• RESULTS    |    • SUNDAY WEBCAST

GOLD RIVER, Calif. – All four Seattle Pacific women's entries earned grand finals berths and three of those crews were victorious in heat races Saturday at the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association (WIRA) Championships on Lake Natoma.
 
The Falcons got first-place heat results in the varsity eight, second varsity eight and novice four categories. Their varsity four boat placed second.
 
The grand finals of the regatta, which serves as the West Coast collegiate championships, will be conducted Sunday morning.
 
The fast-starting Falcons quickly gained a substantial lead in the varsity eight race, putting Western Washington's bow on their stern. That margin held until the final 500 meters when the hard-charging Vikings narrowed the gap. SPU's lead was one-half length with 250 meters remaining to row, and was three seats at the finish. Those two claimed critical top-two places from the heat to earn grand finals spots.
 
Seattle Pacific's primary crew, directed by coxswain Jacqueline Kemp, completed the 2,000-meter course in 6-minutes, 49.84-seconds and Northwest rival WWU crossed in 6:50.84. Those two were several boat lengths ahead of third-place UC Davis (7:14.17), which was followed by Lewis & Clark (7:26.27), Oregon (7:55.66) and Long Beach State (8:02.55).
 
Central Oklahoma (6:49.16) and UC San Diego (6:48.73) were the other heat winners. They will be joined by SPU, WWU, Humboldt State and UC Santa Barbara in the championship race on Sunday at 9 a.m.
 
The Falcons other eight-oared crew, the second varsity, followed with an impressive eight-second triumph over runner-up UC San Diego. Led by coxswain Cecilia Krause, they staged a battle with the Tritons with a slight lead through the opening 500 meters. That margin stretched to a boat length by the midway mark and some open water with the final quarter to row.
 
At the finish, SPU's time of 7:17.99 provided two boat-lengths of breathing room ahead of UC San Diego, which finished in 7:26.49. Puget Sound placed third (7:35.32).
 
They all punched tickets to Sunday's 9:50 a.m. grand final to meet the top-three from the other heat; Pacific Lutheran (7:14.10), Humboldt State (7:16.65) and Western Washington (7:21.98).
 
In the varsity four competition, the Falcons nabbed one of the all-important top-two places to advance to the grand final. The success of that four-oared unit is critical in fifth-ranked Seattle Pacific's pursuit of its first NCAA Rowing Championships appearance since 2011. For Division II teams, the results from each school's varsity eight and varsity four crews factor into selection for the six-team field.
 
Roxy Ruther coxed the Falcons four that battled UC San Diego throughout the entire course. The Tritons surged to an early lead, putting their stern on SPU's bow by the 500-meter mark. They gained a sliver of open water by 1,000 meters before the Falcons regained contact by the end.
 
UCSD's winning time was 7:54.75 and SPU finished in 7:57.76, over two boat lengths of open water ahead of third-place UCO's second entry (8:11.31).
 
Joining UC San Diego and the Falcons in Sunday's 10:40 a.m. championship race are the other two heat winners, Central Oklahoma (7:44.91) and Western Washington (7:56.29), along with runners-up Orange Coast and Humboldt State.
 
Completing the perfect, four-for-four qualifying day was Seattle Pacific's novice four boat. Making their easy victory all the more impressive was the fact that a trio of rowers were doing double-duty. Danielle Johnson, Tamyra Clark-Hoogstrate and Anna White had all raced earlier Saturday with the second varsity eight crew.
 
Only the four heat winners were guaranteed a spot in the novice grand final so crossing the finish line first was vital. The first-year Falcons did so by a wealth of open water, clocking a time of 8:12.40. Arizona State was a distant second (8:28.50) followed by Saint Mary's (8:45.05), Humboldt State (8:52.20) and Pacific (9:09.03).
 
In Sunday's grand final at 12:10 p.m., SPU meets heat winners Pacific Lutheran (8:12.02), Loyola Marymount (7:52.97) and Puget Sound (8:57.65).
 
NCAA WOMEN'S ROWING
WIRA Championships
Saturday, April 27, 2019
Lake Natoma / Gold River, Calif.
(2,000-meter races)
 
RESULTS (SPU races only)
 
Varsity Eights
(top 2 in each heat advance to grand final)
Heat I -- 1, Central Oklahoma, 6:49.16; 2, UC Santa Barbara, 6:52.29; 3, Pacific Lutheran, 6:55.23; 4, Mills, 7:30.33; 5, Chico State, 7:39.51.
 
Heat II -- 1, UC San Diego, 6:48.73; 2, Humboldt State, 6:56.76; 3, Puget Sound, 7:03.51; 4, Washington State, 7:47.95; 5, Pacific, 8:09.29; 6, California lightweight, 8:37.59.
 
Heat III -- 1, Seattle Pacific, 6:49.84; 2, Western Washington, 6:50.84; 3, UC Davis, 7:14.17; 4, Lewis & Clark, 7:26.37; 5, Oregon, 7:55.66; 6, Long Beach State, 8:02.55.
 
     SPU lineup: cox-Jacqueline Kemp, stroke-Chloe Remley, 7-Gillian Edgar, 6-Julienne Renne, 5-Suzanne Stafford, 4-Megan Chalfant, 3-Shelby Janes, 2-Jennifer Hoag, bow-Kaitlin Dickinson.
 
Varsity Fours
(top 2 in each heat advance to grand final)
Heat I -- 1, Central Oklahoma, 7:44.91; 2, Orange Coast, 8:12.03; 3, Mills, 8:16.07; 4, Oregon, 8:34.25; 5, Sonoma State "B", 9:00.46; 6, UC Santa Barbara, 9:00.58.
 
Heat II -- 1, UC San Diego, 7:54.75; 2, Seattle Pacific, 7:57.76; 3, Central Oklahoma "B", 8:11.31; 4, Sonoma State, 8:13.13; 5, Southern Oregon, 8:26.59; 6, UC Davis, 9:04.38.
 
Heat III -- 1, Western Washington, 7:56.29; 2, Humboldt State, 8:02.32; 3, UC Irvine, 8:05.56; 4, California lightweight, 8:32.80; 5, Long Beach State, 8:36.19; 6, Oregon "B", 9:47.28.
 
      SPU lineup:  cox–Roxy Ruther, stroke-Amanda Larsen, 3-Samantha Kimmel, 2-Brooklyn Liberato, bow-Talia Ferguson.
 
Second Varsity Eights
(top 3 in each heat advance to grand final)
Heat I -- 1, Seattle Pacific, 7:17.99; 2, UC San Diego, 7:26.49; 3, Puget Sound, 7:35.32; 4, Chico State, 8:32.78; 5, Mills, 8:49.74.
 
Heat II -- 1, Pacific Lutheran, 7:14.10; 2, Humboldt State, 7:16.65; 3, Western Washington, 7:21.98; 4, UC Davis, 8:10.13.
 
      SPU lineup:  cox–Cecilia Krause, stroke-Madison Simmons, 7-Gracie Hoidal, 6-Danielle Johnson, 5-Tamyra Clark-Hoogstrate, 4-Anna White, 3-Haley Thompson, 2-Katy Beth Smith, bow-Avalon Tarbet-Mendoza.
 
Novice Fours
(winner of each heat advances to grand final along with next three fastest times)
Heat I -- 1, Pacific Lutheran, 8:12.02; 2, Portland, 8:26.85; 3, Santa Clara, 8:32.16; 4, UC Santa Barbara, 8:54.02; 5, Stanford lightweight, 9:35.79.
 
Heat II -- 1, Loyola Marymount, 7:52.97; 2, San Diego, 7:56.72; 3, UC Davis, 8:45.45; 4, UC Irvine, 9:10.40; 5, Long Beach State, 9:37.30.
 
Heat III -- 1, Puget Sound, 8:57.65; 2, Sonoma State, 9:11.07; 3, Chapman, 9:14.21; 4, Washington State, 9:27.83; 5, California lightweight, 10:54.42.
 
Heat IV -- 1, Seattle Pacific, 8:12.40; 2, Arizona State, 8:28.50; 3, Saint Mary's, 8:45.05; 4, Humboldt State, 8:52.20; 5, Pacific, 9:09.03.
 
      SPU lineup:  cox–LeeAnn Arrington, stroke-Danielle Johnson, 3-Tamyra Clark-Hoogstrate, 2-Anna White, bow-Emily Geringer.
 
 
Sunday, April 28 Schedule (SPU races only)
9:00 a.m. – Varsity eights (grand final)
9:50 a.m. – Second varsity eights (grand final)
10:40 a.m. -- Varsity fours (grand final)
12:10 p.m. -- Novice fours (grand final)