TACOMA, Wash. -- The Whitworth men's swimming team completed a decade of dominance in the Northwest Conference by winning its 64th consecutive NWC dual meet with a 116-89 victory at Puget Sound on Saturday afternoon at the Loggers' 25-meter Wallace Pool. The Pirate women won nine of 11 events while rolling to a 130-75 win over UPS.

Rory Buck

Complete meet results.

The Pirate men (7-1 overall, 7-0 NWC) survived a strong effort by UPS (6-1, 6-1), winning six of the 11 events. But the Loggers had no answer for freshman Rory Buck, who swam to victory in three individual events for Whitworth. Buck won the 50-meter freestyle (24.37), the 100-meter free (53.09) and the 100-meter breaststroke (1:05.30).

Sophomore Michael Woodward was a double winner for the Pirates, taking both the 200-meter freestyle (1:59.72) and the 400-meter freestyle (4:12.84). Senior Tom Radke led an important 1-2-3 sweep for the Bucs in the 800-meter freestyle with a time of 9:00.61. The 800 free came one event after UPS gained momentum by opening the meet with a win in the 200-meter medley relay.

Jackson Kowalski won twice for the Loggers, taking the 200-meter individual medley (2:14.56) and the 100-meter butterfly (1:00.41). UPS closed the meet by edging Whitworth in the 200-meter freestyle relay (1:39.02 - 1:39.14), but Whitworth had clinched the team victory by that point.

Natalie Turner

Whitworth's women demonstrated impressive depth to come back from an early set back against UPS. The Loggers went 1-2 in the opening 200 medley relay, but Kara Fisher led a 1-2-3 Whitworth finish in the 800 free with a winning time of 9:33.91.

Fisher was one of six different Pirate women who swam to victory in an individual event on Saturday. Natalie Turner and Brittany Gresset were the only double-winners for the Bucs. Turner, a junior, won the 200 free (2:07.75) and 400 free (4:38.59). Gresset, a senior, won the 50 free (27.53) and 100 free (1:01.03).

Brenda Foster led a 1-2-3 Whitworth finish in the 200 individual medley with a time of 2:34.34. Ashley Lecoq raced to an impressive win in the 100-meter butterfly (1:05.68), while freshman Jennifer Benson pulled something of an upset with a win in the 100-meter backstroke (1:09.56).

Gresset, Benson, Locoq, and Turner teamed to win the 200 free relay to close the meet.

Whitworth's men and women will compete at the Northwest Conference championships February 13-15 at the King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, Washington. The women hope to win a second straight NWC title, while the men are aiming for a seventh conference championship in a row.

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