FEDERAL WAY, Wash. – Sarah Arpag won two individual titles, Kirsti Keppo claimed a runner-up finish in the women's 400-yard individual medley and freshman Kai Laitinen surprised many by finishing as the runner-up in the men's 400 IM, topping the list of accomplishments by the Linfield Wildcats Saturday during Day 3 of the 2025 Northwest Conference Swimming Championships at Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatics Center.
 
Arpag's near record-breaking time of 56.99 seconds in the 100 butterfly earned the Linfield junior her first conference title in that event. She returned later Saturday night to capture the 100 backstroke crown, equaling her season-best performance of 58.45 but coming just short of her career-best mark of 58.11.
 
Linfield's women are now in fourth place among the nine competing teams with 271 points, trailing Whitworth (449), Whitman (397) and Puget Sound (273). Behind Linfield in the point standings are Willamette (224) Pacific Lutheran (164), George Fox (158), Lewis & Clark (154) and Pacific (108).
 
With 240 team points, Linfield's men held firm on fifth place after three days of competition, just seven points back of third-place Whitman (259). Whitworth (564.5 points) has opened up a sizable lead, followed by Puget Sound (353.5) and Lewis & Clark (247). Trailing Linfield are Pacific Lutheran (178), Willamette (152), George Fox (134) and Pacific (11).
 
WOMEN
Arpag locked up the Wildcats' second and third individual crowns of these championships, starting with a wire-to-wire victory in the 100 butterfly in a season-best time of 56.99. Her effort came less than a second shy of breaking the school record of 56.08. Freshman Ellie Schmidt captured seventh place in the 100 butterfly consolation final in 1:05.19.
 
In addition to Arpag's title in the 100 backstroke, senior Avery Campbell finished strong in her signature event, sewing up third place in the same race in a season-best time of 59.46.
 
Kirsti Keppo claimed a runner-up finish in the 400-yard individual medley. Her time of 4:34.89 cut nearly five seconds of her season best time 4:39.26 but came just shy of surpassing her career-best clocking of 4:32.31 set at these same championships last February. Senior Kalea Mullins placed sixth in the same race with a season-best time of 4:45.85, adding to the Wildcats' team points total.
 
With three athletes competing in the finals, Linfield picked up 26 team points in the 200 freestyle. Lauren Bobo-Shisler turned in the two fastest 200 freestyle races of any Wildcat this season on Saturday. She swam 1:57.11 in the preliminaries, then eclipsed that with a career-best 1:56.51 to place fifth. In the consolation final, Chloe Lazaraton was second in a season-best 2:01.09 while Caley Haydu placed fourth with a season-best result of 2:01.73.
 
In the consolation final of the 100 breaststroke, freshman Ruby Bentz took seventh place in 1:12.50.
 
MEN
Three Wildcats placed among the top-eight finishers in the 400 IM. Laitinen surged over the final 200 yards to finish second in a in 4:09.92. Not only did it chop more than five seconds from his previous best time, it registered the fourth-fastest 400 IM time in program history. Senior Gavin Smith was sixth, recording a season-best effort of 4:12.20, and Velie earned seventh place in 4:13.19.
 
Freshman Sam Postlewait made a strong push over the final 50 yards to take third place in the 100 backstroke in a career-best time of 51.56.
 
The men's 200 freestyle race saw junior Carson Washburn secure fifth place, the highest individual finish of his Linfield career. Not surprisingly, his time of 1:44.52 was a personal-best effort and marked the fastest result by a Linfield athlete this season.
 
Ivan Tontchev swam to a 58.64 clocking in 100 breaststroke, good for sixth place while matching his finish in the same event at the 2024 NWC Championships.
 
Levi Buker added to the Linfield's point total, placing eighth in the consolation final of the 100 butterfly. He posted a time of personal-best time of 53.08 while notching the fastest time by any Wildcat this season.
 
In evening's culminating event, the 100 freestyle relay, Linfield's foursome of Tontchev, Smith, Andrew Lee and Nikola Jelusic finished eighth overall in 1:31.32.
 
NEXT
Racing concludes Sunday with five preliminaries starting at 9 a.m. Finals in those events, plus the 400 freestyle relay, get underway at 4 p.m.