Dec. 6, 2006

SWIMMING: Lute Men Place Second, Women Fourth

THIS WEEK: Pacific Lutheran does not compete until Friday, Jan. 12.

LUTE MEN SECOND IN NORTHWEST INVITATIONAL: The Northwest Invitational swim meet came to a close on Saturday night at the Pacific Lutheran pool and when all was said and done the Lutes proved they were for real this year. The men’s team placed second in the nine-team field with 410 points behind Linfield, which scored 505. The women’s team finished fourth in a 10-team competition won for the second straight year by Lewis & Clark.

MEN’S HIGHLIGHTS: The Lute men won three individual event winners and a relay. Senior Jason Hesla (Huntington Beach, Calif. / Auburn Riverside HS) won the 100 breaststroke (1:04.25) on Saturday morning and the 200 breaststroke (2:21.77) in the meet’s final session on Saturday night. Freshman Matthew Kim (Shoreline, Wash. / Shorewood HS) was the other individual winner on the men’s side with a victory in the 100 butterfly (55.57). The other PLU victory came on Friday in the 400 medley relay (3:48.42). In the team competition, Linfield scored 505 points, followed by PLU with 410, Whitman with 299 and Puget Sound with 157. Rounding out the men’s team scoring were Whitworth with 133, Albertson with 129, Lewis & Clark with 116, Willamette with 101 and Pacific with 21. Linfield’s Kevin Caple and Josh Parfitt shared male swimmer of the meet honors.

WOMEN’S HIGHLIGHTS: Pacific Lutheran won two events in the women’s competition. In Friday night’s first session, freshman Mica Bailey (Burien, Wash. / Highline HS) won the 50 freestyle (25.84), and on Saturday afternoon freshman Jessie Donovan (Mount Vernon, Wash. / Mount Vernon HS) tied her season best (1:00.51) in the 100 backstroke. Lewis & Clark won the team title with 384 points, with Whitman a distant second with 293. Cal State-East Bay was third with 273, followed closely by PLU with 269. Rounding out the scoring were Linfield with 255, Whitworth with 214, Willamette with 152, Albertson with 109, Pacific with 67 and Puget Sound with 65. Lewis & Clark’s Lindsay Nixon and Koy Collier were co-winners of the female swimmer of the meet award.

- PLU -