Union-Bulletin

PORTLAND - Whitman's men and women swimmers both took wins in a Northwest Conference dual meet at Pacific University Saturday.

The wins come a day after the Missionary men's Friday win against Lewis & Clark.

On Saturday, the Whitman women scored 108 to Pacific's 97 for the win, while the men defeated Pacific 128-77.

Keller Hawkins and Mitchell Lee paced the Missionaries.

Lee finished first in two individual events and contributed to a winning relay squad for the men.

Hawkins, a first-year swimmer, also was a three-time winner for the women.

With the Missionary women nursing a 95-93 lead headed to the final event, Hawkins teamed with Helen Jenne, Ellen Banks and Katie Chapman to win the 400-yard freestyle relay in 3:47.66.

Pacific's top relay team finished more than two seconds back in second place. A second Whitman team comprised of Libby Arnosti, Cari Cortez, Natalie Reilly and Sylvie Luiten took third to tack on a few more team points.

By placing first and third, Whitman outscored Pacific 13-4 in the final relay to account for the final victory margin.

Hawkins also swam a leg on Whitman's victorious 400-yard medley relay team - teaming with Chapman, Charlotte Graham and Claire Collins - and won her only individual event.

Hawkins beat her nearest competitor in the 200-yard backstroke by nearly four seconds. Her winning time (2:18.80) moves her into sixth place on Whitman's career list of best times for that event.

Collins, another of Whitman's first-year swimmers, also posted a strong time in placing second in the 200-yard breaststroke. Her time (2:32.57) vaults her into fourth place on the all-time Missionary list for that event.

In the men's meet, Lee edged first-year teammate Shunei Asao to win the 50-yard freestyle and slipped past senior Jamie Nusse to take the 100-yard freestyle.

Lee also anchored Whitman's winning foursome in the 400-yard freestyle relay. Matt Rowett, Paul Chang and Elliott Crane were the other Missionary contributors to the relay win.

Nusse added a Whitman victory in the 200-yard freestyle, nipping Pacific's Dylan Cramer by two one-hundredths of a second. He also teamed with Asao, Chang and Matt Liedtke to win the 400-yard medley relay.

Chris Bendix and Kevin Dyer finished one-two for Whitman in the 1,000-yard freestyle. Bendix won in 10:26.68, squeaking past Dyer by less than three-tenths of a second.

Dyer bounced back to win the 500-yard freestyle with Crane taking second.

Graham and Jenne also posted individual race victories for Whitman in the women's dual.

Graham won the 200-yard freestyle and added a second-place showing in the 500-yard freestyle.

Jenne collected her victory in the 50-yard freestyle and came up just short in the 100-yard freestyle, taking second.

On Friday, Whitman's men topped Lewis & Clark 136-66 while the women fell, 128-77.

Senior Jamie Nusse paced the big win for the men's team. He won the 100-yard and 200-yard freestyle events and joined three teammates for a victory in the 200-yard freestyle relay.

Sophomore Kevin Dyer added twin distance wins in the 500-yard and 1,000-yard freestyle races.

Junior Chris Bendix led a Whitman sweep in the 400-yard individual medley.

The Whitman women, swimming without veteran standouts Lauren Flynn and Monica Boshart, picked up victories from sophomores Charlotte Graham in the 200-yard freestyle and Katie Chapman in the 100-yard butterfly.

Chapman also teamed with sophomore Helen Jenne and two first-year Missionaries, Keller Hawkins and Claire Collins, to win the 200-yard medley relay.

Hawkins made a strong showing in the 100-yard backstroke, placing second in 1:03.65. That time moves her in sixth place on Whitman's career best-times list for that event.

Collins and first-year sophomore Genay Pilarowski both cracked Whitman's Top 10 career list in the 100-yard breaststroke.

Collins finished second in 1:12.44, just three-tenths of a second behind the winner, while Pilarowski was third in 1:12.54. Collins moves into eighth place on the Missionary career list while Pilarowski takes the ninth spot.

Jenne added a pair of second-place performances in the 50-yard and 100-yard freestyle events. Graham finished second in the 500-yard freestyle.

Both Whitman teams head to Tacoma Saturday and Sunday for the Northwest Invitational.