• COMPLETE RESULTS

GOLD RIVER, Calif. – Both Seattle Pacific eight-oared crews qualified for the grand finals, including the novices who rowed to an impressive wire-to-wire heat victory Saturday on the opening day of the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association (WIRA) Championships on Lake Natoma.
 
The first-year Falcons broke in front early and led by one-half length just 250 meters into the race. That margin grew to an open-water advantage over Humboldt State by the 500-meter mark.
 
SPU's novice eight steadily increased that lead to finish a few lengths ahead of the pack with a time of 7-minutes, 36.12-seconds. Orange Coast College overtook Humboldt midway through the race and placed second in 7:48.80. HSU claimed the third qualifying berth with a time of 7:59.84.
 
This was the inaugural outing for the Falcons novice eight, which was supposed to race on April 7 but had that competition canceled due to inclement weather. Freshman coxswain Cecilia Krause directs the crew that is propelled by Alex Archambault, Haley Thompson, Madison Simmons, Jenafer Johanson, Hannah Todd, Kali Barlow, Katy Graham and Talia Ferguson.
 
SPU, Orange Coast and Humboldt will be joined in Sunday's 10 a.m. novice eight grand final by second heat winner UC Irvine (7:35.62), UC San Diego and Seattle University.
 
The other finishers in SPU's race were Chico State in fourth (8:03.04) followed by a Washington State club crew (8:05.68), Oregon (8:07.04) and Sonoma State (8:29.75).
 
The Falcons top crew rallied for an impressive runner-up performance in its heat of the varsity eight event.
 
After a swift start, SPU dropped back in the pack. Humboldt State parlayed a high stroke rate to the lead at the 1,000-meter mark, followed by Western Washington and Puget Sound. The Falcons were in fourth, open water ahead of the rest of the field, but one-half boat length out of the crucial third-place qualifying position.
 
Western surged into the lead with 800 meters to row, up two seats on Humboldt with SPU still trailing third-place Puget Sound by four seats.
 
Those positions held until UPS moved into second with 500 meters remaining. SPU was challenging for third and overtook Humboldt with 300 to go with its sights set on the Loggers.
 
At the finish, WWU was an open-water victor with a time of 6:57.14. The Vikings gained a measure of revenge after finishing with an open-water deficit to SPU on April 14 at the Falcon Regatta in Seattle.
 
On Saturday, second-place Seattle Pacific covered the 2,000-meter course in 7:01.53, crossing one seat ahead of UPS (7:02.23). Humboldt State finished fourth (7:05.94) followed by UC Davis (7:21.48), Oregon (7:36.33) and Southern Oregon (7:44.60).

Western, SPU and Puget Sound advance to the grand final, scheduled for Sunday at 9 a.m. Also competing in the championship race will be top-ranked Central Oklahoma (6:50.13), the other heat winner, UC Santa Barbara and UC San Diego.
 
The Falcons varsity eight is directed by sophomore coxswain Jacqueline Kemp and includes Chloe Remley in the stroke seat along with rowers Kaitlin Dickinson, Gillian Edgar, Suzanne Stafford, Megan Chalfant, Samantha Kimmel, Natalie Beall and Amanda Larsen.

 
Seattle Pacific's third entry competed in the second of three varsity four heats. During the opening 1,000 meters Humboldt, Sonoma State and SPU were rowing even, far ahead of the other three boats. Sonoma soon moved into first with the other two battling for the only other qualifying berth.
 
The Falcons were one seat out of second before Humboldt staged a strong sprint over the final 150 meters to claim second and close within a deck of first.
 
Sonoma posted a first-place time of 8:17.04 and HSU was next at 8:17.79. SPU clocked a third-place time of 8:23.74 that would earned second in either of the other heats.
 
Puget Sound was a distant fourth (8:28.30) followed by Oregon (8:36.90) and UC Irvine (8:45.70).
 
A petite final appearance awaits the Falcons varsity four boat that will row against UC Santa Barbara, Orange Coast, Puget Sound, Southern Oregon and the Washington State club crew.
 
The varsity four boat was steered by senior coxswain Simone Herzberg with Gracie Hoidal, Hannah Hutchinson, Laura Su and Brooklyn Liberato pulling oars.
 
 
NCAA WOMEN'S ROWING
WIRA Championships
Saturday, April 28, 2018
Lake Natoma / Gold River, Calif.
(2,000-meter races)
 
SATURDAY RESULTS
 
Varsity Eight
Heat I -- 1, Central Oklahoma, 6:50.13; 2, UC Santa Barbara, 6;53.64; 3, UC San Diego, 7:00.64; 4, Lewis & Clark, 7:16.22; 5, Mills, 7:19.43; 6, California lightweight, 722.04; 7, Pacific, 7:57.45.
 
Heat II -- 1, Western Washington, 6:57.14; 2, Seattle Pacific, 7:01.53; 3, Puget Sound 7:02.23; 4, Humboldt State, 7:05.94; 5, UC Davis, 7:21.48; 6, Oregon, 7:36.33; 7, Southern Oregon, 7:44.60.
 
      SPU varsity eight lineup:  cox–Jacqueline Kemp, stroke-Chloe Remley, 7-Kaitlin Dickinso, 6-Gillian Edgar, 5-Suzanne Stafford, 4-Megan Chalfant, 3-Samantha Kimmel, 2-Natalie Beall, bow-Amanda Larsen.
 
 
Varsity Four
Heat I -- 1, Central Oklahoma, 8:04.03; 2, Long Beach State, 8:24.75; 3, Orange Coast, 8:33.58; 4, Southern Oregon, 8:46.45; 5, Chico State, 8:48.36; 6, Southern Oregon "B", 9:15.23; 7, Lewis & Clark, 10:02.43.
 
Heat II -- 1, Sonoma State, 8:17.04; 2, Humboldt State, 8:17.79; 3, Seattle Pacific, 8:23.74; 4, Puget Sound, 8:28.30; 5, Oregon, 8:36.90; 6, UC Irvine, 8:45.70.
 
Heat III -- 1, Western Washington, 8:10.31; 2, UC San Diego, 8:24.57; 3, UC Santa Barbara, 8:33.30; 4, Washington State club, 8:35.61; 5, UC Davis, 9:00.79; 6, Pacific, 9:43.83.
 
      SPU varsity four lineup:  cox–Simone Herzberg, stroke-Gracie Hoidal, 3-Hannah Hutchinson, 2-Laura Su, bow-Booklyn Liberato.
 
 
Novice Eight
Heat I -- 1, Seattle Pacific, 7:36.12; 2, Orange Coast, 7:48.80; 3, Humboldt State, 7:59.84; 4, Chico State, 8:03.04; 5, Washington State club, 8:05.68; 6, Oregon, 8:07.04; 7, Sonoma State, 8:29.75.
 
Heat II -- 1, UC Irvine, 7:35.62; 2, UC San Diego, 7:39.34; 3, Seattle University, 7:41.49; 4, UC Santa Barbara, 8:11.27; 5, Southern Oregon, 8:13.60; 6, Mills, 8:23.67; 7, California lightweight, 9:03.61.
 
      SPU novice eight lineup:  cox–Cecilia Krause, stroke-Alex Archambault, 7-Haley Thompson, 6-Madison Simmons, 5-Jenafer Johanson, 4-Hannah Todd 3-Kali Barlow, 2-Katy Graham, bow-Talia Ferguson.
 
 
SUNDAY, APRIL 29 SCHEDULE (SPU races only)
 9:00 a.m. – Varsity eight (grand final)
10:00 a.m. – Novice eight (grand final)