Nov. 17, 2007

PLU Men Swimmers Make it 30 in a Row Against Whitman;
Women Also Defeat Missionaries

Meet Results

Alex Limoges

Dayna Blauvelt

PARKLAND, Wash. - Pacific Lutheran defeated Whitman in a men's dual swimming meet for the 30th straight time on Saturday when the Lutes recorded a 126-79 Northwest Conference win at the PLU Pool.

The Lutes also won the women's meet, ending a three-year Missionaries' winning streak by taking a 111-94 decision. With the victories, both PLU teams improve to 3-1 overall and also in NWC competition. For Whitman, the women are 2-1 and the men 1-2 both in the conference and overall.

"We thought it would be a close one today," Pacific Lutheran head coach Jim Johnson said of the men's meet. Instead, the Lutes raced to an easy win in the meet-opening 400 medley relay (3:46.48) and went on to win nine of the 11 events. Freshman Alex Limoges, who swam the opening leg on the medley relay winner, also won the 400 individual medley (4:41.24) and the 200 backstroke (2:05.98). Andy Stetzler was a triple winner as well, taking the 1000 freestyle (10:25.33) and the 500 freestyle (4:57.58) in addition to capping off PLU's victory in the concluding 400 freestyle relay (3:21.83). Other PLU event winners were Trevor Olson in the 50 freestyle (23.01), Jay Jones in the 200 butterfly (2:02.85) and Ben Lilley in the 100 freestyle (51.04).

Whitman picked up victories in the men's events from Jamie Nusse in the 200 freestyle (1:50.34) and from Nick Wood in the 200 breaststroke (2:26.05). Wood nipped PLU's Jones at the finish by .12 seconds in what was the meet's closest event.

Johnson called his women's victory over Whitman "a surprise."

The Missionaries took the early 26-10 lead with wins in the 400 medley relay and from Elizabeth Roberson in the 1000 freestyle, but Dayna Blauvelt started the Lutes on the road to the team victory by winning the 200 freestyle (2:06.23). Jessie Donovan followed with a win in the 50 freestyle (26.35) and Jessie Klauder led a 1-2 PLU finish in the 400 individual medley (4:57.82) to put the hosts ahead for good, 50-43. Blauvelt later added a win in the 100 freestyle (57.66), as did Donovan in the 200 backstroke (2:15.59). Those performances helped the Lutes withstand a late Whitman rally - wins from Roberson in the 500 freestyle and from Claire Noone in the 200 breaststroke. Blauvelt, Donovan, Katie Knee and Klauder closed the meet with a triumph in the 400 freestyle relay.

Pacific Lutheran returns to action on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1 at the Northwest Conference Invitational hosted by Linfield College in McMinnville, Ore.

- PLU -