SEATTLE, Wash. – The No. 3 nationally ranked Western Washington University women's rowing team put together a solid team performance in the second competition of the spring on Saturday at the Falcon Regatta.

 

Racing against No. 2 Cal Poly Humboldt and No. 4 Seattle Pacific, the Vikings recorded three victories, and four second-place finishes in the seven-race regatta hosted by SPU on the Lake Washington Ship Canal. The event featured three of the four teams that compete in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.

 

"Today was a strong day of racing for our team, and everyone gained valuable experience. With the two-flight format, the V8 and V4 were able to make excellent adjustments for their second races, and we were especially encouraged by how the 2V4 and 3V4 came together in the first flight," said WWU head coach Courtney Moeller. "It's always great to line up against Humboldt and SPU, and we're looking forward to carrying this momentum into our spring break training."

 

Racing at the end of a stressful week of final exams, the Vikings had a great showing throughout the two-session regatta. WWU opened racing winning the Second Varsity Four and Novice Four and completed the event winning the Varsity Eight in the second session. Western's top eight-oared boat placed second in the first session with a time of 7:06.603, edging out SPU (7:06.803) at the finish. Cal Poly Humboldt won the first Varsity Eight race in 7:01.334.

 

After placing second in the 2V8+ and Varsity 4+ in the second session, WWU clocked 7:21.433 in the second running of the Varsity 8+ with a time of 7:21.433 to edge the Lumberjacks by over two seconds.

 

Cal Poly Humboldt recorded four race wins, with the Vikings winning the additional three.

 

WWU will now gear up for a week of training during spring break on Lake Samish preparing for its home regatta April 11 hosting the University of Puget Sound in the Viking Invitational.

The starting line for the Falcon Regatta was approximately 1,000 meters east of the Fremont Bridge, almost even with Gas Works Park. The 2,000-meter course ran from east to west, through the Lake Washington Ship Canal, running parallel to the SPU campus, on the north side. The finish line is behind Brougham Pavilion.

 

The Vikings are back in action on Saturday, April 11 hosting the Viking Invitational on Lake Samish. WWU will race head-to-head against the University of Puget Sound in a rare home regatta at Lake Samish. More information on where fans can view the race will be provided the week of the event. The complete 2026 WWU rowing schedule can be found online at WWUVikings.com.

 

Here is a look at results from WWU's races at the Falcon Regatta held Saturday on the Lake Washington Ship Canal in Seattle:

 

 

Here is a look at the lineups for the Vikings at the Falcon Regatta:

 

 

Here is a look at the current CRCA Coaches Poll with the Vikings checking in at No. 3 in the rankings:

 

 

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 21 of the 23 NCAA Division II national regattas, taking home the gold (9 times), silver (5 times) and bronze (6) medal 20 times in the 23 years the NCAA Division II team title has been awarded, and reached the podium 20 times. Western won seven consecutive DII national championships from 2005-2011.

 

WWU Rowing Inside the Numbers:

21 – NCAA II Rowing Championship Appearances (out of 23)

16 – Individual Championships (Eights-7, Fours-9)

9 – National Championships (2005-11, 2017, 2024)

6 – 3rd Place Finishes at Nationals

5 – National Runner-Up Finishes

2 – GNAC Championships (in 5-year history of event)