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May 19, 2009

BELLINGHAM, Wash. - The Western Washington University women's rowing team received official confirmation Tuesday afternoon that it will compete for a fifth straight title, earning a berth in the eighth annual NCAA Division II National Championships on May 29-31 on Cooper River in Camden, New Jersey.

The Vikings got the national bid from the NCAA II Women's Rowing Committee as the West Region representative for the sixth straight year and seventh time in eight years. Last year, they won a fourth straight national title, an unprecedented feat in any division of the NCAA.

"At the beginning of the year, our goal was to get back to the NCAA Championships and have a chance to win it," said Western coach John Fuchs (11th year). "We've accomplished that, from here on out what we do is up to (our rowers)."

Western ranks No.2 nationally in the USRowing/Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association NCAA II Poll behind Mercyhurst PA. At mid-season, Mercyhurst snapped a Western string of being the top-ranked team in 39 straight polls.

The Vikings will be one of four schools competing for the team championship - each school being required to row a varsity eight and a varsity four.

Also receiving bids, besides Western, were Mercyhurst from the East Region, Nova Southeastern from the South Region and an at-large entry Philadelphia from the East Region.

In addition, Dowling and Seattle Pacific received at-large berths in the varsity eight competition. Those schools are not eligible for the team title.

"The field is about what I expected," said Fuchs. "Philadelphia is in for the first time, but everyone else was pretty predictable. Now that we know the field, we can do a little research, do some planning, put a name to the faces."

Competition begins Friday, May 29, with two heats of three boats in the eights beginning at 11 a.m. ET and 11:15 a.m. ET, followed by one four heat at 11:30 a.m. ET. Winners in each heat advance to the grand finals Sunday, May 31 (four 9 a.m. ET, eight 9:30 a.m. ET). Losers of the heats compete in repechages Saturday, May 30, (eight 10:30 a.m. ET, four 10:45 a.m. ET) with the top two placers in the eight and four races advancing to the grand final.

Pairings for the heats are not determined until the teams arrive at Camden. Last year, Western won both the eight and four finals at nationals for the fourth straight time. The Vikings placed third in 2004 after being second the previous two years.

In Western's eight are coxswain Kristy Theodorson (Sr., Bothell/Inglemoor), stroke Casey Mapes (So., Anchorage, AK/Service), No.7 Audrey Coon (Sr., Kenai, AK/Kenai Central), No.6 Jean Piette (Fr., Vancouver/Columbia River), No.5 Heather Kelly (Jr., Bird Creek, AK/South Anchorage), No.4 Katie Woolsey (Fr., North Bend/Mount Si), No.3 Megan Northey (Fr., Brier/King's), No.2 Madeleine Eckmann (Jr., Winthrop/Liberty Bell) and bow Kate Berni (Fr., Silverdale/Central Kitsap).

Seated in the Vikings' four will be coxswain Samantha Oberholzer (So., Bellevue), stroke Carson MacPherson-Krutsky (Fr., Seattle/Garfield), No.3 Hilary Gastwirth (Sr., Issaquah/Liberty), No.2 Siri Carlson (So., Tacoma/Franklin Pierce) and bow Hannah Gallagher (Fr., Seattle/Garfield).

Both Western's eight and four were victorious at the Northwest Collegiate Rowing Conference Championships and unofficial NCAA II West Regional. They also won gold medals at the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championships.

"The last couple years, we were hands-down favorites," Fuchs said. "This year, I think it's wide open, and when you get to the championships, everybody raises the bar a little bit. I think we have just as good a chance as anybody."

It is the fourth trip to nationals for Gastwirth. Going for the third year is Coon and Theodorson and making their second appearances are Eckmann, Kelly (alternate last year), Mapes and Oberholzer.

The three alternates are coxswain Alix Crilly (Fr., Wenatchee), stroke Jordan Uecker (Fr., Bellingham/Sehome/Whatcom CC) and bow Nolan Winger (Fr., Bremerton/Central Kitsap).

Participating schools receive 12 points for the first-place eight, nine for second, six for third and three for fourth. The victorious four gets eight points, with six points awarded for second, four for third and two for fourth.

This is actually the ninth consecutive trip to nationals for Western. The Vikings competed in the NCAA championship for all divisions in 2001, the varsity eight finishing sixth in its qualifying, repechage and third final races. In 2002, each school raced two eights at nationals.

WWU Lineups:

Varsity 8 - coxswain Kristy Theodorson (Sr., Bothell/Inglemoor), stroke Casey Mapes (So., Anchorage, AK/Service), No.7 Audrey Coon (Sr., Kenai, AK/Kenai Central), No.6 Jean Piette (Fr., Vancouver/Columbia River), No.5 Heather Kelly (Jr., Bird Creek, AK/South Anchorage), No.4 Katie Woolsey (Fr., North Bend/Mount Si), No.3 Megan Northey (Fr., Brier/King's), No.2 Madeleine Eckmann (Jr., Winthrop/Liberty Bell), bow Kate Berni (Fr., Silverdale/Central Kitsap).

Varsity 4 - coxswain Samantha Oberholzer (So., Bellevue), stroke Carson MacPherson-Krutsky (Fr., Seattle/Garfield), No.3 Hilary Gastwirth (Sr., Issaquah/Liberty), No.2 Siri Carlson (So., Tacoma/Franklin Pierce) and bow Hannah Gallagher (Fr., Seattle/Garfield).

Alternates - coxswain Alix Crilly (Fr., Wenatchee), stroke Jordan Uecker (Fr., Bellingham/Sehome/Whatcom CC) and bow Nolan Winger (Fr., Bremerton/Central Kitsap).