LINFIELD UNIVERSITY WILDCATS SWIMMING vs. WILLAMETTE • NOVEMBER 5, 2021

MEET THE WILDCATS Whitney Averill

Lauren Bobo-Shisler

Avery Campbell

Emma Campbell

Kaylee Elsom

Caitlin Evenson

Caroline Hall

Madison Haines

Annelise Hed

Abbi Karsseboom

Maggie Kelley

Alexis MatthiesenJohnson

Kalea Mullins

Laina Reichelderfer

Abigail Salnas

Rylee Schneider

Molly Shields

Claudia Velie

Lauren Waining

Kate Walkup

Samantha Zurcher

Levi Buker

Cam Butler

Grant Cutler

Gabe Dawson

Edan Donaldson

Colby Evenson

Daisuke Fitial

Omri Forte

Jack Gallo

Jesse Genualdi

Nathan Herde

Alex Landry

Jake Maher

Sasha Moore

Daniel Olson

David Reeves

Cole Runion

Ben Simpson

Gavin Smith

Garrett Sutton

Cam Wheeler

Casey Wong

Bram Zlotowski

LINFIELD WILDCATS WOMEN

NAME EVENTS Whitney Averill Breast/IM Lauren Bobo-Shisler Sprints Avery Campbell Back, Sprint free Emma Campbell Mid-Distance Kaylee Elsom Mid-Distance Free Caitlin Evenson Mid Distance Free Caroline Hall Distance Free Madison Haines Breast/Free Annelise Hed Sprint Free/Breast Abbi Karsseboom Free/IM Maggie Kelley Sprint Free Alexis Matthiesen-Johnson Distance Free Kalea Mullins IM/Free Laina Reichelderfer IM Abigail Salnas Free Rylee Schneider Free Molly Shields Fly/Free Claudia Velie Free/Breast/IM Lauren Waining Back/Free Kate Walkup Fly/IM/Distance Free Samantha Zurcher Sprint/Mid-Distance Free NAME Levi Buker Cam Butler Grant Cutler Gabe Dawson Edan Donaldson Colby Evenson Daisuke Fitial Omri Forte Jack Gallo Jesse Genualdi Nathan Herde Alex Landry Jake Maher Sasha Moore Daniel Olson David Reeves Cole Runion Ben Simpson Gavin Smith Garrett Sutton Cam Wheeler Casey Wong Bram Zlotowski

YR./EL. So./So. Fr./Fr. Fr./Fr. So./So. So./So. So./So. Sr./5th Yr. Fr./Fr. Jr./Jr. So./So. So./So. Jr./Jr. Jr./Jr. Sr./Sr. Fr./Fr. So./So. Sr./Sr. Jr./Jr. Fr./Fr. Jr./Jr. So./So.

MEN

EVENTS YR./EL. Fly/ Free Fr./Fr. Mid-Distance/Free Jr./Jr. Breast/Distance Free Sr./Sr. Mid-Distance/Free So./So. Sprint Free/Fly/Back Jr./Jr. IM/Free/Back/Breast Sr./Sr. Back/Fly/IM Sr./5th Yr. Sprint Free Sr./Sr. Distance Free/Fly Fr./Fr. Free/Back Sr./Sr. Mid-Distance/Free Jr./Jr. Mid-Distance/Free/Breast So./So. Breast/Sprint Free Fr./Fr. Breast/Free So./So. Sprint Free So./So. Sprint Free Jr./Jr. Sprint Free So./So. Fly/Free Jr./Jr. Mid-Distance Free Fr./Fr. Sprint Free Sr./Sr. Distance Free So./So. Back/Free Jr./Jr. IM/Fly/Free Fr./Fr.

HEAD COACH: Kyle Kimball (eighth year) ASSISTANT COACHES: Alec Webster, Hannah Sutter

HOMETOWN / PREVIOUS SCHOOL Tillamook, Ore. / Tillamook Newport, Ore. / Newport Olympia, Wash. / North Thurston Ketchikan, Alaska / Ketchikan Bend, Ore. / Summit Salem, Ore. / Sprague Portland, Ore. / St. Mary Academy Salem, Ore. / McKay Covington, Wash. / Kent Mt. View Tualatin, Ore. / Tualatin Silverton, Ore. / Silverton Eugene, Ore. / North Eugene Gresham, Ore. / Mt. Hood C.C. Corvallis, Ore. / Corvallis Eugene, Ore. / Marist Medford, Ore. / Ashland Tigard, Ore. / Jesuit Kingston, Wash. / Kingston Portland, Ore. / Westview Eugene, Ore. / South Eugene Silverton, Ore. / Silverton HOMETOWN / PREVIOUS SCHOOL Medford, Ore. / North Medford Port Angles, Wash. / Port Angeles McMinnville, Ore. / McMinnville Eugene, Ore. / North Eugene Colton, Ore. / Colton Salem, Ore. / Seattle U. Salem, Ore. / South Salem Seattle, Wash. / Seattle Prep Vancouver, Wash. / Union Dallas, Ore. / Chemeketa C.C. Parkland, Wash. / Washington Olympia, Wash. / Capital St. Helens, Ore. / St. Helens Portland, Ore. / Grant Medford, Ore. / North Medford Silverton, Ore. / Silverton Silverton, Ore. / Silverton Sacramento, Calif. / Jesuit Bremerton, Wash. / Klahowya Secondary McMinnville, Ore. / University of Utah Wenatchee, Wash. / Wenatchee Honolulu, Hawaii / William McKinley Redding, Calif. / Shasta

WILDCAT SPOTLIGHT

sky’s the limit Total Office N Solutions Well-respected for his engaging personality and committed work ethic, Neirton Oliveira’s future knows no boundaries by colton cecchini ’22

eirton Oliveira’s journey to becoming a Linfield College student-athlete could be seen as either happenstance or fate, depending on how you look at it. Originally from Fortaleza, Brazil, Oliveira joined an exchange program while in high school and was randomly placed at McMinnville High School.

During his time in high school, Oliveira competed in swimming and eventually became a Junior National qualifier. He began looking toward Linfield for his undergraduate degree because the college offered him the opportunity to continue his competitive swimming career, something not available through colleges in Brazil.

Says Oliveira, “I also wanted to come back (to Oregon) because I wanted to speak the language more and I liked the culture.”

Growing up in Brazil, Oliveira says that sports, whether it was volleyball, soccer or swimming, were part of his daily life. He says he began focusing more on swimming at the suggestion of his doctor to combat breathing issues he had as a child.

“Swimming is a good way to learn breathing control,” he says. “Today, I still have an inhaler, but I don’t really need it all the time anymore.”

His parents’ unwavering support in whatever he wanted to pursue has been a motivator for him. His father, Dairton, always encouraged him to be a better athlete. More recently, Neirton came to fully appreciate the impact his parents have had in his life.

One of the greatest challenges of attending school in another country, he says, has been being separated from his family for extended periods of time. Last year, Oliveira took two semesters off in order to return home and see his family after nearly four years in the United States.

“When I went home this past year, I spent the whole time with my family,” Oliveira says. “I did anything that they wanted to do, just to be around them.”

Oliveira says many things he had remembered from the last time he left home felt different yet still weirdly familiar. The most notable change he observed was seeing how much his 15-year-old sister had grown during his absence.

While back in Fortaleza, Oliveira says that reuniting with his family changed him both as a person and a swimmer. Overall, his attitude and the way he carried himself day-to-day improved greatly.

“I realized if I was going to put effort into swimming, I should be going all out,” Oliveira says. “I saw swimming was what was keeping me going and that it was what I am truly passionate about.”

Well into his senior season as a Wildcat, Oliveira has continually proven to be a dominant swimmer in the Northwest Conference, breaking multiple school records, including new standards in the 100 and 200 backstroke events.

Close friend and teammate Noah Cutting says, “Neirton is one of the only swimmers in the conference who is capable of swimming any event and scoring high.”

This season, Oliveira hopes to break more records, score high at the NWC Championships, and earn an invitation to the NCAA national championship meet.

“Neirton is dependable and approachable,” Cutting says, “As one of the team leaders, it’s important to have those qualities.”

Outside of swimming, Oliveira says he has made it his goal to pursue as many on-campus work positions as possible. He has held a job in nearly every available department at Linfield, including being a resident advisor for two years.

“I’ve just worked everywhere so I could find the best job,” he says. “I’ve met a lot of cool people in the process.”

Having spent a good portion of his life in McMinnville, Oliveira admits he has fallen in love with the Pacific Northwest. It’s a nice change of pace compared with Brazil, where the climate always makes it feel like summer.

Oliveira says that finding the right major was a long process for him. He says the most important factor was being able to use the experience gained and knowledge learned to utilize in career at home in Brazil. Eventually, exercise science proved to be the right fit for him.

“I liked the anatomy and physiology courses and what my professors taught me,” he says.

With many different career paths to pursue within the exercise sciences, Oliveira says he is keeping an open mind about which exact career path he intends to follow. Until he figures out what he wants to do, he’ll likely be biding his time as a swim coach.

In the spring, Oliveira’s family is planning its first trip to the U.S. to see him receive his bachelor’s degree. After 14747 Greenbrier Pkwy graduation, they areNW planning to spend Beaverton, OR 97006 a lot more time time together, starting with a trip to Florida. 503-641-2000

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