SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Seattle Pacific's varsity eight crew finished fourth in its grand final race Sunday while the varsity four placed third on the final day of the 45th-annual San Diego Crew Classic.
 
The Falcons top eight-oared crew battled the length of the Mission Bay Course with Purdue before settling for fourth place. They clocked a time of 7-minutes, 30.73-seconds over the 2,000-meter distance in the varsity eight event for NCAA Division II and club crews that was won by UC San Diego in 7:24.44. Grand Valley State was second in 7:27.10.
 
Purdue placed third in 7:29.04, crossing the finish line four seats in front of SPU. Fourth place UC Davis was several boat lengths behind the Falcons with a time of 7:46.58, and Calgary was fifth in 8:02.47.
 
The SPU varsity eight earned a berth in the grand final with a third-place showing in Saturday's heat race. The fourth-place performance was a tremendous improvement from last season when the Falcons placed sixth in heat racing and third in the 2017 petite final.
 
SPU's eight-oared boat is directed by sophomore coxswain Jacqueline Kemp and stroked by a San Diego native Chloe Remley. The other crew members are Kaitlin Dickinson, Gillian Edgar, Suzanne Stafford, Megan Chalfant, Samantha Kimmel, Natalie Beall and Amanda Larsen.
 
With just six crews entered in the Division II event for varsity fours, the Falcons did not have a heat race Saturday.
 
They lined up in the five-boat field on Sunday and crossed the finish line in 8:33.92, good for third place. SPU finished far ahead of fourth-place UC Davis (8:39.83) and UC San Diego's second entry (9:09.30).
 
Calgary handily won by open water with a time of 8:04.9, followed by the top UC San Diego four in 8:19.36.
 
Sunday marked the maiden voyage for this SPU four, comprised of coxswain Cecilia Krause and rowers Hannah Hutchinson, Lakyn Coppedge, Brooklyn Liberato and Gracie Hoidal.
 
The SPU rowers return to action on Saturday, March 31 at the Husky Open. That 8 a.m. event, hosted by the University of Washington, will be conducted on the Lake Washington Ship Canal.
 
 
NCAA WOMEN'S ROWING
San Diego Crew Classic
Sunday, March 25, 2018
Mission Bay / San Diego, Calif.
(2,000 meters, only events with SPU entry listed)
 
Results
Division II/Club varsity eight -- grand final
1, UC San Diego, 7:24.44
2, Grand Valley State, 7:27.10
3, Purdue, 7:29.04
4, Seattle Pacific, 7:30.73
5, UC Davis, 7:46.58
6, Calgary, 8:02.47
 
Division II/Club varsity eight -- petite final
1, California (lightweight), 7:42.42
2, Cal State Long Beach, 8:30.71
 
      SPU varsity eight lineup:  cox–Jacqueline Kemp, stroke-Chloe Remley, 7-Kaitlin Dickinson, 6-Gillian Edgar, 5-Suzanne Stafford, 4-Megan Chalfant, 3-Samantha Kimmel, 2-Natalie Beall, bow-Amanda Larsen.
 
 
Division II varsity four -- grand final
1, Calgary, 8:04.94
2, UC San Diego, 8:19:36
3, Seattle Pacific, 8:33.92
4, UC Davis, 8:39.83
5, UC San Diego "B", 9:09.30
 
      SPU varsity four lineup:  cox–Cecilia Krause, stroke-Hannah Hutchinson, 3-Lakyn Coppedge, 2-Brooklyn Liberato, bow-Gracie Hoidal.