Jan. 21, 2007

SWIMMING: Lutes Host Willamette in Final Dual of the Season

THIS WEEK: PLU hosts Willamette, Saturday, 1 p.m.

Jessie Klauder

BEARCATS VISIT ON SATURDAY: Pacific Lutheran closes out the dual meet portion of its 2007-08 season this coming Saturday when it hosts the Willamette University Bearcats in Northwest Conference action. The PLU men are 4-2 in conference duals and have a chance to finish in third place in the eight-team NWC standings. Willamette currently sits last in the conference at 0-6, and with a six-man roster doesn’t figure to have the depth to be able to hang with the Lutes. The women’s meet shapes up to be a closer affair as the PLU women enter with a 4-2 record while the Bearcats are 2-4. As with their male cohorts, the PLU women’s team would finish third in the conference with a victory on Saturday. Last year, the Lutes swept Willamette, the men winning 134-66 and the women notching a 126-76 triumph.

KLAUDER NAMED NWC SWIMMER OF THE WEEK: PLU freshman Jessie Klauder has earned Northwest Conference Female Swimmer of the Week honors after winning four of the five individual events in which she competed last weekend. She is the second Lute swimmer so honored this year. Jessie Donovan received the award on Nov. 19.

WOMEN’S UPSET WINS LEADS TO SWEEP OF L&C: The PLU women's swimming team posted an exciting 103-102 Northwest Conference victory over visiting Lewis & Clark on Friday night at the PLU. The win assured the Lutes of a sweep of the Pioneers as the PLU men swam to an easy 156-40 victory. "That's as good an upset win on the women's side as I can remember for a long time," said PLU head coach Jim Johnson, who is in his 30th year at the school. The meet started well for the PLU women as they raced to an easy win in the 200 medley relay, winning by nearly six seconds. After a Lewis & Clark victory in the 1000 freestyle, Jessie Klauder posted a PLU win in the 200 freestyle (1:59.49). That's when the Lutes turned to their depth, staying with the Pioneers despite the visitors winning the 50 freestyle, 400 individual medley, 100 butterfly and 100 freestyle in succession. PLU's Casey Jackson broke the string with a victory in the 100 backstroke (1:05.05), and Klauder came back with a victory in the 500 freestyle (5:24.28). The next event proved pivotal as Lacey Wear took a victory in the 100 breaststroke (1:12.85), giving the Lutes enough of an edge to hold off the Pioneers in the final event, the 200 freestyle relay. Lewis & Clark placed first and third in the event, but the Lutes came away with the team victory. The men's meet was never close as the Lutes won all 10 of the 11 events despite the swimmers competing in "off" events. PLU started with a win in the 200 medley relay (1:44.62) and closed with a triumph in the 200 freestyle relay (1:32.18). Individual event winners included Alex Limoges in the 1000 freestyle (10:50.53) and 100 butterfly (56.83), Trevor Olson in the 200 freestyle (1:54.38), John Pedack in the 400 individual medley (4:55.14), Ben Lilley in the 100 freestyle (50.59), Andy Stetzler in the 100 backstroke (1:01.11), Luke Thomas in the 500 freestyle (5:11.43) and Jay Jones in the 100 breaststroke (1:02.26).

WHITWORTH TOO MUCH FOR LUTES: Conference power Whitworth swept a dual meet from host Pacific Lutheran on Saturday afternoon, the Pirate men coasting to a 140-65 victory and the women's team posting a 124-80 victory. PLU's Jessie Klauder finished first in two events, taking the 1000 freestyle (11:19.20) and the 100 freestyle (56.84). The only other individual winner for the Lutes was Casey Jackson in the 200 backstroke (2:1.94). Jackson was also part of the winning 400 medley relay for the Lutes. On the men’s side, the five-time defending NWC champion Pirates were too much for the Lutes to handle as Whitworth won every event. For the Lutes, Andy Stetzler and Jay Jones both finished runner-up in two events. Stetzler was second in the 1000 freestyle (10:05.42) and the 500 freestyle (4:7.34), while Jones was runner up in the 200 butterfly (2:09.58) and the 200 individual medley (2:01.35).

PLU TO HOST NWC CHAMPIONSHIPS: Pacific Lutheran will serve as the host school for this year’s Northwest Conference Swimming Championships scheduled for Friday through Sunday, Feb. 8-10, at the King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way.

THE COACH: Jim Johnson, now in his 30th season as Pacific Lutheran University head coach, has the most wins of any swim coach in Northwest Conference history. He achieved a milestone in his PLU coaching career on Nov. 12, 2005, when the Lutes defeated Pacific, giving Johnson his 300th career victory at PLU. He has a cumulative 327-246 dual meet record at PLU.

PLU SEASON BEST TIMES: http://www.plu.edu/athletics/swim/best%20times.html.

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