CHERRY HILL, NJ – After putting both the Varsity 8+ and Varsity 4+ boats in the A finals of the Knecht Cup in Cherry Hill, NJ, the Seattle Pacific University women's rowing team worked hard for strong finishes in both boats, highlighted by a third-place effort in the V8+ on Sunday afternoon.
"The team achieved one of our key goals of proving the speed of the west region in being the second fastest DII V4+ and third fastest DII V8+ at the Knecht Cup," head coach Caitlin McClain said. "Both boats did a great job of executing their race plans in the heats to make it to the grand finals. Both boats learned a lot from the big trip out east. We learned how to adjust to a new environment and time zone, fuel our bodies on the road, how to recover for back-to-back races, how to embrace uncertainty, and more. We did good work and are excited for the work to come."
Teams competing in the finals were determined on Saturday during preliminary races. Teams were split into three heats, and the winners of each heat advanced to the finals. The three best times, regardless of the heat, transferred to Sunday's A or B finals. The Falcons clocked in with times landing them firmly inside the top 6.
SPU lined up against Army. Lafayette, University of Central Oklahoma, Mercyhurst, and Thomas Jefferson in the V8+ finals. The teams took off on the 2,000-meter course, as Mercyhurst, UCO, and SPU became the early favorites. Mercyhurst went on to win the race with a time of 7:00.63, followed closely by UCO at 7:01.16. The Falcons worked hard to hang with the top two teams. They'd earn a third-place finish in the race with a time of 7:08.82.
"The V8+ also had a tight race to start, with Mercyhurst and the University of Central Oklahoma coming out on the offensive," McClain explained. "We took a couple of planned risks early in the race to be in the mix and ended up with a bronze medal, staying ahead of Jefferson and Lafayette."
The V4+ boat raced earlier in the day on Sunday. The Falcons found themselves in a battle with Lafayette for the final spot in the top three. SPU hummed to the finish line with a time o f8:21.65, putting them in fourth place in the class.
"In the final, the V4+ battled down the course, jockeying for a podium position with Lafayette and New Hampshire," McClain said. "While we ended up fourth overall, we were ahead of all the DII east region teams."
The Falcons have another big trip planned in two weekends. SPU heads to Sacramento, Calif. for the WIRA Championships on April 29 and 30.
LINEUPS
Varsity 8+ c: Moxie McCandless 8: Jacinta Grandel 7: Natalie Korolenko 6: Macie Leach 5: Kalais Samuelson 4: Audrey Rekedal 3: Anna Boatman 2: Megan Popielak 1: Kristin Grassell
Varsity 4+ c: Lucy Sandahl 4: Megan Rouse 3: Sophie Sandahl 2: Gem Gatmaytan 1: Ixchel Watson
Spares: Elise Cornwell, Addie Clark
