McMINNVILLE, Ore. – Linfield split the first home Northwest Conference dual meet of the season against Whitworth on Friday night at the Linfield Aquatic Center.
 
Kirsti Keppo and Avery Campbell won two events each to lead the Linfield women's team to victory 105-98 over Whitworth.
 
The Pirates returned the favor on the men's side, winning 130-75. Edan Donaldson paced the Linfield men with an event win in the 100 backstroke, placing second in the 200 freestyle and adding in the 'Cats 200 medley relay winning team. 
 
MEN
Rocco Velie (4:17.72) topped Whitworth's Samuel Drager by nearly eight seconds in the 400 individual medley.
 
Ivan Tontchev (1:01.53) grabbed the Wildcats' third individual event win beating the next two closest Pirates by less than a second. 
 
Linfield's winning 200 medley relay comprised of Donaldson, Tontchev, Connor Fery and Carson Washburn.
 
WOMEN
Keppo (18:17.09) finished well ahead of her competitors in the 1,650 freestyle beating Whitworth's Makhaela Parrish by nearly 17 seconds. Keppo's (4:46.54) second event win came much closer beating Whitworth's Isabella Hoopes (4:46.95) by a narrow margin.
 
Campbell (25.78) led the way in the 50 freestyle with Maggie Kelly finishing in third. Campbell (1:01.27) grabbed her second event win a few events later topping the field in the 100 backstroke.
 
Sarah Arpag (1:00.59) came in eighth one-hundredths of a second behind Whitworth's Chamelle Abringe in the 100 butterfly. Lauren Bobo-Shisler (55:08) snagged the win in the 100 freestyle.
 
The Wildcats topped the Pirates in the 200-medley relay and 200-freestyle relay. Campbell, Arpag, Bobp-Shisler and Whitney Averill made up the medley relay victory while the freestyle relay team consisted of Averill, Bobo-Shisler, Maggie Kelly and Caley Haydu.
 
NEXT
The Wildcats return to the pool on Saturday for an early morning showdown with Whitman at 9 a.m.