Bearcats Finish First in Five Men's Events, but PLU Teams Win in Swimming

By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

SALEM, Ore. -- The Willamette University men's swimming team won five of 11 events, including the final three races, on Friday, Nov. 11 against Pacific Lutheran University, but the Bearcats couldn't catch the Lutes, as PLU won, 113-92. The Pacific Lutheran women's team defeated the Bearcats, 135-70, with Willamette taking first place in two events.

Pacific Lutheran remained undefeated in both men's and women's swimming. The Lutes improved to 3-0 on the season, 3-0 in the NWC.

The Willamette teams fell to 0-3 overall, 0-3 in the NWC. Even so, it was a solid meet for the Bearcats, especially for the men's team, which gave PLU quite a battle.

Mark Yuvienco (Jr., San Jose, CA/Bellarmine College Prep) of Willamette won the men's 200-yard freestyle and the men's 200-yard butterfly. Later, the Bearcat men's team closed out the dual meet with victories in the 500-yard freestyle, 200-yard breaststroke and 400-yard freestyle relay.

In the 200-yard freestyle, Yuvienco recorded a winning time of 1:50.26. He finished in front of Bradley Jerome of PLU, who took second place in 1:50.52. Reuben White (Jr., Portland, OR/Westview HS) of Willamette placed third in 1:50.67.

Yuvienco placed first in the 200-yard butterfly in 1:59.50. Teammate Derek Ludwig (Fr., Moraga, CA/Campolindo HS) was second with a time of 2:05.58.

Willamette's Shelby Merrill (Sr., Thousand Oaks, CA/Westlake HS) prevailed in the 500-yard freestyle with a strong finish and a time of 5:03.80. He edged out Jerome of PLU, who was timed at 5:04.43 for second place.

Alika Masei (Sr., Salem, OR/West Salem HS) of WU won the 200-yard breaststroke in a career-best time of 2:16.47. He touched out just before Bennon Vanhoof of the Lutes. Van Hoof was second at 2:16.63. Jason Bayang (Sr., Wahiawa, HI/Hoala School) of Willamette was third at 2:18.54.

Willamette's winning swimmers in the 400-yard freestyle relay were White, Ludwig, Yuvienco and Merrill. PLU led early in the race, but Willamette was nearly even after three legs, and Merrill eventually moved past the Lutes' anchor Shane Walker. The Bearcats registered a time of 3:21.00, while PLU was timed at 3:22.64

Both of Willamette's victories in the women's competition were recorded by Cassie Tallman (Jr., Seattle, WA/Roosevelt HS). She won the 200-yard individual medley and also took first place in the 200-yard breaststroke.

Tallman earned first place in the 200 I.M. at 2:16.63. She won by just over two seconds, while Victoria Nguyenle of Pacific Lutheran placed second in 2:18.81.

In the 200-yard breaststroke, Tallman finished in front of Nguyenle once again. Tallman's winning time was 2:29.70. Nguyenle clocked in at 2:32.32 to take second.

Other Willamette Results

Rachel Harvill (So., Alamo, CA/Monte Vista HS) and Anna Burdine (So., Seattle, WA/Mount Rainier HS) each placed second in two women's events for the Bearcats.

Harvill was second in the 50-yard freestyle in 26.12 seconds and was second in the 100-yard freestyle at 56.87 seconds. In the 100 free, she trailed the winner, Danielle Booth of PLU, by just 0.17. Harvill was 0.47 out of first place in the 50 free, as Lauren Kearney from PLU won in 25.65 seconds.

Burdine took second in the 1,000-yard freestyle in 11:35.81 and was second in the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 5:40.16.

In the women's 200-yard backstroke, Niki Kates (Fr., Truckee, CA/Forest Charter School) of WU finished second and Jensine Rasmussen (Fr., Tacoma, WA/Stadium HS) followed in third place. Kates was timed at 2:18.19, with Rasmussen touching out 0.47 later at 2:18.66.

Merrill, in addition to winning the men's 500-yard freestyle, took second place in the 1,000-yard freestyle. His time in the 1,000 free was 10:37.

Masei also added a second place finish for the Bearcats to go along with his win in the men's 200-yard breaststroke. He was second in the 200-yard individual medley in 2:06.52.

In the men's 100-yard freestyle, White placed second in 50.32 seconds, while Bayang took third in 51.25 seconds. Paul Jett of Pacific Lutheran won the 100 free in 49.86 seconds.

Winners of Two Events for PLU

Jett, in addition to winning the men's 100-yard freestyle, recorded a first place finish in the men's 50-yard freestyle for the Lutes. His time in the 50 free was 22.53.

Erica Muller from Pacific Lutheran earned first place in the women's 200-yard freestyle and the women's 500-yard freestyle. Muller won the 200 freestyle in 2:04.04. She prevailed in the 500 free with a time of 5:35.70.

Up Next for the Bearcats

Willamette will host University of Puget Sound in a Northwest Conference meet on Saturday, Nov. 12. Action is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. (PST).