Hillsboro, Ore.- Following a runner-up finish at the 2022-23 Northwest Conference Swimming Championships, the Whitworth Pirates are expected to return to the top of Northwest Conference men’s swimming, as voted on by conference head coaches. The Pirates earned 63 points and 7 first place votes. Defending champions, the Whitman Blues, earned 57 points and 2 first place votes to finish second in the poll.
Linfield landed in the third spot in the poll with 50 points, while Puget Sound received 44 points to rank fourth. Pacific Lutheran earned 31 points to rank fifth, followed by Lewis & Clark with 27 points. Willamette (23 points), George Fox (21 points) and Pacific (Ore.) (8 points) round out the poll.
The season kicks off Friday, October 27th as Lewis & Clarks hosts the NWC Relay Meet. The 2023 NWC Swimming Championship meet will be held at the King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, Washington, February 8-11th.
(Points awarded on an 8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis. Coaches could not vote for their own teams; numbers in parentheses indicate first place votes)
|
Team
|
Pts.
|
2023 NWC Finish
|
|
Whitworth (7)
|
63
|
2nd
|
|
Whitman (2)
|
57
|
1st
|
|
Linfield
|
50
|
3rd
|
|
Puget Sound
|
44
|
4th
|
|
Pacific Lutheran
|
31
|
7th
|
|
Lewis & Clark
|
27
|
5th
|
|
Willamette
|
23
|
6th
|
|
George Fox
|
21
|
8th
|
|
Pacific (Ore.)
|
8
|
9th
|