• VIDEO: FALCONS REACT TO NCAA SELECTION    |    • VIDEO: KAITLIN  DICKINSON INTERVIEW
     • TICKETS & SPECTATOR INFORMATION

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The Seattle Pacific rowers eagerly anticipated ending a seven-year championship regatta drought. They had to wait a little longer than expected to discover if those hopes were realized.
 
An hour after it was revealed to the rest of the participants, the Falcons learned that they were included in the six-team NCAA Division II Women's Rowing Championships field that was announced Monday.
 
The 2019 NCAA Regatta is scheduled for May 31-June 2 on Eagle Creek in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Falcons will be joined by top-seeded Central Oklahoma, the defending national champion, along with Florida Tech, Jefferson, UC San Diego and Western Washington.
 
Each team will enter one varsity eight and one varsity four crew. The team champion is determined by combining the results from those two events, with greater importance being given to results from the eight-oared competition.
 
 
Due to conflicts with academic schedules, several SPU student-athletes were unable to watch the NCAA selection show when it aired live at 2 p.m. Pacific Time. Instead they accepted a self-imposed phone and social media ban to avoid finding out their fate. They viewed a recorded version of the online announcement together at 3 p.m.
 
The extra wait was well worth it! The Falcons burst out cheering when they heard their name announced and saw "Seattle Pacific" listed on the screen for the first time since 2011.
 
"That one was more emotional for me than I expected. I am overcome with joy that these women are going to get to experience the NCAA Championships," said SPU coach Andrew Derrick.
 
"I am so proud of them. They've worked incredibly hard and have been very singularly focused on that goal this year. They're just a great group of student-athletes and I'm so happy that they get to compete all the way to the last day."
 

The Falcons will participate in their fifth NCAA regatta, but will compete in the team competition for just the second time in school history. SPU was the national runner-up in the 2010 team standings, claiming the silver medal.
 
The Division II format formerly included two at-large crews invited to participate only in the varsity eight races. SPU qualified single boats in 2007, 2009 and 2011.
 
The NCAA regatta lineups may not be completely set, but in the most recent race SPU's varsity eight was led by senior coxswain Jacqueline Kemp. The crew included stroke Chloe Remley, Gillian Edgar, Megan Chalfant, Suzanne Stafford, Julienne Renne, Shelby Janes, Amanda Larsen and Kaitlin Dickinson.
  Sophomore Roxy Ruther helmed the varsity four, directing rowers Jennifer Hoag, Samantha Kimmel, Katy Beth Smith and Talia Ferguson.

Derrick is in his third year with the SPU program and had to nearly started from scratch in 2016-17 with barely any returning rowers. His first duty as head coach was to conduct a meeting on campus to convince already enrolled students to join the team.
 
"It's impressive," he said of the team's rapid rise to the NCAA Championships. "Watching the selection show today and seeing some of the same faces from that first on-campus recruiting meeting be in the room here is really special.
 
"Each year we've added a new class and each class has made its mark. But to think of those students, who then signed on to be student-athletes, having their goal of competing at the NCAAs realized here is really fun."
 
2019 NCAA Women's Rowing Championships
May 31-June 2 in Indianapolis, Ind.
 
Division II Qualifiers
Central Oklahoma
Florida Tech
Jefferson
Seattle Pacific
UC San Diego
Western Washington