Setting the Scene: The Pacific Lutheran University athletic department has six programs competing this weekend, all within the Puget Sound area. Men's and women's track & field returns to Seattle for the UW Invitational, men's and women's swimming faces off against crosstown rival University of Puget Sound in the final dual meet of the season while men's and women's basketball closes out its homestand against the Whits.

FRIDAY:
T&F at UW Invitational in Seattle, Wash. (12 p.m.)
MBB hosts Whitman inside Olson Gymnasium (6 p.m.)
WBB hosts #5 Whitman inside Olson Gymnasium (8 p.m.)
SATURDAY:
T&F at UW Invitational in Seattle, Wash. (10 a.m.)
SWIM at Puget Sound in Tacoma, Wash. (1 p.m.)
MBB hosts #17 Whitworth inside Olson Gymnasium (4 p.m.)
WBB hosts Whitworth inside Olson Gymnasium (6 p.m.)

Download the PLU Athletics App: Stay connected to your favorite teams by downloading the official mobile app of the Pacific Lutheran University athletic department powered by SIDEARM Sports, available in the Apple App Store and on Google Play. 
 
To download the app to your smartphone or tablet, visit the Apple App Store (DOWNLOAD LINK) or Google Play (DOWNLOAD LINK) and search for "PLU Athletics."
 
Food Trucks: This weekend, Olson Gymnasium will have a few dining options for fans attending the basketball games. La Cocina de Jalisco, a Mexican food truck, will be stationed outside the entrance of Olson on both days and will be selling food 30 minutes prior to opening tipoff and throughout the doubleheaders. 

Just a few days left to register for our FREE National Girls & Women in Sports Day Clinic this Saturday!

Link to register ??https://t.co/1SOF58Ixop#GoLutes pic.twitter.com/pWO95HX3jC

— PLU Athletics (@golutes) January 28, 2025

 
Women's Basketball: The Lutes (7-10, 4-4 NWC) extended their win streak to three games over the weekend, securing a pair of wins inside Olson Gymnasium.

Brooke Samura had a double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds as the Lutes built a double digit lead midway through the fourth quarter in a 59-52 victory over Lewis & Clark College last Friday.
 
The following night the Lutes scored 17 of the opening 20 points, collecting a wire-to-wire 61-50 victory over Pacific University. Taylor Schmitdke led the Lutes with 13 points while Jaida Wood tallied a team-best 12 rebounds. 

Women's Swimming: The Lutes won their second consecutive Northwest Conference dual meet on Saturday, overwhelming host Lewis & Clark 109-83. 
 
PLU dominated the top of the podium, winning seven of the 11 events contested. That includes a trio of victories from Scout Hawkins who securing top billing in the 1,650-yard freestyle in 19 minutes, 55.44 seconds while also netting wins in the 400-yard individual medley (4:50.03), and the 500-yard freestyle (5:43.45). 
 
The Lutes had additional victories from Karina Yevstifieieva in the 50-yard freestyle (26.33), Melissa Zuniga in the 100-yard butterfly (1:03.97), Riley Maher in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:12.81), and the 200-yard freestyle relay team (1:45.92).
 
Men's Basketball: Pacific Lutheran (8-9, 5-3 NWC) has surged up the conference standings, winning its last four games and sitting one game out of first place at the halfway point of the NWC season.

PLU has a chance to build on that this weekend with NWC co-leaders Whitman College and Whitworth University both paying a visit to Olson Gymnasium. 

The Lutes had a huge night from Miles Nash off the bench in last Friday night's 71-67 victory over Lewis & Clark— a game that featured eight lead changes and five ties. Nash finished with 19 points in just 23 minutes of play in a contest that the Lutes outmuscled and outhustled the Pioneers on the boards, enjoying a 29-20 rebounding edge.

The following night was the Emmett Holt show in PLU's 77-60 win over Pacific. The Idaho native drained all six of his three-point attempts, closing the evening with 20 points and 10 rebounds. PLU trailed early but a 16-3 spurt midway through the first put the Lutes in control, building a 38-25 halftime advantage and enjoying at least a five point buffer the entire second half. 

Highlights from a 4-0 weekend from @PLU_Mbball & @pluwbb! ??

Both squads are back at home this weekend with games Friday and Saturday against the Whits #GoLutes pic.twitter.com/KAphrWaw1D

— PLU Athletics (@golutes) January 30, 2025

A Special Partnership: On January 18 the PLU men's and women's basketball teams took advantage of its lone Saturday off by volunteering inside Olson Gymnasium as instructors for a Speical Olympics Clinic. Learn more: LINK

Men's Swimming: Tyler Tanaka was the star in Portland last Saturday for the Lutes, winning three events in a 109-91 dual meet setback to Lewis & Clark. 
 
Tanaka opened the meet with a win in the 200-yard medley relay with teammates Hoskoo Amgalan, Na'inoa Loo, and Dakota Domingo with their winning time of 1:41.10 over six seconds faster than the Pioneers.
 
Tanaka followed up the relay win with individual victories in both the 400-yard individual medley (4:23.63) and the 100-yard breaststroke (1:00.51). 

Track & Field: Pacific Lutheran is back in action this weekend. The Lutes last competed on Jan. 18, racing at the University of Washington's UW Preview Meet at Dempsey Indoor.

Grady Lemma, Kai Sorensen, and Abi Caprye headlined the meet for the Lutes. Lemma matched a personal best in the 60-meter hurdles, clocking a 8.32 in the prelims and finishing sixth overall while also placing 16thin the 200-meters. 
 
Sorensen ran both days of the meet, clocking a PR in the 1,000-meters and finishing one second shy of a personal best in the mile. 

Caprye was 14th in the high jump with a clearance of five feet, one inch, while Jessalyn Robles was the top Lute in the mile, looping the track in 5:48.22. 
 
Caprye currently owns the best indoor high jump mark in the West Region this winter while Lemma holds the second fastest time in the region in the 60-meter hurdles.