Bearcats Defeat Southwestern Oregon in Exhibition Meet

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

SALEM, ORE. -- Willamette University defeated Southwestern Oregon Community College in men's and women's swimming during an exhibition meet at the WU Natatorium on Saturday, Jan. 10. The Willamette men's team won 180.5-63.5, while the Bearcat women's team was victorious 177-24.

The meet featured 100-yard and 200-yard events in each stroke, plus the 50, 500 and 1,000-yard freestyle and relay events.

Mark Yuvienco (Fr., San Jose, CA/Bellarmine College Prep) won three individual events for the Willamette men's team. He took first place in the 200-yard butterfly in 1:58.88, was first in the 200-yard breaststroke in 2:20.00 and won the 200-yard individual medley in 2:03.33.

Yuvienco also helped the Bearcats win the 400-yard freestyle relay. He swam the third leg, as Willamette registered a time of 3:28.15. Also swimming on the 400 free relay were Jason Bayang (So., Waihawa, HI/Hoala School), Shelby Merrill (So., Thousand Oaks, CA/Westlake HS) and Zander Le Bel (Sr., Dallas, TX/Richardson HS).

Alika Masei (So., Salem, OR/West Salem HS) placed first in both of the backstroke events for the Bearcat men. He won the 100-yard backstroke in 55.76 seconds and finished first in the 200-yard backstroke in 2:01.39.

Also winning an individual event for the Bearcat men's team were Merrill, Bayang, Reuben White (Fr., Portland, OR/Westview HS) and Dan Aki (So., Union City, CA/James Logan HS).

Merrill was the winner in the 1000-yard freestyle with a time of 10:44.34. Bayang prevailed in the 100-yard breaststroke in 1:05.08, edging out teammate Kulananalu Tarnas (So., Kamuela, HI/Hawaii Preparatory Academy), who finished in 1:05.14. White took first in the 100-yard freestyle in 52.90 seconds. Aki won the 100-yard butterfly in 56.33 seconds.

For Southwestern Oregon CC, Wyatt Engler won the 200-yard freestyle in 1:47.53, was first in the 50-yard freestyle in 22.91 seconds, and took first in the 500-yard feestyle in 4:59.05.

In addition to winning the 400-yard freestyle relay, Willamette's men also won the 200-yard medley relay. Swimming on the winning 200 medley relay team were Masei, Tarnas, Aki and Le Bel. Their time was 1:44.29.

The Willamette women's team received two wins each from several swimmers. Claiming two wins were Michaela Zuber (Jr., Sacramento, CA/Sheldon HS), Cassie Tallman (Fr., Seattle, WA/Roosevelt HS), Malia Santos (Jr., Kailua-Kona, HI/Kealakehe HS) and Kate Harvey (Fr., Atlantic Beach, FL/Duncan Fletcher HS).

Zuber was victorious in the 100-yard backstroke in 1:05.52 and the 200-yard backstroke in 2:23.66. Tallman won the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:10.48 and took first in the 200-yard breaststroke in 2:31.87.

Santos placed first in the 50-yard freestyle (26.35 seconds) and the 100-yard butterfly (1:05.04). In the 50 free, she edged out Brooke Leader of SWOCC, who took second in 26.42 seconds. Harvey was the winner in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 2:12.60 and finished first in the 500-yard freestyle in 5:55.45.

Leah Freeborn (Jr., Federal Way, WA/Todd Beamer HS) won the 200-yard individual medley for the Bearcats. Her time was 2:35.27. Jamie Johnson (Fr., Seattle, WA/Nathan Hale HS) placed first for the Bearcats in the 100-yard freestyle in 59.43 seconds.

Ashlyn Witherwax (Fr., Sacramento, CA/Sheldon HS) of WU placed second behind Tallman in both of the breaststroke events. She registered a time of 1:11.09 in the 100 breaststroke and was timed at 2:38.64 in the 200 breaststroke.

The Willamette women's team won the 200-yard medley relay in 1:58.16 and placed first in the 400-yard freestyle relay in 3:56.16. Competing for WU on the winning 200 medley relay team were Zuber, Witherwax, Santos and Tallman. WU's winning team in the 400 free relay included Santos, Tallman, Johnson and Kristi Miyakawa (Fr., Los Alamitos, CA/Los Alamitos HS).

Willamette will take on Northwest Conference rival Pacific University on Friday, Jan. 23 in Forest Grove, Ore. Meet time is scheduled for 6 p.m. (PST).