May 1, 2004

RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif. - The Western Washington University men's varsity four and men's novice four will row in grand finals and the women's varsity eight and women's junior varsity eight are in petite finals following qualifying heats Saturday at the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championships being held on Lake Natoma.

All the finals are Sunday morning.

"As a program, we represented ourselves very well," said Western rowing program coordinator and women's coach John Fuchs. "The men did a pretty awesome job getting both of their fours into grand finals."

The Vikings' men's varsity four placed second in its heat, completing the 2,000-meter course in 7:00.0, less than three seconds behind first-place and host Sacramento State (6:57.5). Long Beach State was third (7:15.5), followed by UC Santa Barbara (7:20.0), Pacific Lutheran (7:26.5) and Portland (7:41.3).

"When you get down here, you always want to advance to the racing on Sunday and we were able to do that," said Western men's coach Marty Sauvage. Seated in the men's varsity four were coxswain Kelly McComb (Sr., Bainbridge Island), stroke Joshua Griesse (Jr., Pleasant Hill, OR), No.3 Case Sweerus (So., Gig Harbor), No.2 Jonathan Fox (Jr., Shoreline/Shorewood) and bow Phil DuBois (Jr., Olympia/Capital).

The Vikings were third in the men's novice four qualifying run with a time of 7:08.3, finishing behind Long Beach State (7:00.1) and Seattle Pacific (7:01.8). UC Davis (7:11.7) was fourth, followed by Sonoma State (7:13.3), Orange Coast (7:16.2) and Sacramento State (7:26.3).

"I was pleasantly surprised with the novice four," Sauvage said. "We set the lineup Sunday after we got back from the conference championships. We did some seed races, and the kids who got in that boat just worked their butts off a little harder than everybody else."

The lineup for the men's novice four was coxswain Alexandra Hailey (Fr., Anchorage, AK/Service), stroke Aaron Novy (Fr., Richland), No.3 Will Bufford (Jr., Port Angeles/Peninsula CC), No.2 Gavin Owens (Fr. Vancouver/Columbia River) and bow Nathan Pedersen (So., Peaks Island, ME/Portland/Gateway CC).

Western's women's varsity eight, ranked No.1 nationally all season long in the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association/USRowing NCAA II Poll, placed third in its heat with a time of 7:10.0. NCAA Division I Gonzaga won in 6:56.8 and UC Davis, which is making the move to Division I, was second (7:00.5). UC Irvine was fourth (7:19.8), Pacific Lutheran fifth (7:20.0) and St. Mary's sixth (7:35.5).

"We went out trying to hang with them (Gonzaga and UC Davis) and try and knock someone out to get in the grand final, but we just couldn't quite hang onto them," Fuchs said.

"We would've liked to have been in a grand final, but it's the first time they've lost a race this year and weren't mad because they knew that they'd given everything they had."

Seated in the women's varsity eight were coxswain Emily Davis (Sr., Carnation/Mount Si), stroke Julia Gamache (So., Seattle/Blanchet), No.7 Brittany Kruger (Sr., Longview/Mark Morris), No.6 Kailyn McGrath (Jr., Fillmore, CA/Villanova Prep), No.5 Gail Lumsden (Jr., Everett/Mariner), No.4 Lindsay Mann-King (Fr., Colville/Seattle U.), No.3 Stephanie Parker (Fr., Marysville/Marysville-Pilchuck/Seattle Pacific), No.2 Liz Fayram (Fr., Bellingham) and bow Laurel Kaminski (Sr., Bellevue/Newport).

The Vikings were fourth in the women's junior varsity eight heat with a 7:29.0 clocking. Loyola Marymount won in 7:05.5, edging San Diego State (7:05.8). UC Irvine (7:28.1) was third and Pacific Lutheran fifth (7:45.0).

In Western's boat were coxswain Krissy Whaley (Jr., Woodinville), stroke Sarah Rule (Jr., Mercer Island/UConn), No.7 Katrina Anderson (So., Anchorage, AK/West Anchorage), No.6 Patricia Cittadini (Sr., Bellevue/Newport), No.5 Lindsay Jennings (Sr., Seattle/Garfield), No.4 Jenn McGrath (So., Enumclaw), No.3 Andrea Hoyt (Fr., Boise, ID/Bishop Kelly), No.2 Courtney Moeller (Jr., Renton/Liberty) and bow Sarah Forney (So., Monroe).

In Sunday's grand finals, the Western men's varsity four races at 8:30 a.m. against Sacramento State, Long Beach State, Humboldt State, San Diego and Willamette; and the men's novice four goes at 9:50 a.m. against Seattle Pacific, Long Beach State, Lewis & Clark, Puget Sound and San Diego.

In the petite finals, the Vikings' women's junior varsity eight goes at 10:20 a.m. against Puget Sound, UC San Diego, Willamette, San Diego, and UC Irvine. The women's varsity eight rows at 11:45 a.m. versus UC Irvine, Santa Clara, San Diego, Humboldt State and San Diego State.

Last year, the Western women's varsity eight won a petite final.

WESTERN INTERCOLLEGIATE ROWING ASSOCIATION CHAMPIONSHIPS
Rancho Cordova, Calif. (Lake Natoma)

RESULTS:

Women

Saturday's Qualifying Heats

Varsity 8 - 1. Gonzaga 6:56.8, 2. UC Davis 7:00.5, 3. Western Washington 7:10.0, 4. UC Irvine 7:19.8, 5. Pacific Lutheran 7:20.0, 6. Saint Mary's 7:35.5

Junior Varsity 8 - 1. Loyola Marymount 7:05.5, 2. San Diego State 7:05.8, 3. UC Irvine 7:28.1, 4. Western Washington 7:29.0, 5. Pacific Lutheran 7:45.0

Sunday's Finals

V8 Petite - 11:45 a.m. - UC Irvine, Western Washington, Santa Clara, San Diego, Humboldt State, San Diego State

JV8 Petite - 10:20 a.m. - Puget Sound, UC San Diego, Willamette, San Diego, UC Irvine, Western Washington

Men

Saturday's Qualifying Heats

Varsity 4 - 1. Sacramento State 6:57.5, 2. Western Washington 7:00.0, 3. Long Beach State 7:15.5, 4. UC Santa Barbara 7:20.0, 5. Pacific Lutheran 7:26.5, 6. Portland 7:41.3

Novice 4 - 1.Long Beach State 7:00.1, 2. Seattle Pacific 7:01.8, 3. Western Washington 7:08.3, 4. UC Davis 7:11.7, 5. Sonoma State 7:13.3, 6. Orange Coast 7:16.2, 7. Sacramento State 7:26.3

Sunday's Finals

V4 Grand 8:30 a.m. - Western Washington, Sacramento State, Long Beach State, Humboldt State, San Diego, Willamette

N4 Grand 9:50 a.m. - Western Washington, Seattle Pacific, Long Beach State, Lewis & Clark, Puget Sound, San Diego

WESTERN LINEUPS:

WOMEN

Varsity 8 - coxswain Emily Davis (Sr., Carnation/Mount Si), stroke Julia Gamache (So., Seattle/Blanchet), No.7 Brittany Kruger (Sr., Longview/Mark Morris), No.6 Kailyn McGrath (Jr., Fillmore, CA/Villanova Prep), No.5 Gail Lumsden (Jr., Everett/Mariner), No.4 Lindsay Mann-King (Fr., Colville/Seattle U.), No.3 Stephanie Parker (Fr., Marysville/Marysville-Pilchuck/Seattle Pacific), No.2 Liz Fayram (Fr., Bellingham), bow Laurel Kaminski (Sr., Bellevue/Newport).

Junior Varsity 8 - coxswain Krissy Whaley (Jr., Woodinville), stroke Sarah Rule (Jr., Mercer Island/UConn), No.7 Katrina Anderson (So., Anchorage, AK/West Anchorage), No.6 Patricia Cittadini (Sr., Bellevue/Newport), No.5 Lindsay Jennings (Sr., Seattle/Garfield), No.4 Jenn McGrath (So., Enumclaw), No.3 Andrea Hoyt (Fr., Boise, ID/Bishop Kelly), No.2 Courtney Moeller (Jr., Renton/Liberty), bow Sarah Forney (So., Monroe).

Varsity 4 - coxswain Krissy Whaley (Jr., Woodinville), stroke Sarah Rule (Jr., Mercer Island/UConn), No.3 Katrina Anderson (So., Anchorage, AK/West Anchorage), No.2 Jenn McGrath (So., Enumclaw), bow Sarah Forney (So., Monroe).

MEN

Varsity 4 - coxswain Kelly McComb (Sr., Bainbridge Island), stroke Joshua Griesse (Jr., Pleasant Hill, OR), No.3 Case Sweerus (So., Gig Harbor), No.2 Jonathan Fox (Jr., Shoreline/Shorewood), bow Phil DuBois (Jr., Olympia/Capital).

Novice 4 - coxswain Alexandra Hailey (Fr., Anchorage, AK/Service), stroke Aaron Novy (Fr., Richland), No.3 Will Bufford (Jr., Port Angeles/Peninsula CC), No.2 Gavin Owens (Fr. Vancouver/Columbia River), bow Nathan Pedersen (So., Peaks Island, ME/Portland/Gateway CC).