SEATTLE – The Seattle Pacific University women's rowing team opens its 2025 season this weekend at the PLU Invite in Tacoma, Wash. on American Lake at 8:30 a.m.
QUOTABLE
"We just finished up our first phase of boat lineup selection and we are looking forward to seeing how our speed stacks up next to WWU and our DIII peers," head coach
Caitlin McClain said. "The PLU Invite is such a great first race to get back into our race day routines. With two flights of racing, we will have the chance to debrief and reset between races, which is so valuable early in the season."
LAST SEASON
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.
PLENTY OF AWARDS
The Falcons picked up several awards in 2024. SPU placed 14 rowers on the GNAC All-Academic Team. Haugen and
Emmerson Spencer made up two of the three All-GNAC awards earned by the Falcons. Haugen was named the GNAC Co-Coxswain of the Year while Spencer earned GNAC Freshman of the Year honors. Haugen and
Audrey Rekedal were named College Sports Communicators Academic All-District team members as well.
GNAC PRESEASON COACHES POLL
The Great Northwest Athletic Conference announced its women's rowing preseason coaches poll on Thursday afternoon, with the Seattle Pacific University rowing team 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.
CRCA PRESEASON WATCH LIST
Haugen and 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 2025 FALCON REGATTA
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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