SEATTLE—The Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association announced its preseason poll on Tuesday. Seattle Pacific University and Cal Poly Humboldt tied for the top spot, with both the Falcons and Lumberjacks receiving 145 points.
"The team had a great first go of racing at the PLU Invite and we are excited for the season to ramp up," head coach
Caitlin McClain said. "We are humbled to be ranked so high by the CRCA but many teams haven't raced yet and we will see a lot more speed as racing continues. If we can build off this solid start and continue to push ourselves through March and April, we hope to stay high in the CRCA polls and, more importantly, the RAC rankings that determine NCAA bids."
The Falcons opened their season last weekend at the PLU Invitational in Tacoma, Wash. The event was highlighted by the SPU Varsity 8+. They performed well and became named the Great Northwest Athletic Conference's Crew of the Week.
The Varsity 8+ crew was the first Falcon boat on the water last Saturday. The Falcons turned in a time of 7:13.3. They beat Oregon State by 1.2 seconds, while Western Washington finished third 6.8 seconds behind the Falcons. The late-morning session featured another good race from the SPU V8+. They rowed a 7:14.3, beating the Vikings by 7.2 seconds.
The SPU Open 4+ had a strong performance. Their heat featured Puget Sound and Oregon. The Falcons blasted down the 2,000-meter course in 8:30.5. They covered the Loggers by 29.3 seconds, while Oregon took third 46.6 seconds behind the Falcons.
The Varsity 4+ took on Western Washington and Oregon State in their heat. The Falcons turned in a time of 8:30.2, trailing both the Vikings and Beavers. In the final race of the first flight, the Falcons Novice 4+ boat clocked a nine-minute race. Oregon came in second 7.4 seconds behind the Falcons.
The GNAC announced its women's rowing preseason coaches poll on Feb. 27, where the Falcons were placed fourth in the standings.
The conference teams' coaches picked the preseason rankings for the GNAC. Western Washington earned three first-place votes and led the poll with 14 points. Cal Poly Humboldt grabbed 12 points and one first-place vote. The University of Central Oklahoma was picked for a third-place finish. The Falcons garnered 12 points and landed in fourth.
Aleksia Haugen and
Audrey Rekedal were named to the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association watch list on Wednesday. Haugen returns to the Falcons for her third year as a team member. She had an outstanding 2024 season. Haugen was a key piece of the national champion varsity 4+ boat last June.
Haugen's 2024 success wasn't limited to the national championship-winning race. She was named the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Co-Coxwain of the Year. In the classroom, she earned a spot on the GNAC All-Academic team and was named a CRCA scholar-athlete.
Rekedal's 2024 can be described as elite. She returns to the Falcons after earning one of the prestigious awards in the NCAA. Rekedal was named the Elite 90 Award Winner last June. 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.
Rekedal was part of the varsity eight boat at nationals, rowing in the No. 3 seat. She shines in the classroom with a perfect 4.0 GPA. Rekedal made the GNAC All-Academic team for the second time in 2024 and received a CRCA scholar-athlete award.
The next time the Falcons will be on the water is at their home race. This year's Falcon Regatta happens on March 22, 2025. Races start at 8 a.m. Don't miss your chance to cheer on the Falcons on their home course.
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