• VIDEO: Amanda  Larsen    |    • RESULTS

SEATTLE – Seattle Pacific placed third in the featured women's race, trailing only two University of Washington crews, and shaved over four minutes off last year's time in an impressive performance at the 39th-annual Head of the Lake Regatta.
 
Two other Falcons crews competed, in the Women's Collegiate Third Varsity Eight race. Their second varsity placed second, behind Washington State, and the SPU's No. 3 boat was fourth.
 
"Overall we did a really good job," said Andrew Derrick, who begins his third season as the SPU head coach. "Boats met with different kinds of adversity, but did a really good job of racing hard and overcoming a lot of that, whether its broken equipment or racing opponents we raced previously, and stepping up.
 
"We've struggled to show our true speed at times over the last couple years and they did good job of doing that today, especially the varsity."
 
Top Non-Division I Finisher
Three weeks after suffering a 42-second loss to Portland at the Oct. 14 American Lake Fall Classic in Lakewood, Wash., Seattle Pacific's top eight-oared boat turned the tables on that NCAA Division I crew.
 
Derrick credited his top crew's mindset, and a subpar Saturday, for Sunday's stellar showing.
 
"The mentality has been really big for us to race against a team that beat us a few weeks ago. We had a pretty poor practice yesterday and it was a bit of a wakeup call. So I'm really proud of the way that they came out and responded today."
 
The Division II Falcons streaked off the start of the Championship Women's Eight race and quickly erased the stagger over the University of Oregon crew that started 15 seconds ahead of them. SPU completed the three-mile course in 17-minutes, 53.39 seconds. Portland was less than two seconds back, in 17:55.27.


 
Washington's leading women's crews finished one-two, clocking times of 16:21.92 and 16:37.29.
 
Puget Sound posted a fifth-place time of 18:05.89 followed by Lewis & Clark in 20:02.59 and Oregon in 20:24.88.
 
SPU's mark was 4-minutes, 10-seconds faster than the time of 22:03.77 turned in at last year's Head of the Lake Regatta.
 
The Falcons varsity crew was directed by coxswain Jacqueline Kemp and included six returning rowers from that 2017 entry; Chloe Remley, Gillian Edgar, Megan Chalfant, Suzanne Stafford, Amanda Larsen and Kaitlin Dickinson. Joining the crew Sunday were Samantha Kimmel and Brooklyn Liberato.
 
Head Racing Details
Instead of traditional Olympic-style racing, with boats lining up side-by-side on a 2,000-meter course, Sunday utilized a head race format, covering more than double that distance (4,800 meters).
 
Head races are time trials, processional events that start with boats in a single-file line with a rolling start at 15-second intervals. Passing is allowed and the order of finish is determined by each crews' elapsed time from start to finish.
 
The course started in the northeast corner of Lake Union heading east beneath the University Bridge. Crews rowed into Portage Bay and through the Montlake Cut to Lake Washington where the course took a sharp turn back toward Husky Stadium and UW's Conibear Shellhouse.
 
Ruined Rigger Delays Second Varsity

Equipment failure forced SPU's second varsity to race two hours later than scheduled, but the time-trial format allowed that result was able to be factored into their original event.
 
The No. 5 seat rigger snapped before the start, forcing the Falcons second crew to row back to their on-campus shellhouse two miles away. They retrieved a different boat and were issued a slot in another eight-oared competition.
 
WSU registered a winning time of 20:01.93 seconds in the third varsity event, just over 13 seconds superior to SPU. The Falcons second varsity, coxed by sophomore Cecilia Krause with five novice rowers and three veterans, was second in 20:15.20.
 
They were well ahead of third-place finisher Portland, which had a time of 20:58.81.
 
"Without a doubt what they went through is difficult. They rowed in a different boat, not even an identical boat, but a completely different type of boat than they are used to," Derrick said of his second varsity.
 
"They had a two hour delay and handled it all on their own. The coaches were over at the race site and the crew came back and got it done. I'm incredibly proud of them for that and then for showing up and racing well."
 
Larger Falcons Fleet
Seattle Pacific only fielded two crews at last year's Head of the Lake event. A third boat joined the Falcons fleet Sunday.

 

SPU's third varsity posted the fourth-best time in its event, a mark of 21:49.94. They trailed their teammates by 1:34 and third-place Portland by 51 seconds.
 
The Falcons finished nearly one minute ahead of Puget Sound, which had a time of 22:43.38.

The third varsity crew was comprised of first-year coxswain Roxy Ruther along with five novice rowers. The only varsity athletes in the boat were Madison Simmons, Larissa Schuermyer and Katy Graham.
 
"Having 24 rowers plus three coxswains getting out there gaining this experience is huge. We're really excited about some of the younger girls in the program," Derrick said. "Our second varsity and third varsity each had five novices in it and three experienced girls.
 
"That's just great to have that many athletes in the program fighting for seats, training hard and pushing each other. We're finally getting to the right number. We would really like to have three competitive eights at all times in the program plus a little bit more. We're getting there and we're excited about what the future's going to hold for us."
 
Ideal Conditions
Sunday's weather was wonderful, with temperatures in the low 50s and a slight breeze. That was a stark contrast to last year when the Head of the Lake racing was halted, and eventually canceled, after 10 events due to hazardous conditions on the water. Below freezing temperatures in the 30s and strong winds along with a steady drizzle of rain mixed with some snow constrained the crews.

Fortunately for the Falcons, their 2017 event was sixth on the racing card and both crews crossed the finish line before the regatta was stopped.

"It was a great day," exclaimed Derrick about this year's regatta. "Number one the weather was a lot better than last year and a lot better than what was predicted for today. That always makes it more enjoyable."

Up Next for SPU Rowers
The SPU women will complete the fall portion of the 2018-19 schedule on Saturday, Nov. 10 with a scrimmage against Seattle University. Racing will take place in the morning on the Lake Washington Ship Canal that runs along the north edge of the SPU campus.

The primary collegiate rowing season is in the spring and the Falcons will announce that schedule when it is finalized.
 
NCAA ROWING
Head of the Lake Regatta
Sunday, November 4, 2018
Montlake Cut / Seattle, Wash.
(3-mile course from Lake Union into Lake Washington)
 
WOMEN'S RESULTS (SPU races only)
 
Championship Eight
1, Washington 1V, 16:21.92
2, Washington 2V, 16:37.29
3, Seattle Pacific 1V, 17:53.39
4, Portland, 17:55.27
5, Puget Sound, 18:05.89
6, Lewis & Clark, 20:02.59
7, Oregon, 20:24.88
 
SPU Varsity lineup:  cox–Jacqueline Kemp, stroke-Chloe Remley, 7-Gillian Edgar, 6-Megan Chalfant, 5-Suzanne Stafford, 4-Amanda Larsen, 3-Samantha Kimmel, 2-Brooklyn Liberato, bow-Kaitlin Dickinson.
 
 
Collegiate Third Varsity Eight
1, Washington State, 20:01.93
2, Seattle Pacific 2V, 20:15.20
3, Portland, 20:58.81
4, Seattle Pacific 3V, 21:49.94
5, Puget Sound, 22:43.38
 
SPU Second Varsity lineup:  cox–Cecilia Krause, stroke-Katy Beth Smith, 7-Lakyn Coppedge, 6-Julienne Renne, 5-Shelby Janes, 4-Anna White, 3-Jennifer Hoag, 2-Haley Thompson, bow-Talia Ferguson.
 
SPU Third Varsity lineup:  cox–Roxy Ruther, stroke-Madison Simmons, 7-Kennedy Snyder, 6-Mikala Hershock, 5-Clara Ingraham, 4-Larissa Schuermyer, 3-Emily Geringer, 2-LeeAnn Arrington, bow-Katy Graham.