GOLD RIVER, Calif. – After winning four heats on Saturday, the Seattle Pacific University women's rowing team wrapped up its time at the WIRA Championships on Sunday when they finished on the podium in three grand finals that featured close racing.
The Varsity 8+ proved to be a showdown of Great Northwest Athletic Conference teams. The Falcons lined up against Western Washington and Cal Poly Humboldt and battled the Vikings and Lumberjacks for the top spot. SPU and CPH had a photo finish for second place. SPU clocked a 7:00.57, while the Lumberjacks had a 7:00.52. The Vikings took first with a 6:52.86.
Next was the JV8+ race, where the Falcons lined up against the Vikings and Lumberjacks again. It was another close race, with the Falcons taking third with a 7:25.16. The Vikings took the top spot again with a 7:21.04. The Lumberjacks landed in fifth.
"Sunday's finals were another sign that we are on the right track with our training and racing," head coach Caitlin McClain said. "To have the two 8+s come into the last 250 meters side by side with other boats and keep their composure was exciting to see. It's bittersweet to be .05 of a second from silver in the V8+, but it is good motivation for the next three weeks until the GNAC Championships. The 2V8+ bronze medal performance was also thrilling down the course with lead changes throughout the race."
The Falcons turned in their best performance in the Varsity 4+. The group turned in a 7:56.74. The time was good enough for second place behind UC Santa Barbara. WWU took fourth, while CPH finished fifth.
"The Varsity 4+ came into the final with the fastest time of the heats, but we knew there'd be more speed coming from the other boats, especially UC Santa Barbara's club program, which prioritized their 4+," McClain added. "Despite UCSB's early lead, we executed a better starting 250 meters than Saturday and were able to secure and hold on to the second place position ahead of both Western and Humboldt's 4+s throughout the race."
Links to watch racing from Saturday and Sunday are above. SPU turns its attention to the Windermere Cup this Saturday in Seattle.
"Overall, WIRAs was a success for SPU Rowing," McClain said. "We continued to hone our racing skills and have demonstrated increased speed since the beginning of the season."
SATURDAY
The Falcons opened their day in the Varsity 8+. SPU lined up against five other teams, including Univ. of California, Irvine, Arizona State, and local teams like Puget Sound and Pacific Lutheran. The Falcons turned in one of their best times of the season, taking first with a time of 6:57.56. UCI was the next-closest team, taking second with a 7:03.55.
The JV8+ came to the line next, taking on Cal Poly Humboldt, UC Santa Barbara, and UPS. The Falcons turned in a time of 7:24.28 to win their heat. The Lumberjacks came in second at 7:30.61.
The Falcons took home a heat win in the Varsity 4+. SPU posted a 7:41.53 to take the win, beating out UC Santa Barbara's 7:44.33. The Lumberjacks were in the heat as well and took third.
The Falcons turned in a fine performance in the Novice 4+ in their final. In their heat race, they finished with a time of 9:13.48. They made a big jump in their final, going 8:53.523 for a first-place finish in the third final.
LINEUPS
V8+ - C: Lucy Sandahl, 8. Natalie Korolenko, 7. Megan Popielak, 6. Ixchel Watson, 5. Audrey Rekedal, 4. Bella Lisenby, 3. Megan Rouse, 2. Anna Boatman, 1. Gem Gatmaytan
JV8+ - C: Lexi Roybal, 8. Racquel Wesley, 7. Addie Clark, 6. Jadyn Hawley, 5. Grace Combs, 4. Cookie Yitbarek, 3. Emma Ely, 2. Mary Goodhew, 1. Brittan Dalberg
V4+ - C: Aleksia Haugen, 4. Emmerson Spencer, 3. Emma Jones, 2. Amelia Pape, 1. Hannah Miller
N4+ - C: Mariam Ceesay, 4. Mari Ceesay, 3. Mia Vittori, 2. Jenna Casem, 1. Faith Akutagawa
SPU SOCIAL
Seattle's only NCAA Division II Scholarship Program | #GoFalcons
