Willamette Falls to Pacific Lutheran in Swimming

By Timothy Walsh, Athletics Communications Writer

PARKLAND, Wash. -- Pacific Lutheran University defeated Willamette University in a Northwest Conference men's and women's swimming meet on Saturday, Nov. 14. The PLU men's team downed Willamette 126.5-78.5, and the Lutes women's team outscored the Bearcats 157-45.

Both of PLU's teams are 4-0 on the season and 4-0 in the NWC. The Bearcat women's team fell to 1-3 overall, 1-3 in the NWC, while the Willamette men dropped to 0-4 overall, 0-4 in the NWC.

For Willamette's men, Mark Yuvienco (So., San Jose, CA/Bellarmine College Prep) won two events, while Baker Armstrong (Fr., Fresno, CA/Bullard HS) took first place in one event. Yuvienco was victorious in the 200-yard freestyle and the 500-yard freestyle. Armstrong triumphed in the 1000-yard freestyle.

Yuvienco's winning time in the 200 freestyle was 1:49.12, over a second faster than Bradley Jerome of PLU, who took second in 1:50.26. Reuben White (So., Portland, OR/Westview HS) touched out just behind Jerome, finishing third in the race with a time of 1:50.52.

Yuvienco won the 500 freestyle in 4:54.44. Jerome was second at 5:01.50, and Shelby Merrill (Jr., Thousand Oaks, CA/Westlake HS) was third at 5:09.45.

Armstrong achieved a time of 10:13.49 in the 1000 freestyle. Hunter Cosgrove was second for the Lutes in 10:21.67. Merrill took third in 10:44.77.

Yuvienco was also a close runner-up in the men's 100-yard butterfly. Paul Jett finished first for the Lutes in 53.41. Yuvienco completed the race just 0.51 seconds later in 53.92. Aki came in third, finishing in 55.06.

In the men's 100-yard freestyle, Armstrong earned second place with a time of 50.16. Joe Bowley of PLU won the race in 49.15.

In the women's events, Anna Burdine (Fr., Seattle, Wash./Mount Rainer HS) earned second place in the 1000-yard freestyle. Her time was 11:53.18. Hanna Armstrong won the event for PLU in 11:31.13.

Cassie Tallman (So., Seattle, WA/Roosevelt HS) took second in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 2:02.43, and Michaela Zuber (Sr., Sacramento, CA/Sheldon HS) was the runner-up in the 100-yard backstroke, finishing in 1:03.52.

PLU won all four relay events, including a narrow win in the women's 200-yard medley relay. Willamette's team of Zuber, Tallman, Kiley Lin (Fr., Palo Alto, CA/Henry M. Gunn HS) and Rachel Harvill (Fr., Alamo, CA/Monte Vista HS) earned a time of 1:54.35, just behind the Lutes' winning time of 1:52.51.

The Bearcats will return to action on Friday, Nov. 20 and Saturday, Nov. 21, when they host the Northwest Invitational at the Willamette Natatorium. The action is set to begin at 5 p.m. (PST) on Friday and at 10 a.m. on Saturday.