May 5, 2018 SEATTLE, Wash. - The Western Washington University women's rowing team wrapped up the regular-season portion of the 2018 season on Saturday with a strong showing at the 32nd Annual Windermere Cup on the Montlake Cut.
The Vikings raced in the Women's Collegiate Varsity 4+ and Varsity 8+ Cascade Cup, with the annual spring rowing event held in conjunction with the Seattle Yacht Club's Opening Day parade, which marks the beginning of boating season in the Northwest.
WWU's Varsity 8+ crew raced to a 2nd-place finish in the Cascade Cup completing the 2,000-meter course in 7:08.505. The University of Washington's 3rd Varsity boat finished 1st in 6:41.661 and Pacific Lutheran University was 3rd in 7:11.028.
Western's Varsity 4+ finished 3rd in its race in 8:10.099, trailing only a pair of UW boats. The Vikings had open water over 4th-place Seattle University (8:23.918).
In the premier events of the annual regatta, the University of Washington beat out Oxford Brookes University at the finish in a close race of the Men's Windermere Cup, with the Huskies completing the course in 5:35.781 compared to Oxford's 5:36.239.
The Dutch National Team beat UW's top boat in the Women's Windermere Cup, using a strong finish to complete the course in 6:18.394, edging out the Huskies who were a few seats back at 6:19.619.
Western, the 2017 NCAA Division II national champion, will now wait for the NCAA Division II Rowing Championships Selection Show that will air on Monday, May 14 at 2 pm PT on NCAA.com. RACE RESULTS
The Vikings finished 2nd in the Cascade Cup behind the University of Washington's 3rd Varsity boat, completing the Montlake Cut course in 7:08.505. UW finished atop the podium in 6:41.661, with Western beating out Pacific Lutheran (7:11.028). WWU was 3rd in the Women's Collegiate Varsity 4+ finishing in 8:10.099, trailing only a pair of UW entries.
Race | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
Varsity 4+ | UW-1V (7:14.137) | UW-2V (7:38.974) | WWU (8:10.099) | Seattle U (8:23.918) |
Cascade Cup (V8+) | UW-3V (6:41.661) | WWU (7:08.505) | PLU (7:11.028) | --- |
ABOUT THE WINDERMERE CUP
The Windermere Cup rowing regatta got its start 32 years ago when Windermere Real Estate founder, John Jacobi, joined up with the University of Washington to create the annual rowing event. They wanted to bring the best team in the world to Seattle's Montlake Cut, which at the time was the Soviet Union. After that, the precedent was set for what has become one of the world's premier rowing events, and certainly a staple of Seattle's rowing community. For more information please visit WindermereCup.com.
VIKINGS FLEET
Here is a look at WWU's boat lineups that raced Saturday in the Windermere Cup:
Varsity 8+ |
Cox - Jonah Bettger (So./Brush Prairie, WA/Prairie) |
Stroke - Carly Lant (So./Bainbridge Island, WA/Bainbridge) |
7 - Claire Whiting (Sr./Maple Valley, WA/Tahoma) |
6 - Chloe Burns (Sr./Kirkland, WA/Lake Washington) |
5 - Jessica Smithlin (Fr./Orting, WA/Orting) |
4 - Angie Dexter (So./Anchorage, AK/West Anchorage) |
3 - Kasey Mallon-Andrews (Sr./Issaquah, WA/Issaquah) |
2 - Megan Reid (Sr./Sitka, AK/Sitka) |
Bow - Michaela Bonenberger (So./Fort Collins, CO/Fossil Ridge) |
Varsity 4+ |
Cox - Adele Houston (So./Seattle, WA/Nathan Hale) |
Stroke - Trisha Patterson (Sr./Camas, WA/Camas) |
3 - Maddie Merritt (Sr/Parker, CO/Ponderosa) |
2 - Ashley Yandt (Jr./Lake Tapps, WA/Bonney Lake) |
Bow - Hannah Bivans (Jr./Claremont, CA/Claremont) |
THE MONTLAKE CUT COURSE
The starting line for the Windermere Cup is on Lake Washington, parallel to the Evergreen Point floating bridge. The course runs from east to west through the Montlake Cut to the finish line at the mouth of Portage Bay, near Lake Union. Spectators can watch from either side of the Montlake Cut, with optimum viewing coming from the north side, which is behind the University Hospital. A detailed map of the course with good spots for viewing can be found via GoHuskies.com. TOP NORTHWEST ROWING ON DISPLAY
This year's Windermere Cup featured some of the top collegiate rowing programs in the Washington, in addition to top club teams in the Puget Sound region. Women's collegiate teams scheduled to race include the University of Washington (current No. 2 in NCAA I), WWU (No. 4 in NCAA II), Seattle Pacific (No. 7 in NCAA II), Pacific Lutheran (No. 7 in NCAA III) and Seattle University. UW and WWU both won national championships last season, while PLU's Varsity 8+ placed 8th in the NCAA Division III Championships in 2017. UW and WWU's national championships earned them a nomination for the Seattle Sports Star Story of the Year. The 2018 Windermere Cup will feature UW, The Oxford Brookes and the University of British Columbia in the men's featured race (11:30 am) and UW and the Dutch National Team in the women's featured race (11:45 am). NEXT UP
The Vikings will now wait for the NCAA Championships announcement that will be held on Monday, May 14 at 2 pm on NCAA.com.
