By: Jeff Evans, Assistant AD for Athletic Communications
GOLD RIVER, Calif. – The only thing that could top the perfect racing conditions on Lake Natoma for the 2024 WIRA Championships was the golden performance by the Western Washington University rowing team.
Both of WWU's eight-oared crews earned the gold medal at the WIRA Championships claiming first place in Sunday's Grand Final. Western's Varsity 4+ also reached the grand final placing 4th with the second-best performance by an NCAA Division II entry.
WWU's Varsity 8+ opened the day of racing winning the grand final with open-water victory over second-place Cal Poly Humboldt and third-place Seattle Pacific. The Vikings clocked 6:52.864 on the 2,000-meter course, followed by the Lumberjacks at 7:00.526 and the Falcons at 7:00.579.
The second Varsity 8+ followed with another gold medal performance winning its grand final in 7:21.045, finishing ahead of UC Irvine (7:23.038) and Seattle Pacific (7:25.163). WWU powered through the final 500 meters to overtake UC Irvine and hold off SPU for the victory.
The Varsity 4+ wrapped up the two-day competition placing 4th in the six-crew grand final covering the Lake Natoma course in 8:03.854. UC Santa Barbara won the V4+ final in 7:48.972, followed by Seattle Pacific (7:56.741) and Puget Sound (8:01.098). WWU was the second DII finisher in the race behind SPU and ahead of Cal Poly Humboldt.
The Vikings return to action next Saturday (May 4) at the Opening Day Regatta as part of the Windermere Cup festivities on Montlake Cut.
WIRA CHAMPIONSHIPS RESULTS
Here is a look at results from WWU's races from the 2024 WIRA Championships.
|
SUNDAY GRAND FINAL
|
|
V8+
(Grand Final)
|
Western Washington
(6:52.864
|
Cal Poly Humboldt
(7:00.526)
|
Seattle Pacific
(7:00.579)
|
UC Irvine
(7:08.037)
|
Orange Coast
(7:09.119)
|
Puget Sound
(7:14.83)
|
|
2V8+
(Grand Final)
|
Western Washington
(7:21.045)
|
UC Irvine
(7:23.038)
|
Seattle Pacific
(7:25.163)
|
Lewis & Clark
(7:36.769)
|
Cal Poly Humboldt
(7:44.241)
|
UC Santa Barbara
(7:45.857)
|
|
V4+
(Grand Final)
|
UC Santa Barbara
(7:48.972)
|
Seattle Pacific
(7:56.741)
|
Puget Sound
(8:01.098)
|
Western Washington
(8:03.854)
|
Cal Poly Humboldt
(8:05.124)
|
Washington State
(8:23.565)
|
|
SATURDAY HEAT RACES
|
|
Event
|
1st
|
2nd
|
3rd
|
4th
|
5th
|
6th
|
|
V8+
(Heat 1)
|
Western Washington
(6:48.029)
|
Cal Poly Humboldt
(6:56.188)
|
Orange Coast College
(7:03.796)
|
UC Santa Barbara
(7:11.068)
|
UC Davis
(7:34.359)
|
---
|
|
V8+
(Heat 2)
|
Seattle Pacific
(6:57.66)
|
UC Irvine
(7:03.553)
|
Puget Sound
(7:08.955)
|
Lewis & Clark
(7:14.909)
|
Arizona State
(7:29.474)
|
PLU
(7:46.621)
|
|
2V8+
(Heat 1)
|
UC Irvine
(7:18.231)
|
Western Washington
(7:20.995)
|
Lewis & Clark
(7:36.082)
|
PLU
(8:44.625)
|
---
|
---
|
|
2V8+
(Heat 2)
|
Seattle Pacific
(7:24.289)
|
Cal Poly Humboldt
(7:30.61)
|
UC Santa Barbara
(7:39.929)
|
Puget Sound
(8:04.891)
|
---
|
---
|
|
V4+
(Heat 1)
|
Western Washington
(7:51.892)
|
UPS
(7:59.097)
|
Washington State
(8:04.275)
|
Cal Lightweights
(8:21.295)
|
Pacific-A
(8:23.507)
|
Pacific-B
(9:04.674)
|
|
V4+
(Heat 2)
|
Seattle Pacific
(7:41.539)
|
UC Santa Barbara
(7:44.332)
|
Cal Poly Humboldt
(7:49.304)
|
UC Davis
(8:49.896)
|
UC Irvine
(9:01.958)
|
Arizona State
(9:06.939)
|
Here is a look at the lineups for the Vikings that competed at the 2024 WIRA Championships:
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.
The first edition of the NCAA Division II Regional Rowing rankings was released earlier this week prior to the WIRA Championships with WWU listed No. 3. The Vikings Varsity 4+ as ranked No. 1 and the Varsity 8+ was No. 4. Here is a look at the rankings via NCAA.com:
|
Rk
|
Eight
|
Rk
|
Four
|
Rk
|
Team Ranking
|
|
1.
|
Central Oklahoma
|
1.
|
Western Washington
|
1.
|
Central Oklahoma
|
|
2.
|
Cal Poly Humboldt
|
2.
|
Central Oklahoma
|
2.
|
Cal Poly Humboldt
|
|
3.
|
Seattle Pacific
|
3.
|
Seattle Pacific
|
3.
|
Western Washington
|
|
4.
|
Western Washington
|
4.
|
Cal Poly Humboldt
|
4.
|
Seattle Pacific
|
Led by head coach John Fuchs (26th 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 19 of the 21 NCAA Division II national regattas, taking home the gold (8 times) or silver (5 times) medal 13 times in the 21 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.
WWU Rowing Inside the Numbers:
19 – NCAA II Rowing Championship Appearances (out of 21)
15 – Individual Championships (Eight-6, Fours-9)
8 – National Championships (2005-11, 2017)
5 – National Runner-Up Finishes
