By: Jeff Evans, Assistant AD for Athletic Communications
BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The Western Washington University women's rowing team opens its spring break training with a preview of the GNAC Championships Saturday in the Falcon Regatta.
The defending national champion Vikings will go head-to-head against conference foes Seattle Pacific, Cal Poly Humboldt and Central Oklahoma Saturday with eight races planned on the Lake Washington Ship Canal. The first race is scheduled for 8 am with the second varsity four.
The GNAC features four of the top rowing programs in the nation with WWU (2024 & 2017), Cal Poly Humboldt (2023) and Central Oklahoma (2018, 2019, 2021) feature six of the last seven NCAA Division II national champions going back to 2017. In the 22-year history of the D2 rowing championships, GNAC schools have combined for 15 national titles with the Vikings leading the way with nine championships.
Saturday's racing features two sessions in the Falcon Regatta, with a trio of four-oared configurations and the varsity 8+. The Vikings will race head-to-head against Central Oklahoma in Varsity 8+ and Varsity 4+, with SPU going against Cal Poly Humboldt. The winners will face each other in the second session scheduled to start close to 10:15 am.
The GNAC has sent four crews to nationals each of the last two years with the four teams making up four of the top five teams in the current CRCA/Pocock Coaches Poll. WWU enters this week ranked No. 4 in the nation.
The Falcon Regatta serves as the second of four regular-season regattas leading up to the GNAC Championships on May 17 and the NCAA Division II Rowing Championships held May 30-31.
The Vikings are coming off another historic season in 2024 capturing their ninth NCAA Division II women's rowing national championship and won their second GNAC title.
Courtney Moeller, who played a key role as an assistant on last year's national title team, begins her first season as head coach of the Viking program. The Vikings return the 2024 CRCA National Athlete of the Year and 2024 GNAC Rower of the Year Mia Knipe, who is back for her junior campaign this spring. Janisa Cook returns after being selected the GNAC co-Coxswain of the Year last season, giving WWU another key leader for 2025. Emma Clark, Reed Chesnek, Sarah Ernst and Maddie Kidd were each named all-conference last season and are all back on WWU's roster as well.
Here are links on how to follow the Vikings at the Falcon Regatta:
Fans traveling to watch the Vikings in Seattle should park close to Royal Brougham Pavilion on the Seattle Pacific University campus, with the finish line close to the pavilion. The last 1000m of the race is in the canal and can be viewed from many locations along the shore and even the Fremont Bridge.
Here is a listing of times the Vikings are scheduled to compete on Saturday at the Falcon Regatta. The second session races for the V4+ and V8+ will be determined after the results of the first session are posted:
First Session:
- 8:00 am – 2nd Varsity 4+
- 8:20 am – Varsity 4+
- 8:30 am – Varsity 8+
- 8:40 am – 3rd Varsity 4+
Second Session:
- 10:15 am – 2nd Varsity 4+
- TBD – Varsity 4+ (10:25 am or 10:30 am)
- TBD – Varsity 8+ (10:35 am or 10:40 am)
- 10:45 am – 3rd Varsity 4+
Here is a look at the tentative lineups for the Vikings at the Falcon Regatta, which are subject to change:
The Vikings will be in full spring break training mode on Lake Samish next week building up speed for the remainder of the 2025 season. The next scheduled regatta is the WIRA Championships April 26-27 on Lake Natoma in Gold River, California. The complete 2025 schedule is available online at WWUVikings.com.
Here is a look at the current 2025 CRCA/Pocock Coaches Poll for NCAA Division II.
|
Rk
|
Team
|
Points
|
|
1.
|
Embry-Riddle
|
136
|
|
2.
|
Cal Poly Humboldt
|
127
|
|
3.
|
Central Oklahoma
|
116
|
|
4.
|
Western Washington
|
115
|
|
5.
|
Seattle Pacific
|
100
|
|
6.
|
Rollins College
|
51
|
|
7.
|
Thomas Jefferson
|
50
|
|
8.
|
Barry
|
20
|
WWU Rowing is one of the elite collegiate rowing programs in the country across all divisions, having won nine NCAA Division II National Championships. The Vikings won the 2024 NCAA II National Title, the 2017 title, placed 2nd in 2018, 3rd in 2019 and runner-up in 2022. WWU has competed in the NCAA Championships in 20 of the 22 NCAA Division II national regattas, taking home the gold (9 times), silver (5 times) and bronze (5) medal 19 times in the 22 years the NCAA Division II team title has been awarded, and reached the podium 19 times. Western won seven consecutive DII national championships from 2005-2011.
WWU Rowing Inside the Numbers:
20 – NCAA II Rowing Championship Appearances (out of 22)
16 – Individual Championships (Eight-7, Fours-9)
9 – National Championships (2005-11, 2017, 2024)
5 – National Runner-Up Finishes
5 – 3rd Place Finishes at Nationals
2 – GNAC Championships (in 4-year history of event)
