Fast Times Expected at NWC Swim Championships

The 2009 Northwest Conference championship meet was the fastest in conference history. No less than 12 of the 18 women's events, and 9 of the men's events, saw NWC championship meet records broken last year. Can 2010 match those totals? Whether or not the same number of records are broken, the 2010 championships February 12-14 at the King County Federal Way Aquatic Center promises to be fast.

The Whitworth University men are aiming for an eighth consecutive title. The Pirates will be led by 2009 NWC Co- Outstanding Men's Swimmer of the Year Michael Woodward, a junior who set three individual meet records while winning the 100-yard, 200-yard and 500-yard freestyles last season. Sophomore Rory Buck carries the NWC's top marks into both breaststroke events, while junior Kalen Darling has the conference's top marks in five different individual events.

The two teams that figure to pose the strongest challenge to the Pirates are 2009 NWC runner-up University of Puget Sound and Whitman College. Senior Jackson Kowalski is the defending conference champion in both the 100-yard and 200-yard backstrokes and will lead the UPS Loggers again this season.  Freshman Aleksander Jeremic is a threat to win both butterfly events for the Loggers. Meanwhile the Missionaries carry the momentum of a narrow dual meet victory over UPS and have perhaps the deepest men's squad at the meet.  Freshman Kevin Dyer will be a threat in the distance freestyle events, while veterans Eric Molnar and Jamie Nusse have scored highly at championships past.

Senior Dominic Rieniets of Linfield has a chance to go out the way he came in, as the NWC Men's Outstanding Swimmer of the Meet. He is the NWC meet record-holder in the 50-yard freestyle and 100-yard butterfly and should be favored to win both of those events for a fourth consecutive season. Fellow Wildcat Yusuke Kobayashi looks to return to the top of the award stand in the 200-yard butterfly, an event he won in 2007.

The women's half of the meet looks very competitive as well. Puget Sound edged Whitworth last winter in the second- closest meet in conference history.  Sophomore Sierra Phillips, the defending NWC champion in both breaststroke races, will lead the Loggers. Fellow sophomore Mackenzie Kitson has the conference's best time in both backstroke events.

Whitworth defeated Puget Sound in a season-ending dual meet, but that has not been indicative of eventual conference titles in years past. Though the Pirates have won the last four duals, the Loggers have come out on top at the NWC Championships three of those seasons.

Senior Natalie Turner will lead Whitworth for a final time. Turner is the NWC record-holder in the 200, 500 and 1,650-yard freestyles, all events in which she is the three-time defending conference champion. Junior Ashley Lecoq returns as the defending champion in both butterfly events for the Bucs.

Pacific University freshman Allison Clark hopes to give the Boxers their first-ever women's individual champion. She has the conference's top time in the 200-yard individual medley and the second fastest mark in the 400 I.M. this season.  Junior Cat Menkel-Lawrence of Lewis & Clark will try to ascend atop the award stand in the 200-yard backstroke, while fellow Pioneer Rachael Cazden (Fr.) is a threat in the sprint freestyle events.