PORTLAND, Ore. – The Great Northwest Athletic Conference announced its Women's Rowing Preseason Coaches Poll on Thursday afternoon, with Seattle Pacific selected for a third place finish in the conference this season.
Cal Poly Humboldt received all four first-place votes in the preseason coaches poll, totaling 16 points to top the rankings. Western Washington was second in the poll with a dozen points, followed by the Falcons in third place with seven points and Central Oklahoma fourth with five points.
The Falcons return to the water after a solid 2025 season. SPU qualified for NCAA Nationals for the fourth consecutive time last season. The Varsity 8+ took fourth in the grand final, while the Varsity 4+ won the petite final. The results led to a fourth-place finish for the Falcons at NCAA Nationals last season.
Returners from the varsity 8+ squad include coxswain
Aleksia Haugen,
Amelia Pape,
Emma Jones,
Solanes Capps-Mace,
Bella Lisenby,
Grace Combs, and
Gem Gatmaytan. The Falcons' lone all-conference loss from last year was
Audrey Rekedal.
Back in the varsity 4+ boat for SPU are coxswain
Lexi Roybal,
Emmerson Spencer and
Brittan Dalberg. SPU is under new leadership this season, with
Kenzie Waltar assuming head coaching responsibilities for 2026.
The Falcons are picked to finish fourth in this year's Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association Preseason Poll. Embry-Riddle (FL) received five first place votes and owns the top spot in the poll. GNAC competitors Cal Poly Humboldt and Western Washington are second and third, while the University of Central Oklahoma was slotted one spot behind the Falcons in fifth.
The 2026 schedule features five regular-season races. The Falcons open the year at the American Lake Sprints on March 7. Then, on March 21, they host their lone home race in the Falcon Regatta.
SPU opens April with a trip to Clermont, Fla., for the Florida DII Sprint Invite hosted by Embry-Riddle. The Falcons close out April with a trip to California for the WIRA Championships on April 25 and 26.
The Falcon's final regular-season race takes place in Seattle. The Windermere Cup is hosted by the University of Washington. The event celebrating the opening day of boating season takes place on May 2 at the Montlake Cut.
The Falcons battle Western Washington, the University of Oklahoma, and Cal Poly Humboldt at the GNAC Championships. The race takes place on the same course as the WIRA Championships in Sacramento, Calif., on May 17.
The Falcons will race all season to earn a trip to the NCAA Championships. This year, nationals are in Gainesville, Ga., on May 29 and 30.
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