WEST WINDSOR, NJ – The Seattle Pacific University women's rowing team wrapped up its time at the NCAA National Championships, highlighted by a fourth-place finish in the Varsity 8+.
The V8+ squared off against Western Washington and Central Oklahoma in their heat race on Friday. The Falcons got off to a strong start. They were in second place at the 500-meter mark with a two-second lead over the Bronchos. The Vikings led throughout the race and advanced to Saturday's grand final with a 6:58.542. SPU finished with a time of 7:08.641.
The Falcons V8+ had an excellent performance in the repechage. SPU battled Embry Riddle for the top spot in the race. The Falcons finished with a 7:04.434. They were 1.695 seconds behind the Eagles. Both teams advanced to Saturday's grand final.
Saturday's grand final put the Falcons in lane two against Embry Riddle, Western Washington, and Cal Poly Humboldt. The Eagles and Vikings took control of the race that came down to the wire. The Eagles won with a 6:47.178, beating the Vikings by .788 for the gold medal. The Falcons finished fourth with a time of 7:13.410.
The V4+ took on Cal Poly Humboldt and Western Washington in their heat on Friday. The Vikings took a narrow lead at the 500-meter mark. The Lumberjacks gained control of the race shortly after. CPH advanced to the grand final with a time of 7:43.210. SPU clocked at 8:02.345.
The V4+ needed to finish inside the top two in the repechage to advance into the grand final. The Falcons made a daring charge at the Vikings during the middle of the race. The Vikings found a way to separate themselves from the Falcons. SPU took third with a 7:57.298 and is set for the petite final.
The V4+ finals were postponed due to high winds. When racing resumed, the Falcons squared off against Jefferson in the petite final. SPU rowed a solid race, finishing with a 7:53.973 and beating Jefferson by 7.666 seconds.
The Falcons finished the day with 13 points and tied with Central Oklahoma. The Falcons finished better than the Bronchos in the V8+, earning sole possession of fourth place. SPU finished the year just one spot short of a medal at the NCAA Championships.
LINEUPS
Varsity 8+
c: Aleksia Haugen, 8: Amelia Pape, 7: Emma Jones, 6: Audrey Rekedal, 5: Solanes Capps-Mace, 4: Bella Lisenby, 3: Grace Combs, 2: Gem Gatmaytan, 1: Addie Clark
Varsity 4+
c: Lexi Roybal, 4; Emmerson Spencer, 3: Emma Ely, 2: Megan Rouse, 1: Brittan Dalberg
Spares
Elizabeth Chapman, Sasha Kolobovnikov
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