Men's Rowing Ready For Western Sprints Championship
5/16/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Rowing
ON TAP: The Gonzaga University men's rowing team will participate in the Western Sprints Championship Saturday, May 17 in Gold River, Calif., on Lake Natoma at the Sacramento State Aquatic Center. The Western Sprints Championship, the Bulldogs regional championship qualifier for the IRA National Championship, is set to begin at 1:30 p.m. and end with the all-important Varsity 8+ race at 2 p.m. Gonzaga is looking for its second-straight IRA National Championship berth.
Western Sprints Championship (Regional Championship Qualifier) Schedule
Third Varsity 8+: 1:30 p.m. (UC San Diego, Gonzaga, San Diego)
Junior Varsity 8+: 1:45 p.m. (San Diego, Gonzaga, UC San Diego, Santa Clara)
Varsity 8+ (IRA Eligible): 2 p.m. (Gonzaga, San Diego, UC San Diego, Santa Clara)
INFORMATION ON THE WESTERN SPRINTS CHAMPIONSHIP: With the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Championships (WIRA) - which serves as the qualifier for the national championship - being moved up a week earlier than normal a few teams competing in the regatta thought it be best to have a regional championship a week later. That thought opened up and allowed the Western Sprints Championships to be embedded into the Pacific Coast Rowing Championship on Saturday, May 17. The men's varsity programs looking to make the IRA National Championship will race in the Western Sprints Championship in the afternoon.
WHAT IS AT STAKE: The top two finishers in the marquee Varsity 8+ race - which features Gonzaga University, the University of San Diego, UC San Diego and Santa Clara University - will be awarded automatic qualifiers for its team to the IRA National Championship. The national championship is set for May 30-June 1 at Mercer County Park in Mercer County, N.J.
GONZAGA HEAD COACH DAN GEHN'S THOUGHTS ON THE UPCOMING REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFIER: "It has been good to have a week out of exams for time to work on some technical aspects of our rowing. Because of that, we have had a good week of practice. It looks like there will be good weather Saturday and I am anticipating a good championship."
GONZAGA'S LINEUPS
Varsity 8+: Kayla Cartelli, Joe Morris, Atticus Patterson, Rick Ruddell, Alex Yuska, Brandon Byrd, Alex Lund, Ben Duermit, Dylan Ojeda.
Junior Varsity 8+: Danielle Moorhouse, Kyle Hagmeier, Cole Garcia, Carsten Beckwith-Strike, Anthony Roeber, Josh Hoidn, Kevin MacPherson, Connor Mitchell, Connor Murray.
Third Varsity 8+: Walker Capra-Smith, Ryan Donahue, Zack O'Connor, Devon Billy, Matthew Hoitink, Kellen Kennedy, Keagan Tice, David Doomermuth.
