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2010 NCAA Division II Women's Rowing Championships
Lake Natoma • Rancho Cordova, Calif.

FRIDAY, MAY 28 --
Division II Varsity Eight heats (2) — 11:00 a.m. PDT (winners to grand final)
Division II Varsity Four heats (2) — 11:30 a.m. PDT (winners to grand final)

SATURDAY, MAY 29 --
Division II Varsity Eight repechage — 10:30 a.m. PDT (top two to grand final)
Division II Varsity Four repechage — 10:45 a.m. PDT (winner to grand final)

SUNDAY, MAY 30 --
Division II Varsity Four grand final — 9:00 a.m. PDT
Division II Varsity Eight petite & grand finals — 9:15 & 9:30 a.m. PDT

For the first time in school history, Seattle Pacific will compete for the team title when the NCAA Women's Rowing Championships are contested, Friday through Sunday, May 28-30 on Lake Natoma in Rancho Cordova, Calif. The Falcons will participate at the NCAA regatta for the third time, but both previous appearances were made by at-large varsity eight entries that did not factor into the team standings. Six rowers and sophomore coxswain Annie Mulder return from last year's SPU crew that won the NCAA varsity eight bronze medal. The Falcons won the NCAA's petite final in 2007, placing fifth overall.

Live Coverage
The NCAA Rowing Championships be viewed live on the internet via a webcast at: NCAA.com.  A live results stream is also available and can be accessed at: www.jamcotimes.com

Championship Format
The Division II championship field consists of four teams and two additional at-large entries in the varsity eight races. Joining the Falcons in the team competition are five-time defending champion Western Washington, Florida Tech and Philadelphia University. Along with a varsity eight, those four schools also have a varsity four crew to vie for the team title, which is determined by combining the results from the two events. Competition begins Friday, May 28 with heat races. Winners of each heat advance to the grand finals Sunday, May 30 while the remaining crews compete in repechage races Saturday, May 29 to complete the grand final fields.

Championship Field
Two SPU crews will compete at the NCAA regatta, including a four-oared boat and the fourth-ranked varsity eight. Defending varsity eight champion Western Washington is No. 1 and Philadelphia No. 5. The two at-large varsity eights are No. 2 Mercyhurst and No. 3 Barry. SPU's top crew returns to Lake Natoma, where on May 2 the Falcons captured the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association (WIRA) varsity eight championship. The NCAA Division II championships are held in conjunction with the Division I and III competitions. Separate champions will be declared in each division.

All Hands on Deck
The Falcons would make conservationists proud. They use all of their resources. Division II teams need 12 rowers at the NCAA Championships. SPU has just 13 on its roster, including two (Mackenzie Oscar and Sarah Lanter) who walked on to the team mid-season to join fall walk-on Belle Fritsch. SPU's 15-athlete travel contingent includes 10 Falcons who started their careers as walk-ons and will be smaller than every other team as the NCAA budgets for each school to bring two spare rowers. With only one spare, there is little margin of error for the Falcons, who need everyone on the roster to be competitive ... and healthy. Walk-ons are relied upon to contribute immediately. SPU has the smallest roster of any of the Division II teams at the NCAA regatta. Defending champion Western Washington has nearly twice as many rowers (25) to choose from.

Did You Know?
Senior stroke Katie Degner can't swim and is afraid of fish. She was featured in a May 26, 2009 Seattle Times story at http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/jerrybrewer/2009261619_brewer26.html ... SPU teams have won nine national team championships, five in men's soccer, three in gymnastics and, most recently, the 2008 women's soccer title ... Eight SPU women's crew members were named to the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Academic Team: Kristin Lorenzen (3.87, Exercise Science), Kristi Tamaki (3.62, Nutrition Sciences), Katja Ibsen (3.59, Biology), Annie Mulder (3.56, Sociology), Emily Pitts (3.55, Nutrition Sciences), Lauren Anderson (3.46, Math), Katie Degner (3.44, Exercise Science) and Katy Stine (3.35, Biology).

Coaching Staff
Seattle Pacific is in its 32nd season of intercollegiate women's crew competition, the 20th with Keith Jefferson at the helm. He took over the head coaching post prior to the 1990-91 season after serving as an assistant on the staff since 1987. Jefferson was an SPU oarsman from 1980 to 1983. Joining Jefferson on the staff is a pair of assistant coaches, both of them former Falcons rowers. Katie Wolff is a 2008 graduate who rowed for SPU from 2006-08. Holly Allan (2006-09) graduated in 2009. She was a member of SPU's NCAA bronze-medal varsity eight last spring.

Quoting Coach Keith Jefferson
“We achieved a huge goal by getting the team bid. This group has worked exceptionally hard for this. This is really the culmination of several years, so it is kind of a sigh of relief from that perspective. And yet it is very fun, a real joy. I'm sure everybody says this, but it really couldn't have happened to a better bunch of gals. We bring an experienced varsity eight boat back to nationals. The four is inexperienced, but getting faster. Their improvement helped us get the team bid. The NCAA structure is set up to force you to rely on each other for advancement. They might be in different boats, but they needed each other to get in as a team. This group of women has undergone a remarkable development. It's humbling and at the same time exciting to see what is possible. I'm excited for the actual racing and to have it count in the team standings. We know what fast is and we knew what we needed to do to get to that level of fast.”

2009 NCAA Review
Seattle Pacific raced to the best finish in school history with a bronze medal performance in the Division II varsity eight grand final on May 31 during the final day of the 2009 NCAA Women's Rowing Championships on the Cooper River in Cherry Hill, N.J. The Falcons finished third on their maiden voyage in the national grand finals. Second-ranked Western Washington claimed its fifth consecutive varsity eight title, registering an open-water victory over No. 1 Mercyhurst. The Vikings completed the 2,000-meter course in 6:52.60. Mercyhurst, the early leader, dropped to second and fended off a mid-race challenge from SPU en route to a runner-up time of 6:57.22. Both WWU and Mercyhurst had the luxury of a day off before the final after advancing directly to the grand final with heat wins on Friday. The rest of the crews raced in Saturday's repechage, which Philadelphia University won by two seats over SPU. The Falcons were ahead when it mattered most, finishing with open water between their stern and the bow of Philadelphia's boat in the grand final. Trailing the two leaders, but with a two-seat advantage over Philadelphia with 500 meters to row, SPU finished with the field's best closing sprint. The Falcons covered the final 500 meters in 1:42.82, four seconds faster than Philadelphia. SPU clocked a third-place time of 7:00.22 to finish seven seats back of Mercyhurst at the finish line. Philadelphia was fourth in 7:05.70. SPU's only previous NCAA regatta appearance resulted in a fifth-place effort as they won the 2007 petite final.

SPU LINEUPS FOR NCAA ROWING CHAMPIONSHIPS

Varsity Eight
cox – Annie Mulder (So./Grand Rapids, Mich./Grand Rapids Christian)
stroke – Katie Degner (Sr./Hillsboro, Ore./Glencoe)
7 – Emily Pitts (Jr./Normandy Park, Wash.)
6 – Eleni Johnsen (Sr./University Place, Wash./Tacoma School of the Arts)
5 – Lauren Anderson (Jr./Fort Collins, Colo./Rocky Mountain)
4 – Katy Stine (So./South Berwick, Maine/Portsmouth Christian Academy)
3 – Katja Ibsen (So./Livermore, Calif./Granada)
2 – Lacey Sheridan (Jr./Sacramento, Calif./Rio Americano)
bow – Alli Agnew (Fr./Issaquah, Wash./Liberty)

returners from 2009 bronze medal crew in bold

Varsity Four
cox – Kristi Tamai (Jr./Santa Barbara, Calif./San Marcos)
stroke – Kristin Lorenzen (So./Beaverton, Ore./Southridge)
3 – Dani Ferrigno (Fr./Kirkland, Wash./Lake Washington)
2 – Belle Fritsch (Fr./Geneva, Ill./Geneva)
bow – Mackenzie Oscar (So./Bellevue, Wash./The International School)


spare – Sarah Lanter (Fr./Woodinville, Wash./Woodinville)