SEATTLE – Crosstown men's rowing rivals race on Saturday morning when Seattle Pacific and Seattle University men's crews clash in the Raptor Cup on April 5.
 
The four-race slate begins at 8 a.m. on the Lake Washington Ship Canal that flows along the north side of the SPU campus. Four races involve the SPU and SU men while the fifth is an intrasquad contest between two SPU women's four-oared crews.
 
The men's lightweight four race is first at 8 a.m. and the final race is the men's novice four competition at 9:40 a.m.
 
Last year all four SPU men's crews outraced their Seattle U rivals to the finish line.
 
THE SHIP CANAL COURSE
The starting line for the Falcons home regattas is directly under the Fremont Bridge. The 2,000-meter course runs from east to west, through the Ship Canal that runs parallel to the SPU campus, on the north side. The finish line is approximately 300 meters east of the Ballard Bridge.
 
A good view of the racecourse is available along either side of Ship Canal. The south bank features a good spectating spot right behind Brougham Pavilion that is near the finish line. A good vantage point to watch the start of the races is from the west side of the Fremont Bridge.
 
LAST WEEK
Seattle Pacific crews won four of the six events they raced on March 29 at the 31st-annual Blue Heron Redwood Sprints regatta on Humboldt Bay. The Falcons fleet was fantastic in the four-oared events, winning the men's varsity competition along with the women's varsity and second varsity races. They were competing at Humboldt State for the first time since 2008.
 
The SPU men were victorious in the first race of the day, for varsity eights. They covered the 2,000-meter course in 4-minutes, 55.20-seconds to finish with open water ahead of second-place California Maritime Academy (5:01.01) and third-place Humboldt State (5:34.63).
 
That Falcons eight split into two crews later in the day to take part in the regatta's final event, for varsity fours. SPU's top boat was an easy winner with a time of 5:40.71 followed by Cal Maritime (5:53.62) and host Humboldt (6:03.80). SPU's second crew finished fourth in 6:06.64.
 
A fourth men's crew represented SPU in the novice four race, placing second in 6:06.11.
 
The Falcons women's varsity four won by two boat lengths with a time of 6:36.41 followed by Humboldt (6:43.74) and Mills (6:55.83).
 
SPU crossed the finish line first in the second varsity four race and fourth in the varsity eight women's event.
 
COACH JEFFERSON
Keith Jefferson is in his 24th year as head coach of the Falcons crews. He took over the head coaching post prior to the 1990-91 season after serving as an assistant on the staff since 1987. Jefferson was an SPU oarsman from 1980 to 1983.
 
Last season the Falcons varsity four men were silver medalists at the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championships and placed fourth at the prestigious Dad Vail Regatta in Philadelphia, Pa.
 
SPU women's crews finished third in the second varsity four event and sixth among varsity eights at the 2013 WIRA Championships.
 
In 2012, Jefferson directed the men's novice four crew to a silver-medal performance at the WIRA Championships. In 2011 he coached the SPU women's varsity eight crew to a fifth-place finish at the NCAA Division II Championships with the Falcons eight winning the petite final. The men's varsity four boat raced to victory in the 2011 WIRA event and the second varsity four won at the NCRC Championships.
 
In 2010 SPU placed second in the team standings at the NCAA Regatta as the varsity eight and varsity four each placed fourth in their respective events. At the 2009 NCAA Championships, the Falcons rowed to a third-place performance in the women's varsity eight grand final.
 
RETURNING ROWERS
Three rowers return from the SPU varsity four men's boat that won the silver medal at the 2013 Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association (WIRA) Championships. The returning rowers are: Daniel Mudge, Matt Edel and David Sowers.
 
On the women's side, the Falcons return a trio of rowers from the last year's women's varsity eight crew that placed sixth at WIRA. Back in the top boat  Sarah Grace, Baylee O'Camb and Emma Bolton.
 
THE SCHEDULE
The Raptor Cup is the fourth of 10 potential regattas on the 2014 schedule for the Seattle Pacific crews. The season could conclude for the men at the Dad Vail Regatta on May 9-10 in Philadelphia, Pa.
 
The Falcons seek to return to the NCAA Women's Rowing Championships for the first time since 2011. The 2014 NCAA Regatta is schedule for May 30 – June 1 in Indianapolis, Ind.
 
NEXT WEEK
Next week, the Seattle Pacific crews travel to Dexter Lake in Lowell, Oregon (near Eugene) for the annual Covered Bridge Regatta. Racing begins at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 12.
 
 
RAPTOR CUP SCHEDULE
Saturday, April 5
Lake Washington Ship Canal/Seattle, Wash.
(all races 2,000 meters)
 
8:00 a.m. – Men's lightweight four
8:40 a.m. – Men's varsity four
9:00 a.m. – Women's varsity four (SPU only)
9:40 a.m. – Men's novice four