Willamette Finishes Second in First of Two Women's Varsity 8+ Races

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

TACOMA, Wash. -- Willamette University took second place out of three crews in the first of two women's varsity 8+ races for the Bearcats at the Logger Invitational Regatta on Saturday, April 11 at American Lake. The Bearcats finished third in their second WV8+ race. Willamette also placed third in the women's novice 8+.

Conditions for the first half of the regatta were good with partly cloudy skies and some winds from six to nine miles per hour. The wind picked during for the later half of the regatta, resulting in choppier water for the women's novice 8+, which was the final event.

In the first race for Willamette's WV8+, the Bearcats trailed Pacific Lutheran University, but finished in front of Pacific University. PLU completed the 2,000-meter race in 7:19.6, while the Bearcats earned a time of 7:44.1. Pacific was timed at 8:07.1

During the second WV8+ race involving Willamette, the Bearcats were behind the WV8+ and W2V8+ boats from University of Puget Sound. The Loggers' varsity crew registered a time of 6:58.4, while the UPS second varsity reached the finish line in 7:15.8. Willamette's time was 7:41.0.

Julia Di Simone (Fr., Livermore, CA/Livermore Valley Charter Prep) was the coxswain for the Bearcats in both women's varsity races.

Rowing on the WV8+ for Willamette were Katy Wallner (Jr., Petaluma, CA/Petaluma HS) at stroke, Hannah Puckett (So., Davis, CA/Davis HS) at 7-seat, Abby Bernhard (Fr., Seattle, WA/Roosevelt HS) at 6-seat, Carrie Moore (Fr., Walla Walla, WA/South Eugene HS) at 5-seat, Bea McAlister (Jr., Kenmore, WA/Inglemoor HS) at 4-seat, Angela Witty (Jr./Fr., Eugene, OR/Sheldon HS) at 3-seat, Molly Pritchard (So., Medford, OR/South Medford HS) at 2-seat, and Sarah Fish (Jr., Issaquah, WA/Holy Names Academy) at bow.

"The varsity boat improved its time, finding three seconds more speed in the second race of the day," WU Head Coach Reba Knickerbocker said. "There were some challenges in the first race, with Pacific edging into Willamette's lane at the start, but by the first 500 meters of the two-kilometer course we had left Pacific behind. The varsity crew is looking forward to the NWC Championships and having an opportunity to race all of today's crews again."

In the women's novice 8+ race, Puget Sound took first place at 7:35.3. Pacific was second at 7:48.1 and Willamette took third in 8:29.9.

The rowers for Willamette during the WN8+ were stroke Sophia Nordt (Fr., Wenatchee, WA/Wenatchee HS), 7-seat Elsa Roush (Fr., Jackson Hole, WA/Jackson Hole HS), 6-seat Sarah Crabb (Fr., Highlands Ranch, CO/Mountain Vista HS), 5-seat Witty, 4-seat Gillian Weisenfluh (Fr., Atherton, CA/Menlo Atherton HS), 3-seat Brenda Mittlebuscher (Fr., Lafayette, CA/Acalanes HS), 2-seat Ingrid Avila (Fr., Redwood City, CA/Summit Prep), and bow Holly Walsh (Fr., Scottsdale, AZ/Horizon HS).

The coxswain for Willamette in the WN8+ was Navi Hewage (Fr., Walnut Creek, CA/Northgate HS). Witty competed in all three races for Willamette -- two with the varsity 8+ and one with the novice 8+.

"Overall our novice group continues to learn more and more about competing at the collegiate level of rowing," Knickerbocker said. "Given the challenges they have endured for this season, they continue to improve technically, and are looking forward to more racing."