LOWELL, Ore. – The No. 1-ranked Western Washington University women’s rowing team continued its dominating season by winning five of eight races in the 2017 Collegiate Covered Bridge Regatta on Dexter Lake Saturday morning and afternoon.
The Vikings, ranked No. 1 in the USRowing/CRCA Division II Poll for three consecutive weeks, took the top spot in the Varsity 4+ Grand Final and placed 2nd in the Varsity 8+ race (tops amongst Division II crews). The 2nd Varsity 8+ and 4+ crews combined to win three of their four races as well.
“We’re really pleased with how the team performed today,” said assistant coach Courtney Moeller. “All the crews were able to get good racing experience under their belts and accomplished the goal of dialing in our race plan. The team is still catching up from lost water time earlier in the season, so we’re looking forward to the next two weeks of training in preparation for the WIRA Championships.”
The Varsity 4+ won both of its races, winnings its morning heat by nearly 20 seconds over West Region rival Humboldt State and then put open water between them and Oregon State in the Grand Final for an 8-second victory. In the Grand Final the Vikings 4-oared boat finished the 2,000-meter course in 8:27.840, and finished the morning race in 7:41.330.
The Varsity 8+ finished 2nd in both of its races, narrowly edged out by just over a second behind UC San Diego in the morning heat and then were edged by the University of Portland in the Grand Final. WWU was tops amongst teams that compete in the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association (WIRA).
WWU was also able to show its depth racing a second varsity crew in both the 8+ and 4+, combining to win three of the four races.
The Vikings will next be in action defending their title at the WIRA Championships in two weeks April 29-30 on Lake Natoma in Gold River, California outside of Sacramento.
So far in three competitions this spring, Western has won 14 of 17 races, including sweeps at the PLU Invitational and the San Diego Crew Classic.
Here are the results of WWU’s races on Saturday at the Collegiate Covered Bridge Regatta (complete results listed below):
Varsity 8+
Prelims: 2nd (7:02.130) à 0:01.510 behind UC San Diego
Grand Final: 2nd (7:29.760) à 0:05.440 behind Portland
Varsity 4+
Prelims: 1st (7:41.330) à 0:19.380 over Humboldt State
Grand Final: 1st (8:27.840) à 0:08.810 over Oregon State
2nd Varsity 8+
AM Heat: 1st (7:30.950) à 0:07.820 over Humboldt State
PM Heat: 1st (7:46.960) à 0:06.030 over UC San Diego
2nd Varsity 4+
AM Heat: 2nd (8:07.050) à 0:03.820 behind Humboldt State
PM Heat: 1st (9:22.770) à 0:17.150 over Portland
The Vikings fleet consisted of the following student-athletes in competition on Saturday:
Western Washington University Rowing – Boat Lineups
Covered Bridge Regatta • Lowell, OR • Dexter Lake • April 15, 2017
Varsity 8+
2nd Varsity 8+
Coxswain
Giselle Kiraly (So., Vancouver, WA/Columbia River HS)
Coxswain
Rachel Dalthorp (So., Olympia, WA/Capital HS)
Stroke
Chloe Burns (Jr., Kirkland, WA/Lake Washington HS)
Stroke
Trisha Patterson (Jr., Camas, WA/Camas HS)
7
Karisa Stapp (Jr., Bellingham, WA/Mount Baker HS)
7
Nicole Vanderzanden (Sr., Vancouver, WA/Union HS)
6
Claire Whiting (Jr., Maple Valley, WA/Tahoma HS)
6
Mary Harper (Jr., Seattle, WA/Ingraham HS)
5
Izzy Barnwell (So., Seward, AK/Seward HS)
5
Michaela Bonenberger (Fr., Fort Collins, CO/Fossil Ridge HS)
4
Angie Dexter (Fr., Anchorage, AK/West Anchorage)
4
Kenzie Hezel (Jr., Whidbey Island, WA/South Whidbey HS)
3
Kelly Oberbillig (So., Milton, WA/Fife HS)
3
Hannah Bivans (So., Claremont, CA/Claremont HS)
2
Ashley Yandt (So., Lake Tapps, WA/Bonney Lake/UW)
2
Madison Kerr (So., Spokane, WA/Lewis & Clark HS)
Bow
Molly Ware (Sr., Olympia, WA/Olympia HS)
Bow
Madi Stapleton (Fr., Kansas City, KS/Olathe East HS)
Varsity 4+
2nd Varsity 4+ (AM)
Coxswain
Madison Moelhman (Jr., Vancouver, WA/Columbia River/Mills College)
Coxswain
Jonah Bettger (Fr., Brush Prairie, WA/Prairie HS)
Stroke
Emily Bartlett (Sr., Broadlands, VA/Thomas Jefferson S&T)
Stroke
Hillary Dodge (Jr., Portland, OR/Grant HS)
3
Kia Parrish-Haim (Sr., Ashland, OR/Ashland HS)
3
Autumn Harding (Fr., Kingston, WA/Kingston HS)
2
Kasey Mallon-Andrews (Jr., Issaquah, WA/Issaquah HS)
2
Madison McDaniel (Fr., Redmond, WA/Redmond HS)
Bow
Megan Reid (Jr., Sitka, AK/Sitka HS)
Bow
Annie Kirsch (So., Brush Prairie, WA/Hockinson HS)
2nd Varsity 4+ (PM)
Coxswain
Jonah Bettger (Fr., Brush Prairie, WA/Prairie HS)
Stroke
Hillary Dodge (Jr., Portland, OR/Grant HS)
3
Brie Cervantes (Fr., Mukilteo, WA/Kamiak HS)
2
Kate Varberg (Sr., Camas, WA/Camas HS/Clark CC)
Bow
Zee Rogge (Jr., Rockport, WA/Concrete HS)
The complete results of WWU’s eight races from the Covered Bridge Regatta were as follows:
Varsity 8+
Grand Final:
Portland – 7:24.320
Western Washington – 7:29.760
UC San Diego – 7:38.640
Humboldt State – 7:39.840
Seattle U. – 7:55.230
Prelim Heat 2:
UC San Diego – 7:00.620
Western Washington – 7:02.130
Humboldt State – 7:14.940
Seattle Pacific – 7:33.400
Sonoma State – 8:13.030
Varsity 4+
Grand Final:
Western Washington – 8:27.840
Oregon State – 8:36.650
Humboldt State – 8:51.670
Oregon – 9:09.720
Sonoma State – 9:10.040
UC San Diego – 9:20.920
Prelim Heat 2:
Western Washington – 7:41.330
Humboldt State – 8:00.710
UC San Diego – 8:11.090
Seattle U. – 8:21.080
Seattle Pacific – 8:57.860
Chico State – 10:00.600
Portland State – 10:10.090
2nd Varsity 8+
Morning Race:
Western Washington – 7:30.950
Humboldt State – 7:38.770
UC San Diego – 7:44.030
Portland – 7:47.520
Afternoon Race:
Western Washington – 7:46.960
UC San Diego – 7:52.990
Portland – 7:55.590
Humboldt State – 8:07.970
2nd Varsity 4+
Morning Race:
Humboldt State – 8:03.230
Western Washington – 8:07.050
Portland – 8:25.330
Oregon – 8:26.790
Afternoon Race:
Western Washington – 9:22.770
Portland – 9:39.920
Humboldt State – 10:00.290
WWU is the seven-time NCAA II National Champion (2005-2011) and national runner-up three times dating back to the inaugural Division II regatta in 2002. The Vikings finished 3rd at last year’s NCAA II Championships. The 2017 NCAA Rowing National Championships for all divisions will be held May 26-28 on Lake Mercer in West Windsor, New Jersey.