LAKEWOOD, Wash. – The Western Washington University rowing program opened the 2023 season with a preseason regatta competing in the PLU Invitational Saturday on American Lake.
 
The Vikings opened the season with five races broken into two sessions, recording three second-place finishes and a first-place showing in the Varsity 8+ matching up against Gonzaga's fourth varsity entry and PLU.
 
WWU opened the 2023 slate racing against a familiar foe Seattle Pacific University in three morning races. The Vikings and Falcons both advanced to the NCAA II Rowing Championships last season in Sarasota, Florida, with WWU earning national runner-up honors.
 
Led by 25th-year head coach John Fuchs, the Vikings opened their five-regatta regular-season schedule leading up to the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Championships that will be held May 13 on Dexter Lake in Lowell, Oregon. The full 2023 season schedule can be viewed online at WWUVikings.com/RowViks.
  Here a look at the final results from the preseason-opening PLU Invitational held Saturday, March 4 on American Lake in Lakewood:
 

Event	1st	2nd	3rd
First Session
V8+	SPU (7:06.73)	WWU (7:12.99)	UPS (7:29.50)
V4+	SPU (7:59.21)	WWU (8:29.63)	--
2V4+	SPU (8:14.94)	WWU (8:18.56)	Seattle U (8:35.95)
Second Session
V8+	WWU (7:11.17)	Gonzaga (7:21.80)	PLU (7:48.65)
2V8+	SPU (7:47.53)	WWU (7:48.13)	PLU (8:53.61)

  Here are the crew lineups that raced for WWU in Saturday's PLU Invitational:
 

Varsity Eight Valhalla	Varsity Four (A) Mann King	Varsity Four (B) Grit	2nd Varsity Eight Le Mieux
Cox – Emma Hopkins	Cox – Kylie Lovrich	Cox – Janisa Cook	Cox – Malea Moy
Stroke – Sarah Ernst	Stroke – Linnea Olix	Stroke – Lily Bjork	Stroke – Lily Bjork
7 – Emma Clark	3 – Anne Iliff	3 – Kaylie McRea	7 – Mia Marie Knipe
6 – Paige Donner	2 – Lex Clark	2 – Jenna Buckholt	6 – Jenna Buckholt
5 – Clarice Ruhlin-Hicks	Bow – Niamh Westover	Bow – Taylor Wall	5 – Kaylie McRea
4 – Madeline Kidd			4 – Niamh Westover
3 – Reed Chesnek			3 – Taylor Wall
2 – Morgan MacIntyre			2 – Addison Cook
Bow – Yuki Saburi			Bow – Jenae Pusich

  Following Saturday's preseason regatta, the Vikings will next be in competition March 25 at the Husky Open on Montlake Cut in Seattle. The complete 2023 regatta schedule can be found online at wwuvikings.com/RowViks.
    More information on the WWU Rowing program, 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).
  Led by head coach John Fuchs (25th season), WWU Rowing is one of the elite collegiate rowing programs in the country, having won eight NCAA Division II National Championships. The Vikings won the 2017 NCAA II title, placed 2nd in 2018, 3rd in 2019 and runner-up again in 2022. WWU has competed in the NCAA Championships in 18 of the last 21 seasons, taking home the gold (8 times) or silver (5 times) medal 13 times in the 20 years the NCAA Division II team title has been awarded, and reached the podium all 18 times. Western won seven consecutive DII national championships from 2005-2011. The Vikings added the 2022 GNAC Rowing Championships team and V8+ titles to its trophy case this season, in addition to the WIRA V8+ Gold Medal.