FEDERAL WAY, Wash. – For the first time since 2013, both the Whitworth University men and women celebrated Northwest Conference swimming championships at the same time when the 2025 meet concluded on Sunday night at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center.
The Pirate women claimed their fifth-ever title and first since 2013 by defeating defending champion Whitman College by 45 points. Whitworth used its depth to hold off the Blues. Steve Schadt shared the 2025 NWC Women's Coach of the Year award with Whitman's Jennifer Blomme.
Makhaela Parrish opened the night with a runner-up finish in the women's 1,650-yard freestyle with a time of 18:01.30. Linfield's Kirsti Keppo won her second event of the meet with a time of 17:32.53.
Taylor Thorne took third in the women's 200-yard backstroke with a time of 2:08.14, while Hailey Freeman was fifth in 2:12.43. Whitman's Frances Lenz defended her title with a time of 2:07.20.
Jillian Larrabee earned her second runner-up finish of the meet in the women's 100-yard freestyle, just behind Puget Sound's Trinity Link, 52.57 – 52.67. Ella Schoenfelder was eighth in 54.42 and Mya Granger won the consolation final with a time of 53.59.
Whitman's Josephine Piel held off Whitworth's Isabella Hoopes and Megan Bonikowsky in the women's 200-yard breaststroke. Piel defended her title with a time of 2:21.30 with Hoopes touching in 2:22.88 and Bonikowsky third in 2:24.17.
Grace Esteban was fifth in the women's 200-yard butterfly in 2:15.48. Whitman's Avery Riley rallied past Linfield's Sarah Arpag to win the race 2:04.74 – 2:05.07.
Hoopes shared the 2025 NWC Women's Swimmer of the Meet award with Linfield's Keppo and Arpag. All three won two individual events and finished second in another.
The Pirates closed the night with a school record in the women's 400-yard freestyle relay, while finishing second to Whitman in the race. Larrabee, Schoenfelder, Granger and Bonikowsky went 3:21.80 to break the previous school record of 3:21.86 that had stood since 2010. The Blues won the race in 3:21.23.
The final women's scores were: Whitworth 636, Whitman 591, Puget Sound 411, Linfield 382, Willamette 344, Pacific Lutheran 281, George Fox 229, Lewis & Clark 208, Pacific (Ore.) 145.
Whitworth's men defended their 2024 title with 814.5 points and a 278-point win over runner-up University of Puget Sound, surpassing 2024 (245 points) as the second-largest margin of victory for a men's championship. Only the Pirate team of 2011 scored more points (923.5) and posted a larger margin of victory (337 points). Whitworth has now won 21 NWC men's swimming titles since 1996.
The Pirates opened the night with a dominating performance in the 1,650 freestyle, scoring 65 points. Jake Sachtjen led from the opening 100 yards on the way to a winning time of 16:08.80. Ben Butler finished second in 16:17.45 with Kai Hayashida fourth (16:34.34). Noah Clarke took sixth (16:46.25) out of the afternoon heats.
The Pirates scored 63 more points in the 200 backstroke. Austin Elwyn won his second event of the meet by touching first in the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 1:50.39. Samuel Draeger finished third in 1:52.31, Vince McNabb was fourth in 1:53.61 and Kian Vae'Ena took seventh (1:58.48).
Parker Dangleis finished second in the 100 freestyle in 45.36 with Nathaniel Van Liew fourth in 46.24. Lewis & Clark's Ezra Billings won in 44.70. Billings also won the 2025 NWC Men's Swimmer of the Meet award.
Alex Popov won the closest final of the night, touching first in the 200 breaststroke in 2:05.30. The top four finishers finished within six-tenths of a second. Popov led the first 50 yards, fell to third at the 150-yard mark and then rallied to take the top of the podium.
Henry Brewster led from the 75-yard mark of the 200 butterfly and touched first for the second season in a row with a time of 1:49.93.
Whitworth closed the night with a third-place finish in the 400 free relay. Dangleis, Emmett Scott, Mason Self and Van Liew went 3:05.41. Lewis & Clark finished first in 3:03.88, the Pioneers' first relay title since 1988.
The final men's team scores were: Whitworth 814.5, Puget Sound 536.5, Whitman 392, Linfield 374, Lewis & Clark 370, Pacific Lutheran 274, George Fox 191, Willamette 187, Pacific (Ore.) 11.
