GOLD RIVER, Calif. – The Western Washington University women's rowing team placed 2nd at the 2025 GNAC Rowing Championships held Saturday on Lake Natoma.

 

WWU's Varsity 8+ won the gold medal for the second consecutive season with a winning time of 7:05.841 to help lead the runner-up finish. The Vikings were edged by one point in the team standings by champion Cal Poly Humboldt, 27-26.

 

Saturday's crown marked the first-ever GNAC team title for Cal Poly Humboldt. It joined Western Washington (2022, 2024) and Central Oklahoma (2021, 2023) as the third school to win the GNAC Championships since the event was founded in 2021.

 

The Vikings winning varsity 8+ lineup featured Jenna Buckholt at the bow, rowers Paige Donner, Sarah Plemons, Maddie Kidd, Sonja Gebhardt, Taylor Wall and Emma Clark, Mia Marie Knipe at the stroke and Janisa Cook as the coxswain.

 

In the non-scoring Open 4+ exhibition race, the Vikings finished in first place with at time of 8:20.027.

 

"We're so proud of the team and how they performed today," said first-year head coach Courtney Moeller. "All three boats had great races and came of the water feeling good about their execution. Second place as a team is a huge accomplishment. Hats off to Humboldt and the other GNAC crews for a great weekend and season so far."

 

Following the GNAC Championships, the Vikings find out if they are part of the six-team NCAA Division II Rowing Championships held May 30-31 on Lake Mercer in West Windsor, New Jersey. The NCAA Selection Show is Tuesday, May 20 at 3 pm PT on NCAA.com. WWU has competed in 20 of the 22 NCAA II Rowing Championships and is 9-time national champions. The complete 2025 schedule is available online at WWUVikings.com.

 

This was the fifth GNAC Rowing Championships since the sport was adopted by the Great Northwest Athletic Conference in 2020. Here is a look at the all-time finishes in GNAC Rowing Championships history, with WWU and Central Oklahoma winning a pair of titles, and Cal Poly Humboldt taking the top spot in 2025:

 

 

WWU placed second at the 2025 GNAC Championships with 26 points, falling one point short of Cal Poly Humboldt with 27 points. The Vikings Varsity 8+ won in a time of 7:05.841 to earn the gold medal and the Varsity 4+ placed third. The Open 4+ recorded a winning time of 8:20.027 in an exhibition race to open the regatta. Here is a breakdown of the scoring from the GNAC regatta.

 

 

Here is a look at the official results from the 2025 GNAC Rowing Championships held Saturday on Lake Natoma in Gold River, California. Results can also be viewed via HereNow.com:

 

 

Here is a look at the projected lineups for the Vikings at the GNAC Championships:

 

 

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 5-year history of event)