Zags Next Challenge - Pacific-10 Championships
5/14/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Crew
May 14, 2009
SPOKANE, Wash. - The Gonzaga University women's rowing program will enter four boats in this Sunday's Pacific-10 Conference Championship set to take place at Lake Natoma in Sacramento, Calif. The Bulldogs, who last won four gold's at the WIRA Championships two weeks ago, will race the Varsity 8+, Second Varsity 8+, Novice 8+ and Varsity 4+. The Zag Novice 8+ earned GU's highest finish a season ago, placing fifth, while the Varsity 4+ took sixth.
"We're excited to have the opportunity to race at the Pac-10 Championships," stated head coach Melissa Flint. "Having raced two of the teams already we know they're going to be fast. Knowing the weekend is going to be challenging, we're looking forward to see if we have made improvements in our speed over the course of the season. WE want to be rowing our fastest this weekend, and are hoping to be competitive with some of the Pac-10 teams."
Gonzaga's Varsity 8+ is seeded eighth for the second-straight season in the 11 team field and is in the same heat as Stanford University (No. 1), University of Southern California (No. 4), Oregon State University (No. 5) and Sacramento State University (No.9). The top three boats advance to the Grand Final while the remaining three boats will race in the in the Petite Final. The Bulldogs finished eighth at last year's Pac-10 Championships for the second season in a row.
The Bulldogs Second Varsity 8+ is also seeded eighth for the second-straight year in the 10 team field. Gonzaga, racing in the first of two heats, is in the same heat as Stanford (No. 1), Washington State University (No. 4), USC (No. 5) and Sacramento State (No. 9). As in the Varsity 8+ race, the top three boats advance to the Grand Final with the remaining boats racing in the Petite Final.
GU's Novice 8+ is seeded fifth in its 11 team field; the highest seed of any GU boat. The Bulldogs will race against the University of Washington (No. 1), the University of California (No. 4), UCLA (No. 8) and USC (No. 9). The top three boats advance to the Grand Final, the remaining boats earning a spot in the Petite Final.
The Gonzaga Varsity 4+ is seeded eighth in the eight team field. The Bulldogs, who will start off the racing for GU on Sunday, will face Washington (No. 1), Oregon State (No. 4), and Stanford (No.5). In this race, the top two boats from each race will advance to the Grand Final while the remaining squads will race in the Petite Final.
Live web streaming of the championship is available at the Pac-10 Conference website at http://www.pac-10.org. From the homepage, click on the live stream graphic on the right side of the page. Viewers must sign into All-Access, a free video content service that requires new users to create a login account.
Event details, lane assignments, live splits and timing will be provided by JAMCO, and are available online at the Pac-10 Rowing Championships Central (http://www.pac-10.org/championships/2009-rowing.html).
Pacific-10 Championships
May 17, 2009 - Lake Natoma - Sacramento, Calif.
Varsity 8+
Heat Race: 8:40 a.m. - Stanford, USC, Oregon State, Gonzaga, Sacramento State
Petite Final: 1:40 p.m.
Grand Final: 3:20 p.m.
Second Varsity 8+
Heat Race: 8:20 a.m. - Stanford, Washington State, USC, Gonzaga, Sacramento State
Petite Final: 1:30 p.m.
Grand Final: 2:30 p.m.
Novice 8+
Heat Race: 9 a.m. - Washington, California, Gonzaga, UCLA, USC
Petite Final: 1:10 p.m.
Grand Final: 2 p.m.
Varsity 4+
Heat Race: 8 a.m. - Washington, OSU, Stanford, Gonzaga
Petite Final: 1:20 p.m.
Grand Final: 2:20 p.m.
Varsity 8+ Lineup: Emily Wilson, Katie Atkins, Alissa Stempson, Liz Moore, Hanna McClintock, Sami Koppinger, Jana Holcombe, Sam Cekovic, Whitney Engle.
Second Varsity 8+: Nicky Talkington, Therese Yrani, Paula Welly, Alexis Curtright, Sierra Tittle, Kat Storwick, Hannah Winters, Lauren Miller, Lana Bowie.
Varsity 4+: Rachel Cregg, Sophie Bluhm, Rachel Ross, Rachel Schlosser, Martha Buttry.
Novice 8+: Natalie Wolfrom, Elise Perkins, Alicia Adams, Teddi McGuire, Chelsea Quilling, Emily Engel, Lizzie Braicks, Maryssa Thompson, Olivia Miller.
