By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
SALEM, Ore. -- The Willamette University men's swimming team picked up wins in five individual events against Whitman College on Friday, Nov. 17 at the WU Natatorium. Whitman won the team competition 127-76. The Blues improved to 3-0 overall and 3-0 in the NWC. Willamette fell to 0-2 on the season, 0-2 in the NWC.
Winning an event for the Bearcats were Julius Wilhelmi (Sr., Roseville, CA/Woodcreek HS) in the 50-yard freestyle and the 100-yard freestyle, Nicholas Moore (Fy., Moses Lake, WA/Moses Lake HS) in the 1,650-yard freestyle and the 500-yard freestyle, and Cole Lindberg (Jr., Moses Lake, WA/Moses Lake Christian Academy) in the 100-yard butterfly.
"Tonight was a good test to see how the men's team stacked up against one of the top teams in the conference," Willamette Director of Swimming Brent Summers commented. "The men's team came out with a lot of energy and fight, for which I'm very proud. The race of the meet goes to Nicholas Moore for his win in the mile. I'm excited to see us swim tomorrow (against Whitworth)."
Wilhelmi defeated the field in the 50-yard freestyle in 21.85 seconds. Keenan Tiddle of Whitman was second in 22.89 seconds and Lindberg of Willamette was third in 22.99 seconds. In the 100-yard freestyle, Wilhelmi earned a winning time of 49.17, as he won by 1.25 seconds. John Leeds, swimming for the Blues, was second in 50.42 seconds.
In the 1,650-yard freestyle, More was victorious in 17:50.36 with a narrow margin over Bay Boivin, who was second by just 0.17 with a time of 17:50.53. Moore added a win in the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 5:10.04. He won by 4.51 seconds over Boivin, who was second for the Blues in 5:14.55.
Lindberg placed first in the 100-yard butterfly, completing the race in 52.49 seconds. Ian McClelland of Whitman took second place at 54.33 seconds.
Logan Copeland of WU was second in the 100-yard backstroke in 1:01.65. Collen Lokan of Whitman won the 100 back in 59.99 seconds. Copeland also claimed second place in the 100-yard breaststroke in 1:07.72, as he held off Gage Hembree, who placed third in 1:07.76. Andrew Hanson won the 100 breaststroke for the Blues in 1:04.05.
In the 200-yard medley relay, Willamette's team of William LaDuca (So., Salem, OR/South Salem HS), Copeland, Lindberg, and Wilhelmi took second place at 1:42.73. Whitman won the race in 1:40.34, as Brodie Salzbrener, Hanson, McClelland, and Tiddle swam for the Blues.
