• News
• |
• Schedule
• |
• Roster
• |
• Archives

May 26, 2012

WEST WINDSOR, New Jersey - Both Western Washington University shells qualified for Sunday's grand finals with the four placing first and the eight second in repechage heats Saturday at the NCAA Division II Women's Rowing National Championships being held at Lake Mercer.

The four grand final is slated for 9 a.m. ET with the Vikings facing Humboldt State and Nova Southeastern FL. The eight grand final begins at 9:35 a.m. ET with WWU lining up against Humboldt State, Mercyhurst PA and Nova Southeastern.

"It's anybody's event." said WWU head coach John Fuchs (14th year). "I think that Mercyhurst is just about mathematically out of it, but between Humboldt State , Nova Southeastern and ourselves, it's anybody's race and anything can happen."

In the Saturday's eight repechage, less the two seconds separated the top three boats with just two qualifying for the grand final. Mercyhurst won in 6:49.38, narrowly edging WWU, which completed the 2,000-meter course in 6:49.63. Central Oklahoma finished third in 6:50.94, just 1.31 seconds behind the Vikings, and Barry FL was fourth (7:07.60).

"We knew we had to get first or second and they definitely had to race, but the idea was to qualify and that's what they did," Fuchs said. "I know the crowd enjoyed it."

In the four repechage with only the winner advancing, WWU led wire-to-wire. The Vikings finished in 7:41.02, holding off Mercyhurst (7:44.71) in the final 250 meters.

"The four did their job," said Fuchs. "To give us a chance they had to stay out ahead. But that's been familiar territory for them for the last few weeks, so they knew what they had to do and they got it done."

Humboldt State and Nova Southeastern did not compete Saturday after each won four and eight qualifying heats Friday. The Vikings were second in both of their heats.

WWU, which entered ranked No.1 nationally in the latest Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association Poll, has won the last seven national titles, the longest string in any NCAA rowing division.

Illustrating how dominate the Vikings have been during that stretch, the repechage heats were just the second for the four, the other being in 2009, and the first for the eight.

NCAA II National Championships - Results

Friday - Qualifying Heats

Eights

Heat 1 - 1. Nova Southeastern 6:53.89, 2. Western Washington 6:56.41, 3. Central Oklahoma 7:19.27

Heat 2 - 1. Humboldt State 6:53.55, 2. Mercyhurst 6:56.65, 3. Barry 7:24.33

Fours

Heat 1 - 1. Nova Southeastern 8:06.21, 2. Mercyhurst 8:16.73 Heat 2 - 1. Humboldt State 7:47.50, 2. Western Washington 8:04.79

Saturday - Repechage Heats

Eights

1. Mercyhurst 6:49.38, 2. Western Washington 6:49.63, 3. Central Oklahoma 6:50.94, 4. Barry 7:07.60

Fours

1. Western Washington 7:41.02, 2. Mercyhurst 7:44.71

Sunday - Finals

9 a.m. ET - Grand Final 4 - Humboldt State, Nova Southeastern, Western Washington
9:15 a.m. ET - Petite Final 8 - Barry, Central Oklahoma
9:35 a.m. ET - Grand Final 8 - Humboldt State, Mercyhurst, Nova Southeastern, Western Washington

Varsity 8 - Coxswain Alix Crilly (Sr., Wenatchee), stroke Jean Piette (Sr., Vancouver/Columbia River), No. 7 Megan Northey (Sr., Brier/King's), No.6 Katie Woolsey (Sr., North Bend/Mount Si), No.5 Kate Berni (Sr., Silverdale/Central Kitsap), No.4 Alyssa Dewey (Sr., Bend/Mountain View), No.3 Stephanie Bluhm (Jr., Auburn/Mountain View), No.2 Kelsey Baker (Sr., Gig Harbor), bow Carson MacPherson-Krutsky (Sr., Seattle/Garfield)

Varsity 4 - Coxswain Maeghan Callegeri (Fr., Kirkland/Lake Washington), stroke Christine Henie (So., Chugiak, AK), No.3 Olivia Rowland (So., Seattle/Holy Names), No.2 Regan Wessman (So., Kirkland/Lake Washington), bow Claire Marine (So., Enumclaw)

Alternates: Hannah Gallagher (Sr., Seattle/Garfield) and Lauren Fleming (Sr., Bainbridge Island)