Rowing follows close at GNAC

Falcons take fourth place in season championship

Jacqueline Brizuela, Staff Writer

May 21, 2024

Members of the SPU Open 8+ compete during the opening day regatta on the Montlake Cut on Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Seattle.

On Saturday, May 18, the Seattle Pacific University women’s rowing team showcased their skill and determination in the 2024 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Championships held at Lake Natoma in Gold River, California. The Falcons faced off against the top competitors Western Washington University, California Polytechnic State University and the University of Central Oklahoma.

To start the day, the Falcon’s Open 4+ crew placed third with a time of 8:44.880 in the Exhibition 4+. The Open 4+ boat was seated by junior Addie Clark, junior Mary Goodhew and junior Emma Ely. Serving as coxswain was sophomore Lexi Roybal.

In the Varsity 4+ Final, SPU took the heat by storm with a time of 8:09.720 and placed first.

The crew of the Varsity 4+ boat was freshman Emmerson Spencer, sophomore Anna Boatman, sophomore Amelia Pape and senior Hannah Miller. Sophomore Aleksia Haugen served as coxswain.

The Varsity 8+ Falcon crew put up a fight in their final. SPU was one second off of placing third but clocked in a solid 7:15.020 right behind Cal Poly, who had a time of 7:13.990.

The Varsity 8+ boat was seated by senior Natalie Korolenko, senior Megan Popielak, sophomore Ixchel Watson, junior Audrey Rekedal, sophomore Bella Lisenby, senior Megan Rouse, sophomore Emma Jones and sophomore Gem Gatmaytan. Senior Lucy Sandahl served as coxswain.

It was a close call between UCO and SPU as both schools scored 21 overall team points. As a tiebreaker, the Varsity 8+ final was taken into account. UCO placed second in the Varsity 8+ final, which led to SPU ultimately placing as the fourth overall team at the GNAC Championships.

Tuesday, May 21, at 2 p.m. will be the selection show for the 2024 National Collegiate Athletic Association Championships Rowing Championships on the NCAA website.

Track and field did not compete the week of May 13 through May 17; however, two Falcons will be in action on Thursday, May 23 for the 2024 Track and Field NCAA Outdoor Championships at Emporia State University in Emporia, Kansas. Freshman Hannah Chang will be competing in the women’s 100-meter hurdles preliminary, and junior Annika Esvelt will be in both the women’s 10000-meter and 5000-meter runs.

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About the Contributors

Jacqueline Brizuela, Copy Editor

Rio Giancarlo, Editor-in-Chief

Rio is a senior visual communication major with a minor in journalism. After serving two years as the photo editor Rio was hired as editor-in-chief for his final year with The Falcon. An accomplished photojournalist Rio was accepted into the Eddie Adams XXXVII and does freelance photography for Getty Images, the AP, and other local outlets. In his free time you can find him skiing, or wishing he was skiing.