OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – The No. 3 nationally-ranked Western Washington University women's rowing team had a big early-season test on Friday at the Central Sprints hosted by the University of Central Oklahoma on the Oklahoma River.
Using the same scoring format as the NCAA Championships, the Vikings accumulated 10 points with a pair of 3rd-place finishes in the Varsity 8+ and the Varsity 4+. Top-ranked and regatta host Central Oklahoma won top honors with 20 points, followed by 2nd-place UC San Diego with 15 points.
Central Sprints Friday Team Results:
1. Central Oklahoma (20 Points)
2. UC San Diego (15 Points)
3. Western Washington (10 Points)
4. Humboldt State (5 Points)
WWU placed 2nd in both of its heats in the preliminary rounds in the V4+ and V8+. The fours finished the 2,000m course in 8:22.86, just behind UCSD at 8:20.30. The V8+ gave UCO a test finishing in 7:19.52, less than six seconds back of the Bronchos in 7:13.80.
In the finals, the Vikings placed 3rd in the four finishing in 8:17.24 and the eight in 7:16.60. WWU used borrowed shells in all of its races opting not to travel its boats over the 2,000 miles between Bellingham and Oklahoma City.
The Central Sprints field featured the No. 3 Vikings, No. 4 UC San Diego, No. 5 Humboldt State, No. 8 Nova Southeastern, Jefferson, Rollins and host No. 1 Central Oklahoma in the most recent CRCA/USRowing NCAA Division II Coaches Poll. The event featured 12 of the past 14 national champions, including the eight-time national champion Vikings (2005-11, 2017), defending national champion Central Oklahoma, Humboldt State (2012, 2014) and Nova Southeastern (2013).
Coaches will meet at 8 am Central Time on Saturday to determine if there will be any racing in the schedule two-day event. A storm is expected to move through the Oklahoma City area tonight and early tomorrow morning.
Here are the race results from the first day of the Central Sprints, broken down by the preliminary heats and the finals:
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WWU at Central Sprints
(all races 2,000 meters)
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Prelims
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V4+ (Heat 2)
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1. UCSD (8:20.30)
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2. WWU (8:22.86)
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3. Nova Southeastern (8:44.19)
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4. Rollins (8:53.09)
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V8+ (Heat 2)
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1. Central Oklahoma (7:13.80)
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2. WWU (7:19.52)
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3. Humboldt State (7:24.91)
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4. Rollins (7:49.06)
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Finals
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V4+
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1. Central Oklahoma (8:07.06)
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2. UCSD (8:14.05)
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3. WWU (8:17.24)
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4. Humboldt State (8:22.77)
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5. Nova Southeastern (8:30.10)
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6. Jefferson (8:44.29)
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7. Rollins (8:49.51)
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V8+
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1. Central Oklahoma (7:11.50)
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2. UCSD (7:14.21)
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3. WWU (7:16.60)
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4. Humboldt State (7:18.14)
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5. Jefferson (7:25.83)
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6. Rollins (7:38.11)
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7. Nova Southeastern (7:40.79)
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The following were the boat lineups for the Vikings on Friday at the Central Sprints:
WWU will field one eight-oared boat in the Husky Open on Saturday, racing in the first of two heats of the Collegiate Women's 3V8+ scheduled to start at 9:45 am. The Vikings will match up against crews from Lewis & Clark (Division III) and Seattle University. Race results can be tracked via HereNow.com.
More information on the 2019 WWU Rowing season, including a details schedule, roster and quick facts can be found online at WWUVikings.com/RowViks and via social media on Twitter (@WWU_Rowing), Instagram (@wwuwomensrowing) and Facebook (@WWURowing).
WWU Rowing is one of the elite collegiate rowing programs in the country, having won 8 NCAA Division II National Championships. The Vikings won the 2017 NCAA II title and placed 2nd in 2018, and have competed in the NCAA Championships in 17 of the last 18 seasons. Western won 7 consecutive DII national championships from 2005-2011, and placed among the top three nationally each season from 2002 to 2014 with the Varsity 4+ and Varsity 8+ reaching the grand finals every time during this stretch.
