It all boils down to one race, one shot.
Seattle Pacific University’s women’s rowing team is heading toward the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Championships on Saturday, May 17, in Gold River, California.
Approaching the end of the season, head coach Caitlin McClain looks forward to GNACs with nothing but pride and confidence in her team.
“Our base level goal is to take all the work that we put into this season and execute, because we only have one race, one shot,” McClain said. “That makes GNACs unique from the other races we’ve had, where it’s either a dual style or a progression system. We have to show up and be able to put that race together and nerves aside.”
The Falcons’ most recent races were at the Women’s International Rowing Association’s Championship and the Windermere Cup. McClain cited these regattas as prime opportunities for Seattle Pacific to gauge itself compared to its GNAC rivals ahead of the championship. At the WIRAs, specifically, SPU finished third against Western Washington University, California Polytechnic University, Humboldt and the University of Central Oklahoma.
“This is the first time in my time here that we’ve had all four GNAC teams represented at WIRAs, so it was a huge opportunity for us to see how the training leading up to that had paid off,” McClain said. “It was a great way to set the stage for the end of the season. Now, as we’re looking towards GNACs, our goal is to have our best races this season and see where that can put us in terms of both the pride of being in there and earning an opportunity to be at NCAAs.”
Seattle Pacific finished fourth overall at the 2024 GNACs, but the Varsity 4+ placed first in its category and advanced to the national championship. This was the SPU’s third consecutive appearance at nationals. The Falcons placed fifth in the team standings, and the Varsity 4+ boat won the championship final.
The key to achieving a fourth trip to nationals is finding the best lineup for each boat.
Audrey Rekdahl and Megan Rouse, seniors in the Varsity 8+ and Varsity 4+ boats, respectively, shared the process of configuring the lineups. Referencing their teammate Emerson Spencer, a sophomore in the V4+, the pair described the process as “somewhat scientific,” involving weight distribution and individual strength and how they affect cadence throughout the boat seating.
“It has to do with whether somebody is easier to follow or better at leading than other people,” Rekdahl said. “Emerson has a specific stroke, and it’s easier for her to put more power on the blade when she is sitting in the front seat. Even just changing one seat could help you lower one split that might be four seconds over a whole race, which would be enough to beat another boat.”
In her final trip to GNACs, Rekdahl is especially motivated to land on the conference podium and return to the national race.
“Once the season starts, it goes by really fast, and we want to soak it all in,” Rekdahl said. “GNACs feel like a longer ordeal, but we just have to go down there and do well enough to qualify for nationals and extend the season even longer. It feels sad to be done with rowing. As a senior, I’m ready to be done with school, but I’ll miss the team.”
Rouse said she will cherish every moment of the experience as she and her fellow seniors shove off for their final GNAC appearance.
“This particular GNAC lineup is really exciting because all five of our seniors are getting to go, four as rowers and one as an alternate, so we can share that experience for the last time,” Rouse said.
McClain could express only gratitude to her senior class.
“No matter what level they are, whether they’re a starter or not a starter, whether they’re in the varsity lineup or not, they’ve put in a lot of time,” McClain said. “They’re speed leaders most of the time, [but] they’re also culture leaders, and this particular group of seniors has been just incredible stewards of the culture and competitive and supportive of their teammates on and off the water.”
Sending off the seniors, McClain welcomes the next class to fill their shoes and lead the team next season.
“There are certainly underclassmen who will step into those roles, but we’re definitely going to miss this class,” McClain said. “We’ve got a great group of juniors and sophomores [who] have a lot of things to bring as the seniors leave their legacy behind. They’ve done a lot to be the best that they can be as student athletes and be there for their younger teammates.”
