HILLSBORO, Ore. – Led by Kate Walkup's first-team nod, nine Linfield swimmers landed on the 2022 All-NWC Women's Swimming Team, announced by the conference office on Tuesday.
 
A junior from Eugene, Oregon, Walkup earned First Team All-NWC honors in the 400-yard individual medley, 1,650-yard freestyle and 200-yard butterfly. She won her first individual NWC championship in the 400 IM. Her winning time of 4:30.70 was just under a five-second improvement over her preliminary time and came within .41 seconds of breaking the Linfield record. She claimed second place at the NWC Championships in the 200-yard butterfly.
 
Walkup was also named to the second team as a member of the Wildcats' 400-yard medley relay team. Joining her with Second Team All-NWC honors are senior Molly Shields, juniors Kalea Mullins and Claudia Velie, sophomores Whitney Averill, Abbi Karsseboom and Maggie Kelley and freshmen Lauren Bobo-Shisler and Avery Campbell.
 
Two relay teams were acknowledged on the second team. The 200-yard medley relay team of Averill, Campbell, Kelley and Shields placed third at the NWC Championships in a time of 1:47.81. The 400-yard medley relay foursome of Averill, Campbell, Shields and Walkup also swam to a third-place finish in 3:58.05.
 
Linfield entered the NWC Championships as the No. 2 ranked team after going 5-1 in conference dual meets. The Wildcats placed fourth of nine teams at the big meet.
 
Pacific Lutheran's Jessica Ordaz was named both the NWC Female Swimmer of the Year and Freshman of the Year. Jenn Blomme of Whitman earned NWC Women's Swimming Coach of the Year honors.