Tallman Swims New WU Record in 200-yard Breaststroke at NWC Prelims

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

CORVALLIS, ORE. -- Willamette University's Cassie Tallman (Fr., Seattle, WA/Roosevelt HS) set a school record in the women's 200-yard breaststroke during preliminary heats on the final day of the 2015 Northwest Conference Swimming Championships on Sunday, Feb. 15. Tallman earned a time of 2:27.81, breaking the mark of 2.28.67 set by Annette Marinello in 2013.

Tallman has been involved in four new Willamette records this weekend. She set the WU record in the women's 200-yard individual medley in the prelims on Friday and then broke her record with a time of 2:10.32 while taking third place in the finals.

She also contributed to new records in the 400-yard medley relay (4:02.39) on Friday and the 200-yard medley relay (1:51.28) on Saturday.

Tallman's preliminary time in the 200-yard breaststroke placed her third in the prelims and moved her into the championship finals on Sunday night. Also reaching the championship finals for WU in the 200 breaststroke was Ashlyn Witherwax (Fr., Honolulu, HI/Punahou School), who was seventh in the prelims at 2:30.57.

Including Tallman and Witherwax, the Bearcats will have 13 individual swims during Sunday's evening session, which will feature the championship finals and the consolation finals in men's and women's 200 backstroke, 100 freestyle, 200 breaststroke and 200 butterfly.

The final heats in the 1,650-yard freestyle also will be held on Sunday evening. The final two events will be the women's 400-yard freestyle relay and the men's 400-yard freestyle relay.

Joining Tallman and Witherwax in the championship finals for the WU women's team will be Malia Santos (Jr., Kailua-Kona, HI/Kealakehe HS) in the 200-yard butterfly. Santos achieved a time of 2:16.05 to place eighth in the prelims.

On Saturday, Santos set the Willamette record in the 100-yard butterfly prelims at 59:03 seconds. She placed eighth in the 100 butterfly finals in 59.37 seconds.

Earning swims in the championship finalists for the Bearcat men's team were Mark Yuvienco (Fr., San Jose, CA/Bellarmine College Prep) and Alika Masei (So., Salem, OR/West Salem HS).

Yuvienco reached the finals of the 200-yard butterfly by placing fifth in the prelims at 1:54.57. Masei advanced in the 200-yard backstroke after placing sixth in the prelims at 1:57.52.

The consolations finals will include Willamette women's swimmers Michaela Zuber (Jr., Sacramento, CA/Sheldon HS), Jamie Johnson (Fr., Seattle, WA/Nathan Hale HS) and Summer Elias (Sr., Elko, NV/Elko HS).

Zuber moved into the consolations finals by taking 11th in the preliminary heats of the 200-yard backstroke. Her time was 2:15.25. Johnson placed 14th in the prelims of the 100-yard freestyle in 55.48 seconds, while Elias was 16th in the prelims of the 200-yard breaststroke at 2:39.06.

The Willamette men's team earned five spots in the men's consolation finals.

Zander Le Bel (Sr., Dallas, TX/Richardson HS) qualified in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 48.71 seconds. He was 14th in the prelims.

Kulananalu Tarnas (So., Kamuela, HI/Hawaii Preparatory Academy) and Josh Bumgarner (So., Walla Walla, WA/Walla Walla HS) advanced in the 200-yard breaststroke. Tarnas registered a time of 2:15.81 and was 13th in the prelims. Bumgarner was timed at 2:16.28 and was 14th.

Dan Aki (So., Union City, CA/James Logan HS) and Andrew Lum (Jr., Honolulu, HI/Punahou School) moved into the evening session in the 200-yard butterfly. Aki finished the prelims in 15th place at exactly 2:00.00. Lum was 16th with a time of 2:01.40.

The Sunday morning session also included two heats each in the women's 1,650-yard freestyle and the men's 1,650-yard freestyle. Swimmers with the top eight seed times in both events will swim during the evening session. Placings will be determined by time and will include all three heats.

Kate Harvey (Fr., Atlantic Beach, FL/Duncan Fletcher HS) of Willamette recorded the sixth best time in the women's 1,650 during the morning swim. With only eight swimmers still to compete, she has clinched at least a 14th-place finish.

In the men's 1,650, WU's Shelby Merrill (So., Thousand Oaks, CA/Westlake HS) was fifth in the morning session at 17:17.30 and Alex Burkhart (Sr., Los Gatos, CA/Los Gatos HS) was eighth in 17;37.07. Merrill clinched at least 13th place overall, while Burkhart clinched at least 16th place.