Bearcats Set Two School Records as Six Advance to Championship Finals

By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director

FEDERAL WAY, Wash. -- Kiley Lin (Fr., Palo Alto, CA/Henry M. Gunn HS) and Cassie Tallman (So., Seattle, WA/Roosevelt HS) set school records, and a total of six Willamette University swimmers qualified for the championship finals, during preliminary heats on Sunday, Feb. 14 at the 2016 Northwest Conference Swimming Championships. The last session of championship finals and consolation finals will be held on Sunday starting at 5 p.m. (PST).

Lin set the school record in the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 2:05.73. Lin placed third in the prelims to reach the championship final. She broke the previous WU record of 2:07.49 set by Laura Juckeland in 1995.

Tallman added a school record in the 200-yard breaststroke. She placed third in the prelims at 2:26.62. The old Willamette record was set by Tallman at 2:27.83 during the 2015 NWC Championships.

Also advancing to the championship finals for Willamette on Sunday were Ashlyn Witherwax (So., Honolulu, HI/Punahou School) and Malia Santos (Sr., Kailua-Kona, HI/Kealakehe HS) from the women's team, along with Alika Masei (Jr., Salem, OR/West Salem HS) and Mark Yuvienco from the men's team.

Witherwax will join Tallman in the 200-yard breaststroke final after earning a time of 2:29.34 for sixth place in the prelims. The time for Witherwax ranks seventh all-time at Willamette.

Santos took eighth in the prelims of the 200-yard butterfly at 2:15.84. Her time was very close to her personal record of 2:15.77 set at the 2015 NWC Championships.

In the men's 200-yard backstroke, Masei gained a berth in the championship final by placing sixth in the prelims at 1:56.70. Masei's time ranks seventh all-time at Willamette.

Yuvienco placed seventh in the preliminary heats of the 200-yard butterfly. His time of 1:54.87 placed him fifth all-time for the Bearcats.

Six swimmers on the Willamette men's team and two on the women's team advanced to Sunday's consolation finals after placing ninth through 16th in the prelims.

Dan Aki (Jr., Union City, CA/James Logan HS) and Andrew Lum (Sr., Honolulu, HI/Punahou School) both reached the consolation final in the men's 200-yard butterfly. Aki registered a time of 1:59.61 for 11th in the prelims, while Lum was 12th in 1:59.76.

Two Bearcats also moved into the consolation final in the men's 200-yard breaststroke. Josh Bumgarner (Jr., Walla Walla, WA/Walla Walla HS) was 13th in the prelims after finishing in 2:15.76. Jason Bayang (Jr., Wahiawa, HI/Hoala School) was 16th at 2:17.38.

Max Thompson (So., Lebanon, OR/Lebanon HS) placed 16th in the prelims of the men's 200-yard backstroke. His time was 2:07.81. Reuben White (So., Portland, OR/Westview HS) was 16th in the 100-yard freestlye prelim in 48.50 seconds.

In the women's 200-yard breaststroke, Freeborn qualified for the consolation final by earning a time of 2:32.87. She placed 12th in the prelims.

Michaela Zuber (Sr., Sacramento, CA/Sheldon HS) was 16th in the preliminary heats of the 200-yard backstroke. She achieved a time of 2:15.95.

Willamette had two swimmers earn spots as first alternates. They will compete in the consolation final of their respective events if any athletes ranked above them do not swim. Jamie Johnson (So., Seattle, WA/Nathan Hale HS) was 17th in the prelims of the women's 100-yard freestyle in 55.43 seconds. Mykah Fujiwara (Fr., Kaneohe, HI/Punahou School) placed 17th in the prelims of the men's 200-yard breaststroke.

Most of the heats in the women's and men's 1,650-yard freestyle events will be held this afternoon. The heats with the fastest seed times in those events will take place at the start of the evening session. Final placings in the 1,650 will be based on times earned in the heats.

Th evening session also will include championship and consolation finals in the 200-yard backstroke, 100-yard freestyle, 200-yard breaststroke and 200-yard butterfly. The NWC Championships will end with the 400-yard freestyle relay.