GOLD RIVER, Calif. – The Seattle Pacific University women's rowing team battled some of the toughest competition in the country for the chance to be called the 2024 GNAC Champions on Saturday afternoon. The Falcons took the gold medal in the Varsity 4+ but fell just five points short of the title and finished in fourth.
The Falcons lined up against the University of Central Oklahoma, Western Washington, and Cal Poly Humboldt on Saturday. All four GNAC teams appeared in last year's national championships. The Bronchos are the reigning regatta champions. The Lumberjacks went on to win the 2023 national championship.
The quality of the competition showcased itself in the team scores. There was a five-point difference between first and fourth place. The Vikings dove into Lake Natoma as the 2024 GNAC Champions with 26 points. The Lumberjacks took second place with 22 points. The Falcons tied the Bronchos with 21 points, but UCO beat SPU in the Varsity 8+, giving them the tiebreaker for third.
"Overall, we are proud of the team's preparation for and performance at the GNAC Championships," head coach Caitlin McClain said. "All boats had great practices leading up to the championships and came into the weekend with positive mindsets. They raced hard and executed well. The 4th place overall finish isn't what we aimed for, but we gave it our best and hope to have the opportunity to race again at NCAAs."
The Falcons put together their strongest race in the Varsity 4+. They stormed down lane two of the 2,000-meter course. They crossed the line in 8:09.72, beating the second-place Lumberjacks by 3.35 seconds. The Vikings took third, while the Bronchos came in fourth.
SPU drew lane four in the varsity 8+ race. The Vikings found speed to separate from the pack, taking the race with a 7:03.09. The battle was on for second place. Eventually, the Bronchos would edge past the Lumberjacks, while the Falcons came in fourth with a time of 7:15.20.
The open 4+ race opened the day. SPU turned in a solid performance, with an 8:44.88. The time was good enough for third place.
"The Open 4+ kicked off the morning with a solid race and had their best start yet," McClain said. "Next up was the exciting Varsity 4+ win in which they led from start to finish. Finally, we knew the Varsity 8+ was going to be a fight, and it was. They traded bow balls with Humboldt the whole race but ended up one second out of third, which would have put us second as a team."
The 2024 NCAA Division II Rowing Selection Show will air Tuesday, May 21, at 2 p.m. PST on NCAA.com.
LINEUPS
V8+ - c:
Lucy Sandahl, 8:
Natalie Korolenko, 7:
Megan Popielak, 6:
Ixchel Watson, 5:
Audrey Rekedal, 4:
Bella Lisenby, 3:
Megan Rouse, 2:
Emma Jones, 1:
Gem Gatmaytan
V4+ - c:
Aleksia Haugen, 4:
Emmerson Spencer, 3:
Anna Boatman, 2:
Amelia Pape, 1:
Hannah Miller
Open 4+ - c:
Lexi Roybal, 4:
Racquel Wesley, 3:
Addie Clark, 2:
Mary Goodhew, 1
Emma Ely
Spares -
Brittan Dalberg &
Jadyn Hawley
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