Results

WALLA WALLA, Wash--The Pacific Lutheran University women's swimming team suffered its first blemish of the Northwest Conference dual meet slate on Friday evening, coming up short 130-52 against host Whitman College.

Jessica Ordaz tallied two victories on the night, winning the 50-yard freestyle in 24.99 seconds while also collaborating with Annika Eisele, Makenzie Chan-Orcutt, and Sidney Chan-Orcutt to win the 200-yard medley relay in 1:52.23.

Makenzie Chan-Orcutt was runner-up in the 100-yard butterfly in 1:02.60 with Eisele close behind in third (1:04.08). Emma Gassman was second in the 100-yard backstroke (1:04.09) and third in the 400-yard individual medley (4:58.30) while the 200-yard medley relay was a split second away from a win in the final event of the night, placing runner-up in 1:42.58.

"Initially, we were very concerned about the travel with weather projections, but we had the good fortune of making the journey to Eastern Washington safely today," said Head Coach Andrew Lum.

"We thank Whitman for their flexibility and patience as we worked through the process of getting to compete today. Despite the long travel, and the brutal training block we've had since the New Year, we had some very surprising results tonight. As always, the Lutes shined best where we always do; through our presence, energy, and grit. Whitman is a powerhouse in our conference, and they showed that in every way tonight. We are very proud of the Lutes' ability to navigate the adversities we faced today. This will set us up well against a very skilled and honed team in Whitworth tomorrow."

Friday was the Lutes' (4-2, 3-1 NWC) first setback of the conference dual meet slate after racking up dual wins over Willamette University (103-102), Lewis & Clark College (128-56), and George Fox University (108-96) in November.

The Lutes have a short turnaround, swimming in Spokane tomorrow at 1 p.m. against Whitworth University.