McMINNVILLE, Ore. – Linfield's swim teams notched two more key Northwest Conference dual meet victories on Sunday inside the Linfield Aquatics Center. With a 139-66 victory over the Puget Sound Loggers, the Wildcat men ran their current dual-meet win streak to 16, including a perfect 6-0 this winter.
 
The Linfield women needed a strong swim in the final event – the 200 freestyle relay – to edge their conference rivals from Tacoma 105-100. The narrow win improved their dual-meet record for the season to 5-1. The women have won 11 of their last 12 NWC dual meets.
 
The meet marked the final home-pool competition for 10 graduating seniors: Jesse Genualdi, Omri Forte, Daisuke Fitial, Colby Evenson, Grant Cutler, Garrett Sutton, Caroline Hall, Annelise Hed, Molly Shields and Laina Reichelderfer.
 
WOMEN
The meet's outcome was decided in the final race. Linfield's quartet of Lauren Bobo-Shisler, Whitney Averill, Shields and Avery Campbell led from wire to wire, winning by a one-second bulge, 1:44.02 to 1:45.30.
 
Kate Walkup claimed two first-place results in the 400 individual medley (4:47.03) and the 500 freestyle (5:23.91). The Wildcats junior was also runner-up in the 1,650 freestyle (18:37.69).
 
In addition to two winning relay splits, Shields edged Averill individually in the 100 butterfly (1:01.82 to 1:03.12). Other runner-up finishes included Claudia Velie in the 200 freestyle (2:04.09) and 100 freestyle (56.58), and Maggie Kelley in the 50 freestyle (25.63).
 
Linfield's top 200-yard medley relay chalked up a three-second victory over Puget Sound to begin the day. The foursome of Campbell, Shields, Hed and Kelley finished in 1:54.13, well in front of the Loggers' mark of 1:57.62.
 
MEN
The Wildcats opened the day with a clear-cut victory in the 200 medley relay. Edan Donaldson, Jake Maher, Ben Simpson and Sutton combined to clock 1:13.80, nearly two seconds faster than UPS's 1:38.36.
 
Simpson won the 200 freestyle (1:45.57) and the 100 butterfly (51.76). Levi Buker (54.90) and Bram Zlotowski were second and third, respectively.
 
Showing their strength in the sprints, the Wildcats went 1-2-3 in the 50 freestyle. Sutton streaked to a 21.44 finish, ahead of teammates Daniel Olson (22.27) and Fitial (22.62).
 
Linfield freshman Jack Gallo was the decisive victor in the 1,650 freestyle. His time of 17:08.59 was more than 40 seconds faster than runner-up Ethan Schwartz of Puget Sound, who timed 17:49.56. Gallo also edged Evenson in a tight 500 freestyle race, 4:58.00 to 4:59.37.
 
Other top individual efforts included Evenson's victory in the 400 IM (4:25.94) and Donaldson's winning result in the 100 freestyle (47.45).
 
Linfield capped its team victory with a four-second triumph in the 200 freestyle relay. Donaldson, Olson, Fitial and Sutton teamed to clock 1:27.38, well ahead of the Loggers' top entry (1:31.58).
 
NEXT
Linfield readies for the Northwest Conference Championships, scheduled for Feb. 10-13, at Weyerhauser King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, Washington. It will mark the first conference-wide event in two years after last season's NWC Championships were canceled due to the COVID-19 outbreak.