REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – The Western Washington University women's rowing team closed out the 2019 regular season racing against two top-ranked crews on Saturday at Redwood Shores.
 
The No. 4 Division II nationally-ranked Vikings were edged in all four of their races, going head-to-head with the Bronchos and Cardinal in both the eight and four.
 
Against Division II No. 1 ranked UCO, WWU completed the 2,000m course in 6:55.7, with Central Oklahoma clocking a 6:52.6 for the three-second victory. The four finished in 7:53.6, with UCO completing the course in 7:41.3.
 
Against the top lightweight crew in the nation, WWU was defeated in its second wave of races that started at 11 am. In its second race of the day the eight completed the same course in 7:03.5, with Stanford clocking a speedy 6:32.3. The Stanford four finished first in the second race vs. the Vikings in 7:23.8, with WWU clocking 7:36.6.
 
WWU will now wait to see if they are one of the six teams to qualify for the NCAA Rowing Championships that will be held May 31-June 2 at the Indianapolis Rowing Center in Indianapolis, Indiana. The field for the 2019 NCAA Division II Rowing Championships will be announced on Monday, May 20 via an internet selection show at 2 pm PT/5 pm ET on NCAA.com. The top ranked teams in the regional polls from the West, South and East regions and three at-large teams will compete for the 2019 national championship. WWU is currently ranked No. 4 in the stacked West Region and No. 4 in the national coaches poll.
  Here is a look at the race results from Saturday's head-to-head competition against UCO and Stanford:
 

vs. UCO
V8+	1. UCO (6:52.6)	2. WWU (6:55.7)
V4+	1. UCO (7:41.3)	2. WWU (7:53.6)
vs. Stanford
V8+	1. Stanford (6:32.3)	2. WWU (7:03.5)
V4+	1. Stanford (7:23.8)	2. WWU (7:36.6)

  Here is a look at boat lineups for the Vikings in Saturday's races vs. Central Oklahoma and Stanford Lightweights:
                                                                                                    

Varsity 8+  (vs. UCO and Stanford)

Cox – Adele Houston (Jr., Seattle, WA/Nathan Hale)

Stroke – Angie Dexter (Jr., Anchorage, AK/West Anchorage)

7 – Karisa Stapp (Sr., Bellingham, WA/Mount Baker)

6 – Michaela Bonenberger (Jr., Fort Collins, CO/Fossil Ridge)

5 – Maddie Bangasser (So., Sammamish, WA/Eastlake)

4 – Jessica Smithlin (So., Orting, WA/Orting)

3 – Phoebe Hafertepen (So., Watsonville, CA/Pacific Collegiate School)

2 – Molly McDonald (Fr., Burien, WA/Kennedy Catholic)

Bow – Kelsey Fast (So., Covington, WA/Kentwood)

Varsity 4+ (vs. UCO)

Cox – Jonah Bettger (Jr., Brush Prairie, WA/Prairie)

Stroke – Carly Lant (Jr., Bainbridge Island, WA/Bainbridge)

3 – Paige Jacobsen (Jr., Bellingham, WA/Bellingham)

2 – Hannah Bivans (Sr., Claremont, CA/Claremont)

Bow – Rachael Schick (So., Anchorage, AK/East Anchorage)

Varsity 4+ (vs. Stanford)

Cox – Jonah Bettger (Jr., Brush Prairie, WA/Prairie)

Stroke – Carly Lant (Jr., Bainbridge Island, WA/Bainbridge)

3 – Paige Jacobsen (Jr., Bellingham, WA/Bellingham)

2 – Josephine Bond (Jr., Bend, OR/Summit)

Bow – Anneka Bostrom (So., Arlington, WA/Lakewood)

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. WWU has taken home the gold (8 times) or silver (4 times) medal 12 times in the 17 years the NCAA Division II team title has been awarded. 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.