SEATTLE—Seattle Pacific University Women's Rowing Head Coach Caitlin McClain announced the team's 2025 schedule on Friday. The schedule features five regular-season regattas culminating at the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Championships in Gold River, Calif.
The Falcons return to the water after a successful 2024 season. Aleksia Haugen, Gem Gatmaytan, Bella Lisenby, and Megan Rouse return to the Falcons after capturing the Varsity 4+ national championship last June. The combination of Falcons was put together at the beginning of the week leading up to the national championships. It led to instant success. SPU blasted down the 2,000-meter course in 07:46.395. They beat Cal Poly Humboldt by 4.015 seconds, while Central Oklahoma took third. As a team, the Falcons took fifth at last year's nationals.
Audrey Rekedal returns after earning one of the most prestigious awards in the NCAA. She was named the Elite 90 Award Winner last June. The Elite 90, an award founded by the NCAA, recognizes the true essence of the student-athlete by honoring the individual who has reached the pinnacle of competition at the national championship level in her sport, while also achieving the highest academic standard among her peers. The Elite 90 is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA's championships.
"Our focus since coming back in the fall has been introducing more intensity into our training," head coach Caitlin McClain said. "We are a very technical team, and I think that will always be a strength of ours, but we've been increasing our time under tension more this year than previous. For example, this winter, we've been sharpening our race skills by including a rowing version of fartlek training at the end of our practices. It's been fun and motivating to see some fast speeds, especially on cold, dark mornings."
"We've also been taking advantage of land days, both scheduled and unexpected due to weather, to push our perceived limits and find new levels of individual speed," McClain added. "We are looking forward to applying these experiences on race day."
The 2025 schedule features five regular-season races. The Falcons open the year at the PLU Invitational on March 8. Then, on March 22, they host their lone home race. The Falcon Regatta starts at 8 a.m., when teams will race down the L.W. Ship Canal.
SPU opens April with a trip to Edmond, Okla. for the UCO invite. The Falcons close out April with a trip to California for the WIRA Championships on April 26 and 27.
The Falcon's final regular season race takes place in Seattle. The Windermere Cup is hosted by the University of Washington. The event that celebrates the opening day of boating season happens on May 3 on the Montlake Cut.
The Falcons battle Western Washington, the University of Oklahoma, and Cal Poly Humboldt at the GNAC Championships. The race happens on the same course as the WIRA Championships in Gold River, Calif. on May 17.
The Falcons race all season to earn a trip to the NCAA Championships. This year, nationals are held in West Windsor, NJ on May 30 and 31.
"It is hard to believe it is nearly March and our first race is just two weeks away," McClain said. "We are excited to kick off championship season against the local DII and DIII teams at PLU Invite.
SPU SOCIAL
Seattle's only NCAA Division II Scholarship Program | #GoFalcons
