Linfield University Athletics

JUNIOR
Letter winner.
Placed twelfth in the 200 butterfly at the NWC Championships with a time of 1:59.70.
Finished the 200 freestyle at Pacific Lutheran with a season-best time of 1:57.75 on January 19.
Clocked a season-best time of 2:04.30 in the 200 butterfly at George Fox on January 20.
Swam a season-best time of 5:16.64 in the 500 freestyle vs Willamette on January 27.
Secured a second place finish vs Lewis and Clark with a new personal-best time of 11:01.04 finish in the 1000 freestyle on January 26.
Nabbed a season-best time of 19:00.70 in the 1650 freestyle vs Whitworth on November 17.
 
SOPHOMORE
Letter winner.
Placed sixth in the 200 butterfly with a time of 1:56.60 at the NWC Championships.
Swam a personal best in the 500 freestyle at the NWC Championships with a time of 4:51.54.
Swam a personal best in the 1000 freestyle with a time of 11:04.59 on Jan. 21.
Swam a personal best in the 50 backstroke with a time of 27.58 on Oct. 29.
 
FRESHMAN
Letter winner.
Finished sixth at the NWC Championships in the 200 butterfly with a time of 1:56.60.
Swam a time of 54.90 in the 200 freestyle at home in a dual vs. UPS on January 30.
Second team NWC All-Conference.
 
NORTH MEDFORD HIGH SCHOOL
Four-time letter winner.
Competed in 100 and 200 butterfly, 200 and 400 individual medley.
National Honor Society Member.
 
PERSONAL INFORMATION
Majoring in Mathematics and minoring in Environmental Studies.
2024 summer internship with Ingeman Lab in Environmental Studies conducting freshwater mussel surveys in the Yamhill Watershed to analyze population dynamics and de-watering risk.
Son of Denise and Dan Buker.
 
WHAT ARE THE REASONS YOU CHOSE TO ATTEND LINFIELD? I chose Linfield because of the inclusivity and diversity on both the academic and athletic sides of campus. Being able to train with a very welcoming and understanding team that helps encourage me and my teammates to be the best we can each day translates over to me staying motivated and excited to go to class and stay on top of assignments. I first looked at the different academic departments here and saw that the Physics and Biology departments have a wide variety of majors and classes that meet the requirements to earn each major. I decided that I would choose a school based on academics first and see what the swim team would be like as I narrowed my list down on where I wanted to go. Ultimately, the positive work ethic shown in my classes and on the swim team has proven to me that I made the best choice.
 
WHAT DOES BEING A STUDENT-ATHLETE AT LINFIELD MEAN TO YOU? Being a student-athlete means that you are a student first, and an athlete after. Seeing the amount of help I've been offered here so far from coaches, teammates, professors, and classmates has really shown me that everyone here sees that you should prioritize your classwork over practice time.
 
HOW HAS PARTICIPATING IN SPORTS MADE YOU A BETTER PERSON? Participating in sports has taught me that not everyone is in it for the same reasons as yourself, and that it's okay to have different reasons than someone else. I have learned to treat others with respect regardless of who they are. I have learned how to be a leader and how to be led by others.
 
WHO HAS BEEN THE GREATEST INSPIRATION IN YOUR LIFE? I look back at the lessons that I learned from my first club coach when I was about six years old still to this day. He was one of the first people to really inspire me and get me passionate about swimming. I learned sportsmanship, compassion, responsibility, respect, and so many other lessons from him. He knew how to encourage and coach anyone from six to eighteen years old, and he coached them well. I try to emulate his passion for the sport on an individual and team level each day that I show up to practice or compete.
 
WHO HAS BEEN THE GREATEST INSPIRATION IN YOUR LIFE? WHY HAS HE OR SHE BEEN SO INFLUENTIAL?
My grandma Noreen, she pushed me to be the best version of myself and to have pride in everything I do. I learned humility and grace from her growing up, and I take those lessons into everything that I do. I saw from her that I can challenge and push myself in school and in sports, and that rewards will come as I persevere through such challenges.
 
THE GREATEST PRINCIPLE OR LESSON THAT I'VE LEARNED WHILE COMPETING IN ATHLETICS AT LINFIELD HAS BEEN...
Go have fun and be fast. Going into my last season competing at Linfield, I want to enjoy each moment in the pool, on the buses, and in the weight room. I don't want to be worried about little things like how my thumbs are entering the water, I just want to make sure that I'm feeling good so that I can have fun. I feel that I do my best when I'm out of my head, so I feel that if I'm having fun with the sport I'll be swimming fast and dropping time in my events. I've thought about "look good, feel good," or "look fast, feel fast" recently and I've been wearing more fun colored swimsuits, goggles, and caps because it's what I want to do, and I've seen better results because of this. On a different note, the biggest lesson I learned freshman year at conference is that you can't take your first 50 of the 200 fly out in a 25 and expect to hold 29s and 30s the next three 50s without feeling like your shoulders and arms are made out of concrete.
 
AS A LINFIELD-STUDENT ATHLETE, MY GOALS INDIVIDUALLY AND COLLECTIVELY FOR MY TEAM ARE...
My individual goals are to have fun with my last season on this team and to swim as many best times this year as possible. I want to finish this season knowing I've done everything that I could and left nothing on the table. My goals for my team as a whole are to have fun and be fast. I don't want anyone to feel left out or excluded. Everyone on this team is here for a reason, and we should all recognize that and see the value in it. I want to help lead our team to a high-place finish at the conference championship meet at the end of the season, and we're going to be the coolest team at every meet this season :)