• VIDEO: Bill Douthit

SEATTLE -- Seattle Pacific rowers won two of three women's races Saturday morning led by a wire-to-wire victory from the varsity eight crew during the Raptor Cup, a coed dual regatta against Seattle University on the Lake Washington Ship Canal.

The Falcons claimed the overall team title by a 9-6 margin.

SPU's top women's boat burst off the starting line and never trailed en route to a 37-second triumph. The Falcons clocked a time of 7-minutes, 55.17-seconds despite unfavorable conditions that forced them to row into a strong head wind and steady rain. Seattle U's time was 8:32.6.

"The women's varsity eight, just from a pure rowing perspective, was really good today," exclaimed SPU coach Keith Jefferson. "They were instantly ahead. They rowed quite well, held themselves together and steered a good course."

The Falcons also won the race for women's second varsity fours, completing the 2,000-meter course in 9:39.39. The second-place time by SU was 10:16.18.

The Redhawks won the closest race of the day with a six-seat decision in the women's varsity four competition. The winning time was 9:06.1 and SPU was second in 9:09.68.

"Our women's varsity four, while they finished behind, fought a good race. They were dead even, got a little behind and then were coming back," Jefferson described. "It was a very close race and I was particularly proud of them."



The SPU men registered an impressive open-water victory in the four-oared novice event while the Redhawks won the varsity four and pairs races.

The first-year Falcons boat clocked a time of 8:05.02 to leave a 12-second gap in front of SU. The Redhawks novice crew finished in 8:17.94.

"On the men's side the novice four was hands down just dominating," Jefferson said. "I was really pleased because they have had to make up some ground over the last several weeks just getting it together late."

Seattle University's winning men's varsity four crossed the finish line in 7:37.23, just over a boat length ahead of SPU's crew that had a time of 7:42.19.

The men's pairs race was fronted by the Redhawks with a winning time of 8:45.24. The SPU duo of Phillip Mach and Bill Douthit, who had both rowed earlier in the varsity four event, finished in 9:14.83.

Next Saturday (April 7), the Seattle Pacific crews travel to Vancouver, Wash. for the Northwest Collegiate Rowing Conference Invitational. The NCRC regatta takes place on Vancouver Lake.


RAPTOR CUP REGATTA
Seattle University vs. Seattle Pacific Dual
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Lake Washington Ship Canal/Seattle, Wash.
(all races 2,000 meters)

Team Standings
1, Seattle Pacific, 9
2, Seattle University, 6

Women's Varsity Eight
1, SPU 7:55.17; 2, SU 8:32.6.
     SPU lineup: cox-Annie Mulder, stroke-Katy Stine, 7-Emily Scrabeck, 6-Rachel Murphy, 5-Allison Langholff, 4-Jacky Neumiller, 3-Madelyn Hogue, 2-Katarina Krueger, bow- Kindra Fish.

Women's Varsity Four
1, SU 9:06.1; 2, SPU 9:09.68.
      SPU lineup: cox-Ana Munshell, stroke-Dani Ferrigno, 3-Sarah Lanter, 2- Belle Fritsch, bow-Samantha Storz.

Women's Second Varsity Four
1, SPU 9:39.39; 2, SU 10:16.18.
     SPU lineup: cox-Annie Mulder, stroke-Rachel Murphy, 3-Emily Scrabeck, 2-Katraina Krueger, bow-Madelyn Hogue.

Men's Varsity Four
1, SU 7:37.23; 2, SPU 7:42.19.
      SPU lineup: cox-Mackenzie Oscar, stroke-Phillip Mach, 3-Daniel Mudge, 2-Bill Douthit, bow-Will Kolb.

Men's Novice Four
1, SPU 8:05.02; 2, SU 8:17.94.
      SPU lineup: cox-Mackenzie Oscar, stroke-Thomas Taylor, 3-Matt Edel, 2-Emerson Morris, bow-Daniel Woodward.

Men's Pair
1, SU 8:45.24; 2, SPU 9:14.83.
      SPU lineup: stroke-Phillip Mach, bow-Bill Douthit.