On Saturday, April 27, and Sunday, April 28, Seattle Pacific University’s women’s rowing team competed in the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championships, hosted at the Sacramento State Center in Gold River, California. 

The Falcons won three of their four heats on Saturday. The day kicked off with a strong start from the Varsity 8+ boat with a time of 6:57.56 — one of their best times of the season — earning them first place. 

The Varsity 8+ lineup was senior Natalie Korolenko, senior Megan Popielak, sophomore Ixchel Watson, junior Audrey Rekedal, sophomore Bella Lisenby, senior Megan Rouse, sophomore Anna Boatman and sophomore Gen Gatmaytan. Senior Lucy Sandahl served as their coxswain. 

The Junior Varsity 8+ boat won their heat with a time of 7:24.28. The Varsity 4+ had 7:41.53 as their time, securing the Falcons’ third win of the day. 

The Junior Varsity 8+  was seated by sophomore Racquel Wesley, junior Addie Clark, freshman Jadyn Hawley, freshman Grace Combs, sophomore Cookie Yitbarek, junior Emma Ely, junior Mary Goodhew and sophomore Brittan Dalberg. Sophomore Lexi Roybal served as coxswain.

The Varsity 4+ crew consisted of sophomore Aleskia Haugen, who was coxswain, freshman Emmerson Spencer, sophomore Emma Jones, sophomore Amelia Pape and senior Hannah Miller, who were seated in the boat. 

For most rowers in the Novice 4+ boat, this was their first major race. In their first heat, they placed fifth with a time of 9:13.481. Although they did not make it to the grand finals, they showed resilience by placing first in the third final with an improved time of 8:53.52. 

The Novice 4+’s lineup was freshman Mari Ceesay, freshman Mia Vittori, freshman Jenna Casem and freshman Faith Akutagawa, with freshman Marian Ceesay serving as coxswain. 

On Sunday, April 28, at 8:30 a.m., the Falcons competed in the grand final. The Varsity 8+ took third place with a time of 7:00.526. The Junior Varsity 8+ also placed third in their heat with a time of 7:25.163. In the grand final of the Varsity 4+, SPU took second with a time of 7:56.741.  

The WIRAs are often the deciding regatta for women’s rowing teams as they approach and qualify for the National Collegiate Athletics Association’s championship tournament. As of the results of April 28, SPU sits in third place in the West Region’s Division II Varsity 8+ boat and 4+ boat national rankings and fourth place in overall team rankings.

The Falcons will next compete on Saturday, May 4, at the Windermere Cup Regatta in the Montlake Cut, home of the University of Washington Huskies. Crew races begin at 10:15 a.m., with a boat parade at noon. 

On Saturday, April 27, SPU’s track and field traveled north to Bellingham, Washington, for the 2024 Ralph Vernacchia Invitational. 

Senior Lizzy Daugherty tied her best of 3.82 meters in the women’s pole vault and placed first. Junior Emily Thomason and sophomore Katelyn Flolo both placed third; respectively, Thomason placed third in the pole vault, going 4.58 meters, and Flolo placed third in the women’s 3000-meter steeplechase, with a finishing time of 12:24.70. 

Junior Gabe Endresen placed third in the men’s 10000-meter with a new personal best of 33:12.32, beating his previous best of 33:20.38 from March 3, 2023, at the Ed Boitano Invitational. Freshman Paige Kessler took third place in the women’s high jump with a height of 1.57 meters. In the women’s long jump, Kessler surpassed her previous best of 4.71 meters with 4.8 meters. 

It was also a good weekend for breaking personal records. In the 5000-meter run, sophomore Maya Ewing beat her best of 18:46.18 from the Ed Boitano Invitational with 17:39.65, placing her in eighth place. Senior Annika Esvelt set her new personal best of 4:34.73 in the 1500-meter run from her time of 4:35.50 at the Doris Heritage Invitational on April 5. 

In his third time running the 3000-meter steeplechase, freshman Silas Demmert beat his personal best once again. At the invitational, he set a new personal best of 10:04.65 from 10:17.34 at the Beach Invitational on April 12.

For the team scoring, SPU women placed fourth with 48 points, and SPU men placed 13th with six points, tying with Trinity Western University. 

The next track and field meet will be the Linfield Open on Saturday, May 4, at Linfield University in McMinnville, Oregon. The field events start at 10 a.m.