Bearcats Earn Third Place in WV4+ and MN4+ at NCRC Championship Regatta

By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director, (503) 370-6110

EUGENE, ORE. -- The Willamette University rowing teams achieved third place finishes in the women's varsity 4+ and the men's novice 4+ during the Northwest Collegiate Rowing Conference (NCRC) Championship Regatta, held at Dexter Lake on Saturday, April 21. In both the WV4+ and the MN4+ the Bearcats trailed only NCAA Division II teams.

Willamette concluded the regatta in fifth place in the women's team standings. The Bearcats took seventh place in the men's team standings.

In the women's standings, Humboldt State University and Western Washington University each scored 102 points, but Humboldt State was awarded first place base on winning the WV8+.

The University of Puget Sound was third with 38 points, Lewis & Clark College was fourth with 26 points, Willamette was fifth with 24 points, while Seattle Pacific University was sixth with 22 points and Pacific Lutheran University was seventh with 13 points.

Western Washington topped the men's standings with 78 points. They were followed by Lewis & Clark in second place at 50, Humboldt State in third place at 46, Seattle Pacific in fourth at 30, Pacific Lutheran in fifth at 25, Puget Sound in sixth at 18 and Willamette in seventh with 14.

In the women's varsity 4+, Willamette trailed Western Washington and Humboldt State, but finished in front of Puget Sound, Seattle Pacific, Pacific Lutheran and Lewis & Clark. Western Washington won the race in 8:34.10. Humboldt State was second at 8:47.18 and Willamette registered a time of 8:54.07 for third place. The Bearcats finished 1.53 seconds in front of Puget Sound, which took fourth place at 8:55.60.

Rowing in the WV4+ for the Bearcats were Jessie Lovell at stroke, Kate Pfeiffer at 3-seat, Lea Griggs at 2-seat and Karina Hoogstede at bow. Blair Davis was the coxswain.

The winner of the men's novice 4+ was Seattle Pacific in 7:27.50. Humboldt State placed second in 7:37.09 and Willamette took third place just over three seconds later at 7:40.29. Pacific Lutheran was fourth in 7:52.52 and Western Washington was fifth at 8:15.33.

Willamette's MN4+ featured Michaelin Richards as the coxswain, plus Forrest Betton at stroke, Dillon Peck at 3-seat, Karsten Kern at 2-seat and Kaile Burkey at bow.

Humboldt State won the women's varsity 8+ with a time of 7:01.07. Western Washington finished in 7:04.26 and Seattle Pacific was third in 7:22.03. All three teams were nationally ranked in NCAA Division II prior to the weekend.

The NCAA Division III teams took the remaining places in the WV8+, led by Puget Sound in fourth at 7:22.36. Lewis & Clark earned fifth place at 7:25. 07, as the Pioneers finished less than one second in front of the Bearcats, who took sixth at 7:25.89. Pacific Lutheran was seventh in 7:31.46.

Puget Sound is ranked #10 in the nation, while Lewis & Clark, Pacific Lutheran and Willamette all received votes in this weeks' poll.

Competing for Willamette in the WV8+ were Davis at coxswain, Lovell at stroke, Marguex Hunter in the 7-seat, Griggs in the 6-seat Lea Griggs, Pfeiffer in the 5-seat, Hoogstede in the four 4-seat, Anna Fredendall in the 3-seat, Kira Egelhofer in the 2-seat and Gwen Hryciw at bow.

Willamette earned fourth place in the women's second varsity 4+ and the women's novice 4+. Humboldt State won the W2V4+ in 8:03.39, while Western Washington prevailed in the Wn4+ in 8:11.20.

The Bearcats will return to action at the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association (WIRA) Championships on Saturday, April 28 and Sunday, April 29. The regatta, featuring West Coast teams from all levels of the NCAA and the NAIA, will be held at Lake Natoma near Sacramento, Calif.