January 30, 2010

Lutes Sweep Willamette in Swim Dual Finale

PARKLAND - Pacific Lutheran closed out the dual meet portion of its 2009-10 swimming season with a sweep of the visiting Willamette Bearcats on Saturday afternoon.

The PLU women improved their conference dual meet record to 4-3 and their overall record to 6-3 with a 126-73 victory over the Bearcats. The Lutes men took an 85-9 triumph to improve to 3-4 in the conference and 4-5 overall.

Pacific Lutheran won nine of the 11 women's events, including both relays. Casey Jackson, Gina Wittman, Jessie Klauder and Elizabeth Althauser opened the meet with a winning 1:59.09 in the 200 medley relay. With no men's relay, Althauser was right back in the pool to win the 1000 freestyle in a time of 11:35.03.

Next, Klauder took the first of her two individual wins, clocking 2:04.17 to take the 200 freestyle, and Jackson followed with a winning 26.83 time in the 50 freestyle.

After Kasey Dorcas took the 400 individual medley in a time of 5:04.86, Willamette picked up its two event victories. Gwen Schulze led a 1-2 Bearcats finish in the 100 butterfly with a time of 1:03.55, and Lauren Ballinger followed up with a 58.20 to win the 100 freestyle.

Jackson won her second event and her specialty, the 100 backstroke, in a time of 1:01.58, and then it was Klauder with a victory in the 500 freestyle in a time of 5:37.64. Rachel Troutt won the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:14.67, and the Lutes finished with a win in the 200 freestyle relay. Elisabeth Simpson, Dorcas, Tessa Heck and Courtney Karwal combined for a 1:51.61 time.

The men's meet was never in doubt as Willamette had only one swimmer. After the fifth men's event, PLU head coach Jim Johnson decided that the Lutes would not take any points in events in which the Bearcats' Ian McGahan did not compete. Thus, the Lutes swimmers in the 100 freestyle and the 100 backstroke were listed as exhibition entrants, giving PLU no points in either event. Additionally, PLU did not compete in either relay event.

Alex Limoges won both the 200 freestyle (1:49.40) and the 100 butterfly (54.27), and Matthew Kim took the 50 freestyle (23.94) and the 100 breaststroke (1:08.14). Bryce Manso, one of PLU's four seniors, also won a pair of events, though only one counted. Manso finished first in the non-counting 100 freestyle (54.95) and later came back to win the 500 freestyle (5:42.41). Another senior, Jay Sy, finished first in the 1000 freestyle (12:57.46).

Other PLU winners included Michael Brasgalla in the 400 individual medley (5:12.33) and Phil Rempe in the non-counting 100 backstroke (1:01.56).

The Lutes finish their season at the Northwest Conference Championships scheduled for Feb. 12-14 at the King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way.

- PLU -