PORTLAND, Ore.—Lewis & Clark College men's and swimming is set to compete in nine meets during the 2025-26 season. 
 
The River Otters will compete in six dual meets, one quad meet, and two larger competitions. Both teams are coming off of strong showings at the 2024 Northwest Conference Championship Meet. Men's swimming moved up to fifth place in the team standings and improved their score by nearly 100 points. Women's Swimming placed eighth overall but increased their team score by 25 points. 
 
They will be the first Lewis & Clark varsity athletics team to compete under the River Otters nickname – when they dive into their season on Friday, October 31. Swimming will host Whitman College on Halloween with the meet set to kick off at 6 p.m. 
 
Lewis & Clark will take on defending Northwest Conference Men's and Women's Champion Whitworth University on Saturday, November 1 at 11 a.m. The Pirates swept the NWC Championships last season for the first time since 2013. They earned their first women's title since 2013 and the men's team won their fifth title in six meets. 
 
The River Otters will travel to Tacoma next weekend to take on the University of Puget Sound and Pacific Lutheran University. They will compete against the Logger on Friday, November 7 (6:00 p.m.) and the Lutes on Saturday, November 8 (11 a.m.). 
 
Lewis & Clark will head to Monterrey Park, California for their annual mid-season meet on November 21-23. The River Otters will be competing at the University of La Verne's Winter Collegiate Swim Invite for the second-straight season. Last year, the men's 200 Free Relay (Zach Martin, Sam LoCurto, Ezra Billings and Micah Rysavy) and Rysavy (200 IM) set program records on Day One of the meet. 
 
The River Otters will have two months off from competition, before they return to action in January. After traveling back to California for their annual Winter Training Trip, Lewis & Clark will have three final Northwest Conference meets to close out the regular-season. 
 
Swimming will travel to Linfield University on Friday, January 23 in their final road meet of the season. 
 
Lewis & Clark will return to the Zehntbauer Swimming Pavilion on Saturday, January 24. They will host Willamette University at 11 a.m. in their first home meet since November 1. Last season, the men's team dominated the Bearcats 125-65 and won eighth of the nine individual events. Sophomore Angie Cummings (200 Backstroke and 1,000 Free) and first year Claire Hurty (500 Free) earned individual wins for the women's team. 
 
The River Otters will close out the regular season with a rare quad meet on Senior Day. They will welcome Northwest Conference foes George Fox university and Pacific University, along with Southwestern Oregon Community College. The men's team finished ahead of both George Fox (8^th) and Pacific (9^th) last season and the women's team finished between George Fox (7^th) and Pacific (9^th). Southwestern Oregon is a perpetual national power at the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) level and finished as the national runner-up last season on both sides. Lewis & Clark will honor their nine senior members (six women and three men) after the meet concludes. 
 
Lewis & Clark will travel to Federal Way, Washington for the 2025 Northwest Conference Championship Meet from February 12-15. Last season, nine Lewis & Clark swimmers earned All-Conference honors and junior Ezra Billings and head coach Caitlin DeNise were named the Northwest Conference Men's Swimmer and Men's Coach of the Year. It marked the first time that a Lewis & Clark swimmer/coach had won either men's award. The River Otters won four gold medals at the 2024 meet. Billings won the individual title in the 50 and 100 Free and the 100 Fly. He teamed up with Martin, Rysavy and LoCurto to win the final event of the Meet  - the 400 Freestyle Relay. 
 
Lewis & Clark returns six of their nine All-Conference honorees from last season. Senior Elise Barton and junior Angie Cummings combined for five All-Conference awards last Winter. Barton picked up her first three All-Conference honors in the 50, 100 and 200 Free. Cummings was recognized for her performance in the 100 and 200 Backstrokes. On the men's side, Billings, Martin, LoCurto and senior Michael Spicer will look to lead the team. The quartet combined for 12 All-Conference honors in 2024.