Willamette Rowing Team Set for Haag Lake Invitational Regatta

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

SALEM, ORE. -- The Willamette University women's rowing team will begin the 2015 spring season at the Haag Lake Invitational Regatta on Saturday, March 14 near Forest Grove, Ore. The Bearcats will take host Pacific University as well as Lewis & Clark College and the club team from the University of Oregon.

There will be two races in the Women's Varsity 8+, with the first race at 9 a.m. (PST) and the second race at 12:45 p.m.

"It's an opportunity for the varsity boats to get more than one race in," Willamette Head Coach Reba Knickerbocker said. "When you spend about a 20-to-1 ratio of practice to competition, you want to have as many opportunities as you can."

Competing for Willamette in the WV8+ races will be coxswain Julia Di Simone (Fr., Livermore, CA/Livermore Valley Charter Prep) along with 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.

Three members of WU's varsity boat are in their first year of rowing. Di Simone became the varsity coxswain during the fall semester. Bernhard and Witty also joined the team during the fall semester.

"Both Abby and Angela rowed in the novice 8 during the fall and have been great additions to the varsity boat," Knickerbocker said.

Willamette's second boat will compete in the Women's Second Varsity 8+ and the Women's Novice 8+. The W2V8+ will be held at 9:45 a.m. (PST), while the WN8+ will begin at 11:45 a.m.

The coxswain for the Bearcats in the W2V8+ and the WN8+ will be Sidney Gallardo (So., Oaxaca de Juarez, Mexico/Oaxaca Christian School).

Rowing in the second varsity and novice races will be Sophia Nordt (Fr., Wenatchee, WA/Wenatchee HS) at stroke, Elsa Roush (Fr., Jackson Hole, WA/Jackson Hole HS) at 7-seat, Sarah Crabb (Fr., Highlands Ranch, CO/Mountain Vista HS) at 6-seat, Ingrid Avila (Fr., Redwood City, CA/Summit Prep) at 5-seat, Navi Hewage (Fr., Walnut Creek, CA/Northgate HS) at 4-seat, Brenda Mittlebuscher (Fr., Lafayette, CA/Acalanes HS) at 3-seat, Gillian Weisenfluh (Fr., Atherton, CA/Menlo Atherton HS) at 2-seat, and Holly Walsh (Fr., Scottsdale, AZ/Horizon HS) at bow.

The rowers in the W2V8+ and the WN8+ for Willamette are all novices. Three of the novices -- Mittlebuscher, Roush and Avila -- joined the team this spring.

"I'm looking forward to some good racing an the opportunity to see what we need to build on an refine in both boats over our Spring Training trip," Knickerbocker said.