Willamette Competes at NWC Swimming Relays

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

WALLA WALLA, WASH. --- The Willamette University men's and women's swimming teams participated in the NWC Relays on Saturday, Oct. 29 at Whitman College. Whitworth University won the men's title, the women's title and the combined title.

The event included three relays featuring two men's and two women's athletes swimming for each team, plus six women's relays with three swimmers per team and six men's relays with three swimmers per team.

Whitworth earned 87 points for the combined championship. Whitman was second with 67 points and the University of Puget Sound was third at 63 points. Willamette finished seventh with two points.

In the women's standings, Whitworth attained 38 points, while Puget Sound achieved 30 points in second place and Pacific University had 22 points in third. WU placed seventh with one point.

In the men's standings, the Pirates claimed first place for Whitworth with 32 points. Whitman garnered second place with 29 points and Pacific Lutheran University was third with 23 points. The Bearcats were seventh with one point

The Willamette women achieved their point in the 3 x 300-yard freestyle relay with a sixth place finish. Swimming for WU were Ann Hues (Fr., Boise, ID/Timberline HS), Hope Nelson (Fr., Providence, R.I./South Kingstown HS) and Erin Parkinson (So., Everson, WA/Ferndale HS). They recorded a time of 10:27:70.

WU's men picked up their point in the 3 x 100-yard individual medley relay. Chris Whitehead (So., Sherwood, OR/Sherwood HS), Zander Le Bel (Fr., Dallas, TX/Richardson HS) and Sean Piper (Fr., Normandy Park, WA/John F. Kennedy HS) swam the race for the Bearcats. They completed the race in 3:04.10.

The Bearcats will return to action on Friday, Nov. 11 at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Wash. The dual meet is slated to begin at 6 p.m. (PST).