SPOKANE, Wash. – The Gonzaga women's rowing team split its squad on Saturday, with one group competing at the Triton Invitational in Chula Vista, California, while another hosted Washington State on the Spokane River.
At the Triton Invitational, Gonzaga delivered a strong showing, earning multiple race wins against Saint Mary's and San Diego in challenging conditions that featured a 6–8 mph cross headwind and moderate chop.
The Bulldogs opened the day with a thrilling finish in the Varsity 8 against Saint Mary's, edging the Gaels by less than three-tenths of a second with a time of 6:35.60. Gonzaga also picked up wins in the 2V8 (6:53.97), Varsity 4 (7:46.90) and 2V4 (8:01.93) to sweep Saint Mary's.
Later in the day, Gonzaga faced San Diego, where the Bulldogs earned victories in the 2V8 (6:55.46), Varsity 4 (7:44.00) and 2V4 (7:56.92). The Varsity 8 turned in a competitive race, finishing second with a time of 6:55.28.
Back in Spokane, Gonzaga's depth was on display as multiple crews competed against Washington State in cool morning conditions with a slight tailwind. The Bulldogs opened with the 3V8+, finishing second in 7:20.50. In the four boats, Gonzaga entered three crews and turned in a tightly grouped performance, led by the 4V4+ which placed second in 8:03.73. The 3V4+ followed closely behind in 8:03.67, while the 5V4+ rounded out the field in 8:25.49.
"It's fun to have a big team that allows for competitive split squad racing," said assistant head coach Gillian Edgar. "This group of athletes prepared well throughout the week and I was proud of their ownership and independence this morning. Excited for this group to compete at Windermere Cup next week. We are grateful that WSU came up to race and lucky to have close competitors just down the road."
Gonzaga continues competition tomorrow at the Triton Invitational, while the remainder of the squad prepares for the Windermere Cup next weekend.
Full results:
Triton Invitational (vs. Saint Mary's)
V8
Gonzaga – 6:35.60
Saint Mary's – 6:35.87
2V8
Gonzaga – 6:53.97
Saint Mary's – 7:08.33
1V4
Gonzaga – 7:46.90
Saint Mary's – 7:58.43
2V4
Gonzaga – 8:01.93
Saint Mary's – 8:14.09
Triton Invitational (vs. San Diego)
V8
San Diego – 6:49.40
Gonzaga – 6:55.28
2V8
Gonzaga – 6:55.46
San Diego – 7:13.30
1V4
Gonzaga – 7:44.00
San Diego – 7:50.51
2V4
Gonzaga – 7:56.92
San Diego – 8:08.67
San Diego 3V4 – 8:14.91
Gonzaga vs. Washington State (Spokane, Wash.)
3V8+
- Washington State – 7:09.91
- Gonzaga – 7:20.50
3V4+/4V4+/5V4+
- Washington State 3V4+ – 7:49.63
- Gonzaga 4V4+ – 8:03.73
- Gonzaga 3V4+ – 8:03.67
- Gonzaga 5V4+ – 8:25.49
