FEDERAL WAY, Wash. – Linfield sophomore Kirsti Keppo was named Co-Swimmer of the Meet, highlighting an exciting conclusion Sunday to the Northwest Conference Swimming Championships at Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center.
 
Keppo set a new school record in the 1,650-yard freestyle, swam on the winning 800 freestyle and 200 medley relay teams, and on Sunday came just two seconds shy of locking up a third individual championship in the 1,650 freestyle. Friday, she claimed her first NWC crown in the 500 freestyle, then followed that with a victory Saturday in the 400 individual medley.
 
The Linfield women's squad came just short of repeating as NWC champion. Their second-place finish etched the program's eight straight top-five conference finish. The Wildcat men finished as one of the top four programs in the NWC for the eighth consecutive year.
 
WOMEN
In the 1,650 freestyle, Keppo and Whitworth freshman Makhaela Parrish went stride for stride for much of the race before Parrish surged for a two-second victory, 17:27.29 to 17:29.25. Nonetheless, Keppo's time of 10:33.45 over the initial 1,000 yards set a new Linfield record, shattering the standing mark of 10:36.27 set by Evette Dow in 2019.
 
Avery Campbell timed 2:11.87 to score a seventh-place result in the 200 backstroke, generating 12 team points for the Wildcats.
 
Kalea Mullins swam to an eighth-place result in the 100 freestyle in 54.80. Teammate Caley Haydu won the consolation heat, placing ninth at 54.44.
 
Whitney Averill sewed up fifth place in the 200 breaststroke (2:26.85), climbing to No. 5 on Linfield's all-time best list.
 
Sarah Arpag clocked 2:12.49 to nab third place in the 200 butterfly. Talia Patterson added four team points with her 13th-place outcome (2:28.28).
 
In the 200 freestyle relay, Campbell, Haydu, Averill and Mullins teamed to take third place in 3:36.64. That mark elevated this quartet to No. 5 on Linfield's all-time best list.
 
MEN
Gavin Smith clocked 16:37.45 to place third overall in the 1,650 freestyle to lead off Sunday's finals session. Jack Gallo added an 11th-place finish in 17:22.06.
 
Sprinter Edan Donaldson pocketed a third-place result in the 100 freestyle, finishing in 45.97. Carson Washburn was ninth in the same event in 46.69.
 
In the 200 backstroke, Elijah Ng picked up a 13th-place finish in 2:10.30 while Cole Runion cut nearly three seconds off his entry time to claim 16th place in 2:13.73.
 
Ivan Tontchev scored seven team points for Linfield in the 200 breaststroke, placing 10th overall. Tontchev returned a short time later to carve out a 10th-place result in the 200 breaststroke (2:11.78).
 
Three Wildcats collected team points in the 200 butterfly. Rocco Velie earned eighth place (1:58.32), Levi Buker was 12^th (1:59.70) and Jack Gallo was 16th (2:07.29).
 
The men's 400 freestyle relay, consisting of Donaldson, Washburn, Daniel Olson and Velie, swam to a 3:03.03 finish to take third place while picking up 32 team points.
 
SCHOOL RECORDS
Avery Campbell eclipsed her own school record in the 50 backstroke, clocking 26.78 on the leadoff leg of the 200 medley relay on Thursday. On Sunday, Kirsti Keppo became the all-time leader in the 1,650 freestyle with a time of 17:29.25, breaking the standing record of 17:30.90 set by Evette Dow in 2016. Keppo also a new all-time mark in the  1,000 freestyle with a record-setting split in the same race.
 
AWARDS
Men's Swimmer of the Year: Zachary Washburn, Whitworth
Women's Co-Swimmers of the Year: Kirsti Keppo, Linfield and Shaye Agnew, Whitman
Men's Rookie of the Year: Kai Hayashida, Whitworth
Women's Rookie of the Year: Makhaela Parrish, Whitworth
Men's Coach of the Year: Steve Schadt, Whitworth
Women's Coach of the Year: Andrew Lum, Pacific Lutheran