Riley's Win Headlines Swimming On Day 1 of NWC Championship

2/13/2026 10:56:00 PM

BOISE, Idaho - The Whitman College swimming teams opened the 2026 Northwest Conference Championships with a strong first day highlighted by a conference title from Avery Riley and multiple relay podium finishes in both the men's and women's meets.

Avery Riley delivered Whitman's first event win of the weekend, charging home to take the women's 500-yard freestyle in 5:07.12, moving up from the No. 2 qualifying spot after prelims. Riley had qualified in 5:13.18 in the morning, then dropped more than six seconds in the final to out-touch Linfield's Kirsti Keppo (5:07.87) and Whitworth's Kallie Badry (5:08.76).

Senior Anneliese Hanson also scored in the championship heat, placing eighth in 5:25.33 after a strong morning swim of 5:21.52.

Riley doubled back as Whitman's butterfly leg on the women's 400 medley relay, helping the Blues to a third-place finish in 4:02.16 with teammates Ella Tyroler (backstroke), Elly Rectenwald (breaststroke) and Hanson (freestyle). Earlier in the session, the women's team opened finals with a fourth-place result in the 200 freestyle relay, as Teague Monahan, Cassidy Monroe, Hanson and Rectenwald combined for a 1:38.75.

On the men's side, Whitman's best relay finish came in the 200-yard freestyle relay, where Elliot Yung, Ian McClelland, Tyson Scott and Brodie Salzbrener raced to third in 1:24.47. Later in the session, the quartet of Calvin Tappert, Yung, McClelland and Adrian Dulong took fifth in the men's 400 medley relay with a time of 3:31.85.

Individually, Tappert headlined Whitman's distance crew with a fifth-place finish in the men's 500 free A-final, stopping the clock at 4:48.24 after qualifying fifth in 4:47.38. Dulong added a sixth-place points finish in the men's 500 B-final (11th overall) in 4:48.87, improving on his prelim swim of 4:52.74.

Whitman's sprint groups also made an impact in the 50-yard freestyle. On the women's side, Rectenwald advanced to the A-final and placed sixth in 24.87, while Monroe dropped time in the evening to win the B-final in 24.96 and secure ninth overall. For the men, Salzbrener returned for the B-final and surged to the heat win in 21.22, scoring ninth-place points; Yung finished 14th in 21.72 after his own evening swim.

The Blues return to the pool tomorrow for Day 2 competition beginning with the prelims at 9:30 a.m.

#GoWhitman

Print Friendly Version

Related Videos

Related Stories

Slideshow Parallax