Sports - Sports News

POSTED: Friday, May. 29, 2009

WOMEN'S COLLEGE ROWING: WWU's eight wins qualifying heat

The Western Washington University varsity eight rowed to a huge victory in its qualifying heat Friday, May 29, advancing to Sunday's grand final at the eighth annual NCAA Division II Women's Rowing National Championships being held on Cooper River in Cherry Hills, N.J.

The Vikings' varsity four placed third in its qualifying heat and will be in a three-boat repechage heat Saturday (7:45 a.m.) with the top two finishers going to Sunday's grand final (6 a.m.)

Western, ranked No.2 nationally in the USRowing/Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association NCAA II Poll, has won the last four national team titles.

Western's eight won by nearly seven boat lengths with a time of 7:01.72 over the 2,000-meter course. Dowling NY was second in 7:27.48 and Nova Southeastern FL third in 7:37.35.

No.1-ranked Mercyhurst PA (7:01.16), which won the national title in 2004, narrowly edged Seattle Pacific (7:02.35) in the other qualifying heat with Philadelphia PA third (7:13.07)

"The eight had a really good run," said Western coach John Fuchs (11th year). "They got out and rowed smoothly the whole way. They were really well prepared mentally."

Nova Southeastern won the only qualifying heat in the fours competition in 8:14.45. Philadelphia was second (8:17.39), followed by Western (8:22.03) and Mercyhurst (8:28.29).

"There are some adjustments that we need to make with the boat (rigging)," Fuchs said of the four. "We definitely have some things to work on and we will go out and practice later today. But there were some bright spots, we just have to figure out where we have to make the improvements.

"It's so hard to tell with the fours because we haven't raced any of the other fours before. But I feel pretty confident that they're going to do what they need to, they just have to figure some stuff out."

The third-place finish by the four was the first time that Western had not won a race at nationals since the eight final in 2004.

Dowling, Nova Southeastern, Philadelphia and Seattle Pacific will meet in the eight repechage heat Saturday to determine the final two berths in Sunday's grand final (6:30 a.m.). In Saturday's four repechage heat will be Western, Mercyhurst and Philadephia, with the top two advancing to the grand final.

On Sunday, 12 points will be awarded to the first-place eight, nine for second, six for third and three for fourth. The victorious four gets eight points, with six points awarded for second, four for third and two for fourth.

Prior to nationals, Western's eight and four were victorious at both the Northwest Collegiate Rowing Conference Championships and the unofficial NCAA II West Regional. They also won gold medals at the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championships.

Last year, Western won a fourth straight national title, the first time that had happened in any division since the NCAA began a rowing championship in 1997. The Vikings' eight has not lost to a non-Division I school since 2004.

Western is one of four schools competing for the team championship - each school being required to row an eight and a four. The others are Mercyhurst, Nova Southeastern and Philadelphia. Dowling and Seattle Pacific received at-large berths in the eight competition, but are not eligible for the team title.

Seated in Western's eight were coxswain Kristy Theodorson, stroke Casey Mapes, No. 7 Audrey Coon, No. 6 Jean Piette, No. 5 Heather Kelly, No. 4 Katie Woolsey, No. 3 Megan Northey, No.2 Madeleine Eckmann and bow Kate Berni.

Coon and Theodorson received CRCA All-America recognition earlier this week, and Coon, Eckmann and Mapes were named CRCA National Scholar-Athletes.

Seated in the Vikings' four were coxswain Samantha Oberholzer, stroke Carson MacPherson-Krutsky, No. 3 Hilary Gastwirth, No. 2 Siri Carlson and bow Hannah Gallagher.

It is the fourth trip to nationals for Gastwirth. Competing for the third year are Coon and Theodorson and making their second appearances are Eckmann, Kelly, Mapes and Oberholzer.

The three alternates are coxswain Alix Crilly, stroke Jordan Uecker and bow Nolan Winger.

This is actually the ninth consecutive trip to nationals for Western. The Vikings competed in the NCAA championship for all divisions in 2001, the varsity eight finishing sixth in its qualifying, repechage and third final races. In 2002, each school raced two eights at nationals.

Besides winning the last four national titles, Western placed third in 2004 after being second in 2002 and 2003