Junior Alex Limoges.

Swimming Sweep for Missionaries

Meet Results / Team Scores

Whitman swept away Pacific Lutheran in a Northwest Conference dual swimming meet on Saturday afternoon at the PLU Pool, the women winning 122-83 and the men triumphing 126-79.

Whitman had too much talent and depth for the Lutes to overcome. Pacific Lutheran's men and women are both now 0-3 in dual meet competition this season.

After Whitman nipped the Lutes by about one-half second in the opening 400 medley relay (4:17.32 to PLU's 4:17.85), Elizabeth Althauser got things turned around for the Lutes women with a victory in the 1000 freestyle. The sophomore clocked 11:41.36 to win by nearly 10 seconds. After that, however, Whitman won seven of the remaining nine events.

Picking up wins for Whitman were Charlotte Graham in the 200 freestyle (2:00.45) and the 500 freestyle (5:27.13), Lauren Flynn in the 50 freestyle (26.11), Katie Chapman in the 200 butterfly (2:15.07), Helen Jenne in the 100 freestyle (56.43) and Rebecca Ryle in the 200 breaststroke (2:38.51). Whitman also won the meet-ending 400 freestyle (3:46.43). 

Lutes junior Casey Jackson broke the Missionaries stranglehold with victories in the 200 individual medley (2:23.31) and in the 200 backstroke (2:19.06).

PLU swimming head coach Jim Johnson, in his 31st year at the helm of the Lutes program, has enjoyed his own stranglehold over Whitman's men in dual meets. This time, however, the Missionaries swamped the Lutes with numbers.

The opening 400 medley relay went to the Lutes by more than five seconds in a time of 3:46.77, and they also had a pair of event wins from freshman Jacob Nord and junior Alex Limoges. Nord continued his mastery of NWC opponents in the freestyle sprints, winning the 50 free in 22.65 and the 100 free in 49:39, one-tenth of a second faster than Whitman's Jamie Nusse. Limoges was victorious in the 200 individual medley with a time of 2:06.81, and in the 200 backstroke with a 2:05.28.

Whitman's event winners were Kevin Dyer in the 1000 freestyle (10:28.05) and the 500 freestyle (4:59.42), Nusse in the 200 freestyle (1:49.25), Eric Molnar in the 200 butterfly (2:08.26), Chris Bendix in the 200 breaststroke (2:22.83), and the 400 freestyle relay.

Pacific Lutheran returns to action next weekend when it competes in the Northwest Invitational at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Ore.

- PLU -