SPOKANE, Wash. – Whitworth University opened the 2022-23 swimming dual meet season with a split against visiting Pacific Lutheran on Friday night.  The Pirate men defeated the Lutes 144-49, but the PLU women beat Whitworth 112-80.

Ryan Burch and Isaiah Ross won two events apiece for the Whitworth men.  Burch swept both sprint freestyle events, taking the 50-yard free in 22.25 and the 100 free in 49.10.  Ross won both the 100-yard butterfly (52.20) and the 500 free (5:03.73). 

Ross and Burch also anchored the winning 200-yard medley relay for the Pirate men.  Carl McNabb, Ty Patterson, Ross and Burch won in a time of 1:39.96.

Patterson and McNabb finished 1-2 in the men's 100 backstroke in 55.65 and 56.34.  Connor Florey won the 1,650 freestyle in 17:00.40.  Haden Keener touched first in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:50.44.  Keener, Mason Self, Patterson and Florey closed the meet with a victory in the 200 freestyle relay (1:29.30).

Tyler Tanaka won both the 400 I.M. and the 100 breaststroke for the only two wins of the night for the PLU men.

Carly Hoff won both the 50 and 100 freestyles for Whitworth's women.  Her 50 time was 25.93 and her 100 mark was 55.47.  She was also runner-up to PLU's Malia Wisham in the 200 free.

Taylor Thorne won the 100 backstroke in 1:04.34 and Ashley Rush took first in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:11.10. 

Wisham (200 free and 500 free) and Claire Cranch (1,650 free and 400 I.M.) each won twice for the Lutes. PLU also swept both relays. 

Whitworth will take on Puget Sound on Saturday afternoon at 1:00 pm.