GOLD RIVER, Calif. – The Western Washington University women's rowing team wrapped up competition at the 2019 Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association (WIRA) Championships on Lake Natoma on Sunday.

 

WWU had all three of its crews race in the Grand Finals of the D2/D3/Club competition, with the Varsity 4+ winning bronze and the Varsity 8+ finishing just off the podium in 4^th place. The Second Varsity 8+ placed 5^th in its Grand Final.

 

The Vikings three crews were comprised of a young group of rowers, with 10 first-year members of the program. The 2018 NCAA Division II National Runner-Up and eight-time national champion entered the WIRA Championships as the No. 4 ranked team in the CRCA/US Rowing Division II Coaches Poll.

 

The WIRA Championships at the D2/D3/Club level featured great competition between five teams that are ranked in the top six nationally, with Central Oklahoma (#1), UC San Diego (#3), WWU (#4), Seattle Pacific (#5) and Humboldt State (#6) proving that the West Region will be a dominating force at the national championships this season.

 

"I thought it was a really good regatta and we got a lot of things accomplished as a team," said head coach John Fuchs, in his 21^st year leading the program. "We progressed and we are improving, and I am looking forward to keeping it going. It was an impressive Varsity 8, with all six boats bunched up. It was fun to watch and I am sure was great for the rowers. Overall I thought we competed really well and this was a great experience for our team. We have a lot of younger rowers, and this experience will help them as we continue to get better with every race, every practice and every regatta. We will continue to strive to get a little better each day."

 

Racing in an elite field of six crews in the Grand Final, the Vikings made a hard charge over the final 500m to make up ground, but just missed out on a medal placing 4^th. WWU completed the 2,000m course in 6:49.368, under a second behind third-place UC Santa Barbara (6:48.537).

 

The Vikings top eight-oared crew was led by junior coxswain Jonah Bettger, and seniors Angie Dexter (stroke) and Karisa Stapp (7-seat) powering the front of the boat. The Vikings crew includes three novice rowers in their first year in the program – Kelsey Fast (stroke), Phoebe Hafertepen (3-seat) and Molly McDonald (6-seat).

 

Defending national champion Central Oklahoma won gold in 6:46.001 and UC San Diego won silver in 6:47.670. The Vikings made up ground over the final 1,000m, with the fast finish clipping Seattle Pacific (6:50.283) by two seats for the 4^th-place finish. Humboldt State was 6^th in 6:52.900, as all six crews were separated by less than seven seconds.

 

Here are the heat results from the Grand Final, Petite Final and C Final of the Varsity 8+ on Sunday:

 

 

The Vikings took home the bronze medal in the Varsity 4+ race, placing 3^rd with a time of 7:38.802. WWU nearly chased down UC San Diego (7:37.671) for the silver medal, but fell a few seats short at the finish line. The Vikings also held off 4^th-place Seattle Pacific (7:41.802) and 5^th-place Humboldt State (7:48.016) down the stretch.

 

Central Oklahoma won the race with open water behind them in 7:28.341, with UCSD finishing just ahead of the Vikings.
 

 

The Vikings four-oared crew was led by junior coxswain Adele Houston and senior captain Hannah Bivans (2-seat). Junior Carly Lant was in the stroke seat and, with junior Paige Jacobsen (3-seat) and sophomore Rachael Schick (bow) rounding out the V4+. 

 

Here are the results Sunday's Grand Final in the Varsity 4+:

 

 

The Vikings placed 5^th in the Grand Final of the Second Varsity 8+ race at the D2/D3/Club level, covering the 2,000m course in 7:12.046.

 

Fielding a young crew led by junior coxswain Corina Chon and freshman Haley Moss out of the stroke seat, WWU's time was a nine-second improvement from Saturday's heats (7:21.998). The Vikings 2V8+ features six rowers in their first year in the program.

 

Seattle Pacific won the gold medal in the race finishing in 7:02.849, with UC San Diego earning silver (7:07.587) and Humboldt State taking home bronze (7:08.673).

 

Here are the heat results from the Grand Final of the Second Varsity 8+ on Sunday:

 

 

The Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association (WIRA) is a western regional organization with membership comprised of 40 rowing programs at all division levels, and representing colleges and universities in five western states. WIRA includes nearly every rowing program in the West outside of the Pac-12 Conference.

 

Here is a look at boat lineups for the Vikings that raced on Saturday and Sunday at the 2019 WIRA Championships:

 

 

WWU will be back in action on Saturday, May 4 in the 33^rd Annual Windermere Cup on the Montlake Cut in Seattle. The annual regatta hosted by the University of Washington celebrates the opening of boating season in the Northwest. More information on the 2019 Windermere Cup can be found online at windermerecup.withwre.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.