The Logger swimming teams opened their season this year very well, sprinting out to a 4-0 lead in the Northwest Conference (NWC) with only one loss (which happened outside of conference play). The Loggers won two meets on Nov. 14 and 15 at home against the Willamette Bearcats and the Linfield Wildcats.
The Women’s squad started the weekend with a landslide against the Bearcats, winning the meet with a score of 144 to Willamette’s 60.
Melissa Norrish (Denver, Colo.) took the meet by storm and notched herself three first place finishes on Friday Nov. 14. She paced the field in the 200-meter freestyle with a time of 1:59.51, the 100-meter butterfly with a time of 1:00.15 and the 500-meter freestyle with a time of 5:21.84.
Joining Norrish in the winners circle was the 200-meter freestyle team. Alex Koga (Meridian, Id.), Lauren Kochanowski (Salem, Ore.), Anne Shirey (Edmonds, Wash.) and Michaela Metzler (Boulder, Colo.) claimed victory with a time of 1:46.39. Shirey took to the first-place podium again in the 200-meter medley relay alongside relay teammates Samantha Anders (Olympia, Wash.), Auri Clark (Juneau, Alaska) and Melisa Kegans (Honolulu, Hawaii) with a time of 1:55.32.
The men had a closer race against the Bearcats, winning 104-101.
Nick Mitchell looked comfortable in the water and earned himself three first-place finishes against Willamette. He won the 1,000-meter freestyle with a time of 10:18.60, the 400-meter individual medley with a time of 4:28.26 and the 500-meter freestyle with a time of 4:55.52.
Helping the Loggers eek out a victory against the visiting Bearcats was the 200-meter freestyle relay team. Mitch Kilgore (Conifer, Colo.), Matt Goldberg (Chicago, Ill.), Jared Fisk (Elko, Nev.) and Clayton Jacobsen (Newport, Ore.) snatched up a win, finishing in 1:30.73.
The Loggers kept rolling, with both the men and the women trouncing Linfield on Saturday, Nov. 15. The women kicked things off with a 125-80 win and the men followed suit with a 122-77 win.
Norrish stayed true to form and notched herself another trio of first-place finishes. She claimed victory in the 1,000-meter freestyle race with a time of 10:51.86, the 500-meter freestyle with a time of 5:18.47 and the 200-meter individual medley with a time of 2:15.79.
Boosting the Logger score even more was the women’s 400-meter relay team Koga, Kegans, Kochanowski and Ally Hembree (Ft.Wayne, Ind.). They set themselves atop the winners’ podium with a final time of 4:16.15.
Not to be outdone by Norrish, Kegans notched two more first-place finishes for herself after being a part of the winning relay team. She touched the wall first in the 200-meter freestyle with a time of 2:01.08 and in the 100-meter freestyle with a time of 0:55.35.
The men’s 400-meter relay team opened the day with a win for the Loggers. Kilgore, Fisk, Jacobsen and Jarik Bainco (Oak Harbor, Wash.) locked up first-place with a time of 3:45.89.
Mitchell shined in the individual races, again taking home three first-place finishes, including the 1,000 meter freestyle with a time of 10:13.98, the 500 meter freestyle with a time of 4:56.83 and the 200 meter freestyle with a time of 1:48.17.
Kilgore followed in suit of Mitchell, adding wins in two individual events after being a part of the winning relay team. He touched the wall first in the 100-meter freestyle with a time of 0:48.98 and the 50-meter freestyle with a time of 0:22.35.
After their stellar performances over the weekend, both Norrish and Mitchell were named NWC swimmers of the week.
Expectations were high for senior Norrish, as she holds the NWC title for female swimmer of the year and she didn’t disappoint; Norrish won all six of the races she competed in against the Bearcats and the Wildcats.
Mitchell, only a first year, looks to have the stuff of champions as he also won all six of his races to keep the impressive opening to the Logger swimming season alive.
The Loggers travel next to the Husky Invitational at the Weyerhauser King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, Wash. Dec. 5-7.
