moore, LaDuca, Augie Meier (Fy., Pebble Beach, CA/Robert Louis Stevenson School), and Ka'Olapa Masuko (Fy., Volcano, HI/Kamehameha Schools-Hawaii) swimming.
Willamette will host Whitman College in a Northwest Conference dual meet on Friday, Nov. 17. Meet time is scheduled for 6 p.m. PST.
