Sunday May 13 Washington State University’s Men’s Crew is lining up next to the reigning national champion and three other top-20 teams on Lake Natoma in Rancho Cordova, California.
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The 2012 post-season Cougar Crew |
A year ago the varsity 8+ had a strong race and took fifth slightly ahead of UCLA. It is expected that the Bruins once again will be a tough challenge as they beat the Cougars by five seconds two weeks ago.
“More than ever, this race will be all mental," remarked Head Coach Arthur Ericsson. "Our performance will only be limited by what we believe we can do."
Varsity 8+
1- Jeff Rhubottom
2- Paul Lund
3- William Miedema
4- Orion McCabe-Gould
5- Chris Kimball
6- David Herrick
7- Josh Wadagnolo
8- Eric DeMaris
C- Caitlin Aldrich
Varsity 4+
1- Matt Elkins
2- Loren Bates
3- Joe Sudar
4- Nathan Mauren
C- Kim Westcott
Novice 8+
1- Curtis Trieber
2- Nick Anselmo
3- Tyler Larson
4- Brandon Graham
5- Trevor Wolff
6- Alex Weatbrook
7- Nick Castagna
8- Steven Andrews
C- Danielle Mertens
Click here for full race schedule!
On the Opening Day of the boating season in Seattle, the traditional Opening Day Regatta took place on the 2,000 meter race course on Lake Washington Saturday. Cougar Crew fielded their varsity 8+ in the Men’s Erickson Cascade Cup and a boat in the Men’s Varsity 4+.
In the Men’s Varsity 4+ the University of Washington led the charge with their two entries. Oregon State University, Loyola Marymount University, Pocock Rowing Center and WSU stayed close for most of the race with the OSU Beavers crossing the line for third place followed by Pocock. The Cougars sprinted well and nearly passed LMU, but came across 0.4s too late with a time of 6:24.5.
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The V8 in the last 500 of the Cascade Cup |
The Cougars will train in Pullman for the next week before heading south to Lake Natoma outside of Sacramento for the Pac-12 Championship May 13th.
Click here for full race results!
On May 5th, Cougar Crew will kick off the post-semester racing season by participating in the Windermere Cup Regatta.
The race will mark the second year of Cougar participation in the 2000s, after the University of Washington extended an invitation to the 2011 Varsity 8. Windermere Cup takes place as part of the Opening Day ceremonies, which celebrates the beginning of the Seattle yachting season. Sponsors include the University of Washington, Windermere Real Estate Company, and the Seattle Yacht Club.
Over seven hundred rowers participate in the Windermere Cup. Traditionally, at least one international team comes to the event. This year, Argentina takes that honor alongside crews like Virginia, Gonzaga, and Oregon State.
Cougar Competition will begin in the Varsity 4 event. Two UW boats will take the far lanes in the event, alongside OSU and Loyola Marymount, with WSU taking the final position. From bow to stern, the V4 lineup includes coxswain Kim Westcott, Dustin Crossman, Loren Bates, Matt Elkins, and Nathan Mauren.
In the Varsity 8 event, WSU will race in lane two, flanked by the University of Washington and Oregon State University. The V8 lineup, from bow to stern is Joe Sudar, Paul Lund, William Miedema, Orion McCabe-Gould, Chris Kimball, David Herrick, Jeff Rhubottom, Eric DeMaris, and coxswain Caitlin Aldrich.
Click here for full race schedule!
On the first of two days at the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Championship (WIRA) Conference Championship, Cougar Crew had two boats take second in their respective heats and qualified for grand finals.
The men’s novice 8+ raced in the first of three heats and knew that they had to finish among the top two to be eligible for the grand final. They got off to a solid start and consistently built a gap between them and number three, Santa Clara University. The Cougs finished in 6:30.4 and were second only to Gonzaga University who crossed the line in 6:22.2.
The women’s lightweight pair, racing in the women’s open weight pair event, crossed the line in 8:52.1 en route to a second place finish in their heat. University of San Diego won the heat with 8:37.1. The Cougs will race in the grand final Sunday morning.
The men’s second varsity 8+ were in the mix for a spot in the grand final through the first 1,000 meters of the race, but came up short in the sprint. University of California San Diego won the heat in 6:08.5, followed by UC Santa Barbara in 6:17.3, UC Irvine in 6:19.1 and WSU in 6:24.9.
The women’s novice lightweight 4+, competing against varsity rowers, raced twice within a few hours. In the heat they took fourth with a time of 9:09.9. In the petite final they had an incredibly close battle with University of California Berkeley. Going into the last 500 meters of the race, the Cougs were one boat length behind. Stroke by stroke, WSU increased their pace and successfully passed the Bears finishing in 8:47.0 with Cal 0.4 seconds behind.
The varsity 8+, men's lightweight 4+, and novice second 8+ all race in final only events on Sunday.
This weekend Cougar Crew is participating in the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association Conference Championship at Lake Natoma outside of Sacramento, CA. The event marks the end of the regular season for the Cougs. Racing begins Saturday morning and wraps up early afternoon on Sunday on the seven lane 2,000 meter race course.
The conference championship, known as WIRAs, has been a successful competition for the Cougars in years past. Last year the women’s lightweight varsity 8+ brought home a bronze medal; the varsity 8+ finished in fourth place—just 0.7 seconds off UCLA in 3rd place.
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The V4 during the grand finals event |
09:20 Second varsity 8+
10:50 Women’s lightweight 4+
11:00 Novice 8+
2:10 Women’s straight pair
On Sunday, in final only events, the schedule is as follows.
09:00 Second varsity eight 8+
09:30 Men’s lightweight 4+
11:30 Varsity 8+
The V8+ is seeded 4th in their event and are racing in the middle of Orange Coast College, UC Davis, UCLA, UC Santa Barbara, UC Irvine and Oregon.
The four boats racing Saturday will race in either petite or grand finals based on where they place in their heat.
“We’ve put in some good work over the last week and continued to build our boat speed” says bow seat Jeff Rhubottom. “Everyone’s excited for the upcoming weekend that hosts a competitive field.”
Sat
09:20 2V8+
10:50 WLtw4+
11:00 1N8+
2:10 W2-
Sun
09:00 2N8+
09:30 Ltw4+
11:30 V8+
Click here for full race schedule!
On a day with continued improvement for most of Cougar Crew’s boats, the Gonzaga Bulldogs held their own in four of five races. The second novice eight (2N8+) was the highlight of the day for the Cougs with their six second margin win over Gonzaga’s 2N8+.
In the event determining which team would claim the Fawley Cup, the varsity eight, the Cougars stayed with Gonzaga off the starting line. The teams were right next to each other after 500 meters, but then the Bulldogs made a move WSU was not able to answer. The margin remained about the same for the second half of the race, and Gonzaga crossed the line in 5:59.21 followed by WSU in 6:02.38. 4-seat Orion McCabe-Gould summarized the race “I believe the race went very well. Although we did not win, we gave it our all and that was all we could do. Gonzaga just happened to be slightly faster than us. This shows we still have work to do.”
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WSU 1st Varsity 8 vs the Bulldogs |
The second varsity eight stayed close to Gonzaga for the first half of the race, but then the Bulldogs opened water on them and finished about nine seconds ahead with 6:09.41 to the Cougars’ 6:18.62.
With only their second opportunity to race in the same boat, the lightweight four held their own against Gonzaga’s open-weight varsity four. WSU finished in 7:30.12, while Gonzaga won the event in 7:07.93.
After a strong showing in Seattle a week ago, the 1N8 faced some trouble with a few crabs (oar getting stuck underwater) and were unable to give Gonzaga the challenge they were hoping to. GU finished in 6:11.0 and WSU came across in 6:30.2
"I would consider Gonzaga to have a fast varsity 8," commented Head Coach Arthur Ericsson. "So it's good to know that we were within a length of them. We will train with a healthy dose of confidence in our two week run up to WIRA's, while our 2nd Varsity 8 continues to trim down the margin between them and our first varsity."
Click here for full race results!
Photos
The annual Fawley Cup, the dual between Gonzaga University and Washington State University Men’s Crew, returns to the Snake River this Saturday. Racing begins with the Varsity 8 (V8+) event at 9:00am and wraps up with the Novice (1N8+) event at 10:00am on the 2,000 meter race course.
A year ago, the Cougars beat the Bulldogs in both the Varsity 8+ and third varsity 8+ events, making it the most successful Fawley Cup since 1992. The V8+ won by open water en route to their second win in twenty years.
Senior and Mechanical Engineering Major, Josh Wadagnolo, has experienced some close battles with Gonzaga during his years as a Cougar oarsman: “Freshman year my novice 8 lost to Gonzaga by 0.8 seconds. I can never have that race back, so the following year I was part of the junior varsity 8+ that defeated them, and the year after that I was part of the V8+ that won the Fawley Cup. Now I have a chance to defend the Fawley Cup for the first time since 2006. Gonzaga is going to regret beating my novice 8+ by 0.8 seconds three year ago.”
"The premiere event in rowing is always the Varsity 8 (V8)," notes Head Coach Arthur Ericsson. "And that certainly holds true for this duel; the winner of that event gets the trophy cup for that year. I've continued to shift some guys between the V8 and JV8 to see if we can gain more speed."
Race schedule
9:00am 1st Varsity 8+
9:15am 2nd Novice 8+
9:30am 2nd Varsity 8+
9:45am Varsity Lightweight 4+
10:00am 1st Novice 8+
Varsity line-ups from bow to stern:
Varsity 8+
1-Joe Sudar
2-Paul Lund
3-William Miedema
4-Orion McCabe-Gould
5-Chris Kimball
6-David Herrick
7-Josh Wadagnolo
8-Eric DeMaris
Cox- Caitlin Aldrich
2nd Varsity 8+
1-Joe Lillis
2-Dustin Crossman
3-Kevin Harris
4-Lee Peha
5-Matt Elkins
6-Loren Bates
7-Jeff Rhubottom
8-Nathan Mauren
Cox-Kim Westcott
Varsity Lightweight 4+
1-Kenji Thompson
2-Chris Faus
3-Nathan McQuarrie
4-Jaz Gill
Cox-Savannah Osborne
Spectators can view the races along the shore at the Ken Abbey Shellhouse at Wawawai Landing.
Click here directions to the race course!
Racing one of the fastest and deepest programs in the nation, the WSU Men’s Crew gained experience and speed going into the rest of the spring season. In their annual duel with the University of Washington, this year hosted in Seattle, races were held over a 2,000 meter race course under clear skies and calm conditions.
The 2V8+ and 3V8+ started the day for the Cougars racing Washington’s 4V8+. The Cougars stayed within striking distance through the first half of the race, but were not able to maintain the same pace in the last half. The Huskies stopped the clock in 6:04.18, followed by the Cougar’s 2V8+ in 6:28.91 and the 3V8+ in 6:56.09.
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The 1N8+ racing the Huskies |
In their first race through the Montlake Cut, the novice took a big step towards becoming a team to contend with during the championship season. Washington’s 2N8+ crossed the line in 5:52.74, followed by their 3N8+ in 6:08.06. The Cougs’ 1N8+ finished in 6:20.88, with the 2N8+ in 6:58.75. Novice Coach Peter Brevick was proud of his oarsmen’s improvement: “After the first novice boat learned some lessons at the San Diego Crew Classic, it was great to see both novice boats put those lessons to use and have some great racing. The entire novice squad is on the way to realizing their potential.”
"The varsity races were fundamentally sound," noted Head Coach Arthur Ericsson, "but the highlight of the day has to be handed to both novice 8's as they were able to post times on par or faster than our 2nd and 3rd varsity lineups."
Click here for full race results!
Saturday morning the WSU Men’s Crew will race the University of Washington Huskies in the annual Apple Cup Dual. Racing begins at 8:00am and concludes at 10:30. The 2,000 meter course starts parallel to the 520 bridge in Lake Washington, and finishes at the west end of the Montlake Cut.
First out for the Cougars are the 2V8+ and the 3V8+, who are scheduled to start at 8:30am. The V8+ goes off the line at 10am before the 1N8+ and 2N8+ wrap up the day at 10:20.
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The 2011 Novice A Boat in a close finish with their UW competition |
"I have shuffled some guys between the 1V and 2V 8's to see if we can find some more speed," notes Head Coach Arthur Ericsson. "Each boat is down one man for sickness and injury but we are fortunate to have enough depth to still field solid lineups."
Racing in the V8+, from bow, is 1-Joe Sudar, 2-Paul Lund, 3-William Miedema, 4-Matt Elkins, 5-David Herrick, 6-Nathan Mauren, 7-Josh Wadagnolo, 8-Eric DeMaris, and coxswain Caitlin Aldrich.
The 2V8+ features 1-Joe Lillis, 2-Dustin Crossman, 3-Jeff Rhubottom, 4-Orion McCabe-Gould, 5-Chris Kimball, 6-Loren Bates, 7-Nathan McQuarrie, 8-Kevin Harris, and coxswain Kimberly Westcott.
In the 3V8+ is 1-Kenji Thomson, 2-Chris Faus, 3-Trey Ottaway, 4-Kendrick Spiller, 5-Andy Walston, 6-John Gehring, 7-Johnathan Dingman, 8-Jaswinder Gill, and coxswain Savannah Osborne.
The 1N8+ consist of 1-Steven Andrews, 2-Nicolas Castagna, 3-Trevor Wolff, 4-Brandon Graham, 5-Max Vaughn, 6-Alexander Weatbrook, 7-Tyler Larson, 8-Jared Milne, and coxswain Danielle Mertens.
In the 2N8+ is 1-Curtis Trieber, 2-Cameron Manzano, 3-DeAdriane Johnson, 4-John McBride, 5-Sean Foster, 6-Nate Johns, 7-Blake Rowe, 8-Nick Anselmo, and coxswain Keegan Broderick.
Click here for directions to the course!
Click Here for full race schedule!
Overcast weather and choppy water did not discourage Washington State Men's Crew this weekend at the San Diego Crew Classic on Mission Bay. They came out fighting over the 2000 meter course against some of the toughest competition they will face this year. The first varsity 8 pulled to a second place finish in the 3rd final and the second varsity pushed through a slow start that left them in the rear of the pack to place 4th in their petite final. The novice 8 secured a fifth place finish in their heat.
Sitting in the Varsity 8, from bow, were Joe Sudar, David Herrick, Jeff Rhubottom, Orion McCabe-Gould, Chris Kimball, Andrew King, Josh Wadagnolo, Eric DeMaris, with Caitlin Aldrich coxing. The 8 rowed in the very first heat of the weekend, and fought hard for 4th place against MIT. Unforunately, they were unable to pull ahead. They finished in fifth place with a 6:15.05 time, sending them to the 3rd final of their event. MIT finished in 6:11.96. The top finisher of the event was Grand Valley in 6:03.23. In the 3rd finals on Saturday afternoon the first varsity crew took 2nd place with a 6:19.79 time behind Rollins who had a time of 6:17.63.
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Cougar Crew with WSU alums, Ernie and Alice Iseminger and John Oliver |
The second varsity 8, consisting of Joe Lillis, Dustin Crossman, John Dingman, Lee Peha, William Miedema, Loren Bates, Matt Elkins, Nathan Mauren, and coxswain Kimberley Westcott, narrowly made the petite finals on Saturday, finishing ahead of Santa Clara by only 2 seconds. They pulled a time of 6:39.93 and took 6th place. Gonzaga took 5th place with a time of 6:28.03. Cal's A boat took 1st with a time of 6:00.26. In the petite finals Sunday morning the wind picked up and aligning the crews at the start line was tough. As a result the second varsity 8 started off course and quickly found themselves behind. Fighting hard, they pulled through rough conditions and finished in 4th place, ahead of USD and UCLA, with a time of 7:07.38.
Coach Arthur Ericsson said of the weekend, “All of our crews found themselves locked in ferocious side by side battles which helped push us to the next level, and we come home a faster team but well aware that it's going to require a lot more to compete with the top teams.”
Complete race results
Washington State University’s Cougar Crew had a strong showing Saturday in the season opener, Cascade Sprints, on American Lake in Tacoma. The men’s varsity four won by open water, and the novice A and B 8’s won their respective events over the 2000 meter race course.
In the second race of the day, the men’s varsity eight, it took two tries to complete race. Less than three hundred meters into the first start, two boats crashed into each other resulting in equipment damage, and the officials stopping the race. The boats had to row back to the start line and start over. The Cougs stayed within striking distance of Pacific Lutheran University, but came up short in the sprint and finished in third place with 6:18.97. Western Washington University out-powered the rest of the field, and won in 5:57.28, followed by PLU in 6:13.56.
The men’s varsity eight broke into two fours and competed in the men’s varsity four and second varsity four event, respectively. Due to the re-start in the MV8+, the MV4+ had less than five minutes on land before they were back on the water and rowed back to the start line. The Cougars gradually pulled ahead of the other boats and won by open water. They crossed the finish line in 6:51.73, followed by Seattle Pacific University in 6:56.60 and Seattle University in 6:59.90. The men’s second varsity four took second in their event with 7:16.34, behind Western Washington University in 6:53.63, but well ahead of Seattle Pacific University in 7:20.62. Head coach Arthur Ericsson summarized the performance of the varsity team by saying “today’s racing was an example that sometimes the parts are greater than the whole…the 8’s race fell short of what it could’ve been, but when we broke the 8 into 4’s both crews showed their full potential and we ended the day having accomplished what we needed to.”
In their spring racing debut, the lightweight women’s novice faced tough competition by competing in the women’s novice open-weight four. University of Puget Sound took advantage of being on home ground, and won in 7:52.02. Pacific Lutheran and Willamette University came in second and third with 8:10.44 and 8:14.53, respectively. The Cougars had a close battle with Seattle University, and came out ahead with 9:16.29 against SU’s 9:19.82.
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Novice 8+ leaving the dock |
Our novice fielded two boats in the novice four event, and finished in third and fifth. The WWU Vikings crossed the finish line first in 7:05.72, followed by SPU in 7:16.54. The novice four A-boat was not far behind in 7:25.92, while the B-boat finished in 8:51.02.
Photos
Cougar Crew heads west for the Cascade Sprints—formerly known as
Daffodil Cup—at American Lake in Tacoma on Saturday. The event marks
the start of the spring racing season, and for many of the rowers it
will be their first 2K race. The competition includes Pacific Lutheran
University, Seattle University, University of Oregon, University of
Puget Sound, Western Washington University, and Willamette.
The team will field one varsity 8, two varsity 4s, two novice 8s, two
novice 4s, a women’s varsity lightweight 4 and a women’s lightweight
novice 4.
The Men’s Varsity 8+ is hoping to have to margins on its side on
Saturday after finishing third last year, less than a second behind
Lewis and Clark and Western Washington University who took first and
second, respectively.
Spring has been hesitant showing up in Eastern Washington as head
coach Arthur Ericsson remarks "This will be our first measure against
anybody but ourselves, so we are really looking forward to see how we
measure up. The snow is just now beginning to melt in Pullman, so
this race has been a long time coming."
Below is the tentative schedule:
9:15 - MV8
10:00 - MN4 A & B
10:15 - WN4
10:30 - MV4
10:45 - WV4
11:00 - MN8
11:30 - M2V4
12:00 - M2V8
The Washington State University Men’s Crew team was represented by five oarsmen at the Northwest Indoor Rowing Championship, Ergomania!, Saturday February 4th in Seattle. The outcome was an impressive five medals and five personal best race results.
In the Collegiate U23 Men’s Open 2000 meter event sophomore Jeff Rhubottom, Jr. (Burien, WA) took an early lead and stayed ahead through the first 500 meters. Junior Eric DeMaris (Snohomish, WA) opened a little more conservatively, but steadily closed the gap to his teammate, Rhubottom, Jr. Demonstrating why his consistency has earned him the stroke seat in the Varsity 8+, DeMaris stayed at the same pace until the last 250 meters when he built up to a sprint. He finished first in 6:28.5, and was followed by Rhubottom, Jr. in 6:35.6. Racing in between his fellow oarsmen, senior Joe Sudar went out aiming to improve his personal best by over 20 seconds. He was on pace well past the half-way mark, but the aggressive start caught up as he saw his speed slightly slow down. Sudar finished in 6:48.0, and took the last spot on the podium.
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The Ergomania! 2012 lineup |
On Saturday, February 4th, five Washington State University oarsmen are participating in Ergomania!, the Northwest’s premier indoor rowing Championship. The event is hosted by the George Pocock Rowing Foundation and will take place at Lakeside School in north Seattle. More than 500 athletes are expected to participate.
Senior and four-year oarsman, Joe Sudar (Longview, WA), junior Eric DeMaris (Snohomish, WA) and sophomore Jeff Rhubottom, Jr. (Burien, WA) are racing in the Men’s Collegiate 2000 meter event which starts at 2:45pm. Forty-five minutes later, at 3:30pm, junior Orion McCabe (Olympia, WA), and senior Paul Lund (Harstad, Norway) are racing in the Men’s Open 2000meter.
According to the press release, the competition is expected to be particularly tough this year because it is an Olympic year. Furthermore, the event serves as the Northwest satellite qualifier for the World Indoor Rowing Championship (known as the C.R.A.S.H.-B. Sprints) in Boston on February 19th, 2012.
The address of the event is
Lakeside Upper School
14050 1st Ave NE
Seattle, WA, 98125-3009
Questions?
Paul Lund
(575)-590-8073
paulaslund@gmail.com
Cougar Crew Days 2012 is just around the corner! This year's festivities will take place on Fri/Sat, March 16/17. Please take the time to RSVP now!
We look forward to seeing all of the Cougar Crew Alumni, Family, and Friends at Cougar Crew Days 2012. More event details to come!
Learn to Row this Summer!
Here's a chance to try something new and exciting...LEARN TO ROW. WSU Men's Crew is hosting its 7th summer of Palouse Rowing starting with a three week LEARN TO ROW program beginning June 9th. There is no experience required. Our boathouse is on the Snake River at Wawawai Landing. Practices are held Tuesday and Thursday evenings 5:45-7:45pm, and Saturday mornings 9:15-11:15am. After trying it for three weeks, you can row for the remainder of the summer with our Team Camp. You'll see how much your timing, balance, technique and teamwork improves as you get into more serious workouts.
Visit the Palouse Rowing page for more information!
The Cougar Crew team will take on Gonzaga University on the Snake River this coming Saturday. After falling to the Bulldogs in all events at Head of the Spokane three weeks ago, the Cougars are hoping to close the gap and get a few wins in during the last regatta of the fall. Racing begins Saturday at 9:00 am.
The V8+ had a solid race at Head of the Lake, and is looking at bringing the momentum to Saturday’s event. A year ago the Cougs finished in 16:35, which was twenty seconds behind the Bulldogs. The JV8+—who narrowed the margin to the V8+ last weekend—crossed the line in 17:11 last year, falling to Gonzaga’s 16:39. Although they will not face a GU boat in their event, the 3V8+ is eager to demonstrate their speed and close the margin to the other varsity boats.
The novice won two out of four events against Western Washington University in the Dare Duel, and is determined to have similar success against Gonzaga. In last year’s Head of the Snake, GU’s A-boat made an aggressive move off the line, passed WSU and maintained the lead for the reminder of the race. Then 6-seat Paul Lund remembers with dismay the first 1,000m of the race “Gonzaga caught us off guard with an explosive start. We made up some ground thanks to a well-executed turn by our coxswain Catie Schwartz, but their lead was too big. I hope this year’s novice can learn from us, and be ready to kill it from the start.”
The Cougar Third Varsity 8+ and four Novice boats raced Western Washington University in Bellingham on Saturday, November 5, in the fourth annual dual. The Vikings took home the points trophy after winning three out of five events.
The 3V8, including four lightweights, stayed with the Vikings for the first half of the race. Racing on home ground, WWU was able to execute the turn around an island better than WSU, and used the momentum to increase their lead into the finish. The Vikings crossed the finish line in 23:21, followed by the Cougars in 24:40. 2-seat Joe Lillis saw the race as the start of what is to come. Despite our loss, it was a successful race in showing the depth of our team and getting us geared up for more head to head races in the future.”
Coach Arthur Ericsson says on the boat’s performance, "The 3rd Varsity wasn't able to deliver the upset that many of them were hoping for but they represented WSU's Varsity 8 with great pride, a relentless effort, and a time gap which was certainly not a disappointment to WWU's top 8 oarsman. We'll address some technical issues this week, flip a couple of rowers, and I am sure they will gain more speed."
The novice won two out of four events against Western Washington University in the Dare Duel, and is determined to have similar success against Gonzaga. In last year’s Head of the Snake, GU’s A-boat made an aggressive move off the line, passed WSU and maintained the lead for the reminder of the race. Then 6-seat Paul Lund remembers with dismay the first 1,000m of the race “Gonzaga caught us off guard with an explosive start. We made up some ground thanks to a well-executed turn by our coxswain Catie Schwartz, but their lead was too big. I hope this year’s novice can learn from us, and be ready to kill it from the start.”
Head Coach Arthur Ericsson sees the advantage racing Gonzaga late in the fall "I am quite content that the Head of the Snake has been pushed this late into the fall. This separation will allow us to showcase our progress. Defending our home waters has always been a strong suit of ours, but this will be a monumental test."
The regatta will be held at Wawawi landing as a 5,000m headrace, time trial against the clock. The boats will be sent off with an approximately fifteen second margin between each.
All races begin at 9:00am. The start order is as follows: WSU 1V8, GU 1V8, WSU 2V8, GU 2V8, WSU 3V8, WSU 1N8, GU 1N8, WSU 2N8, GU 2N8, WSU 3N8.
For directions to Wawawi landing visit http://cougarcrew.com/directions_washingtonstate.php
On a picturesque day in Seattle, Cougar Crew stepped up to the challenge of a deep field and the challenging Head of the Lake course, which includes a 180 degree turn towards the end of the race. The V8+ took fifth in the collegiate/open event; the JV8+ third and the Women’s Lightweight 8+ took eighth.
In the Men’s Collegiate/ Open 8+, the Cougars had bow number four and were sent off trailing three Washington boats. Following them where Lewis and Clark University and Oregon State University, respectively. The Cougs built into a 31-32 stroke rate from the start and maintained it until the sprint where they reached 36 strokes per minute before crossing the finish line in 17:09.03. Oregon State was beforehand expected to move up on the Cougar boat, but did not come as close as anticipated. However, due to the staggered start, the Beavers’ stopped the clock 29s before the Cougs. Washington won the event with a time of 15:39.06. Coxswain Caitlin Aldrich was satisfied with her oarsmen’s performance, saying “Today was a great improvement on the way the boat has been feeling lately; it felt as if the boat finally clicked. The whole race felt very powerful and supported. I am very happy with the show of commitment and potential today! We will achieve even greater speed and cohesiveness as we take this into a fast, successful spring season.”
The JV8+ closed the gap to the V8+ from Head of the Spokane, thereby demonstrating the ability to bring the improved boat speed at practice to competition. Washington won the event in 15:57.08, followed by Oregon State in 17:23.14 and WSU in 17:49 Summing up the racing, Head Coach Arthur Ericsson says “the V8 and JV8 showed their true potential: solid, more aggressive racing from start to finish. For the varsity 8, we've been waiting for this lineup to click and today it happened. And it was great to see the JV8 narrow the gap to the V8."
The lightweight women raced in the Women’s Collegiate 3V 8+, an event fielding Washington, University of British Columbia, University of Victoria, and Washington State Women’s team. The University of Washington won the event in 18:47.13, while the Cougars stopped the clock in 21:44.47. 4-seat Sam Martin says “Although it was the Lightweight women's first appearance at Head of the Lake, it was a great experience for us. We pulled hard and had a solid row. We had minor technique issues that we can work on but they did not affect the solidarity of our row. Overall, I was really proud of the girls for pulling together and posting a good time. We hope we can experience HOT Lake again next year.”
In addition to the current rowers, Cougar Crew was impressively represented by 23 alumni oarsmen and coxswains including an Open 8+, a lightweight 8+ and an Open 4+. The alumni racing was organized by Jason Lackie, who selected past rowers based on submitted 5K erg scores and previous rowing experience. The Open 8+ finished in 18:46.06, but were given a one minute penalty. The lightweight 8+ stopped the clock in 18:58.52. In the Open 4+, the Cougars finished 4th with 19:15.25, 1:46.44 behind University of Washington. Weston Spivia, who rowed in the Open 8+, was thrilled to be back in a shell with other former rowers. “It was a lot of fun. You know, it was an alumni race; we joked with our opponents before the race, then gave it our best, and joked more afterwards. Without the one minute penalty, we beat the lightweights."
The Cougar Crew team is competing in Bellingham and Seattle this coming weekend. Saturday the novice and 3V+ are racing Western Washington University in the annual Dare Duel. The following day the V8+, JV8+ and Women’s Lightweight will compete in the Head of the Lake regatta.
A year ago, the Dare Duel trophy stayed in Pullman after the Cougars won five of six events, including a solid margin by the novice A-boat and a 10.8s win by the WSU varsity. Racing early in the morning, the Cougars will probably face temperatures in the high 30s, and it is forecasted a slight chance of rain. Head Coach Arthur Ericsson says on the upcoming race “the DARE DUEL is always lots of fun and it's a chance for our 3V to shine. They always have their hands full against WWU's top 8 so they will have to bring their A+ game." The novice, who had a strong showing in Spokane two weeks ago, are eager to race the Vikings. "The team has continued to build on the foundation of their rowing skills these last two weeks and is looking forward to competing against WWU. It will be a great opportunity for them to showcase their skills on the west side of the mountains and race against a very competent program", says Coach Peter Brevick.
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V8+ racing through the Montlake Cut in 2010 |
For the first time in the program's history, the Women's lightweigt team is participating in the Head of the Lake. They are entering the Champ Womens 3 Varsity 8+ event. Coach Dan Thayer says about the upcoming race “I am eager to see what these ladies can accomplish on the traditionally challenging Head of the Lake course. We are up against accomplished competition and hope to see quite discernable improvement from Spokane. We need to see additional base speed as we build towards spring racing goals.”
The Regatta is scheduled to start Sunday Nov 6 at 8:00am. For directions and the race schedule, visit the Head of the Lake site or contact Paul Lund on (575-590-8073) or paulaslund@gmail.com
Cougar Crew went to Spokane hoping to set the tone for the Fall season and to assess the training that has been done; they come home with a few answers, but also an awareness that hard work is waiting. In the 5,000 meter staggered race, the V8+ stopped the clock at 16:22, twenty-five seconds behind Gonzaga’s 15:57. One second behind the V8+ was GU’s JV8+, followed by WSU’s JV8+ in 17:11. Racing in a later flight, the 3V8+ battled GU’s 3V8+ and two 4s; the Cougs finished with a time of 17:31. Head Coach Arthur Ericsson, summarizing his team’s performance, says "Each boat seemed satisfied with today's effort, but not content. The 1V deficit was almost identical to last year. I was optimistic that we'd swing that in our direction, but we are all looking forward to developing our lineups in the next couple of weeks to show more speed."
The Novice squad competed in their first collegiate event, and did not go unnoticed. Traditionally the Bulldogs’ Novice is quite a bit ahead of the Cougs in the fall as some of their rowers have past experience. The 1N8+ came in 18:07, only twenty-five seconds behind GU’s 1N8+. The 4N8+, which had four rowers double in from the 1N8+, had the second fastest time among the Cougars with 19:39, followed by the 3N8+ in 20:27 and 2N8+ in 20:46. Coach Peter Brevick says on his and his rowers’ debut “Today was mainly about getting our feet wet, competing in a professional and respectful manner, and moving the boats down the course in an effective manner. I believe we were successful in doing so and look forward to taking this experience with us into the next weeks of training.”
The Lightweight Women's V8+, which included three Novice who later raced for the 1N8+, completed the 5,000m course in 21:24, and were satisfied with having their first race of the season under their belt. The N8+’s time was not recorded before the team had to depart the regatta; coxswain Alyssa Moore said on her boat’s first race “The timing and set was good, and beside a crab right before the finish-line, we had a strong showing. I cut the corner close a few times, which saved us a little time.” Coach Dan Thayer was pleased with how the team came together on race-day “The Novice’s timing was better than it has been at practice, and to do that under pressure demonstrates mental toughness.”
By: Paul Lund
The WSU Cougar Crew team is starting its fall racing season with a dual against Gonzaga University in the annual Head of the Spokane; the regatta will be held on Spokane River Saturday 10/22 and begins at 9am. The event is staged as a 5000 meter headrace time trial where boats start with about fifteen seconds interval.
The V8+ is returning four rowers from last season’s American Collegiate Rowing Association grand finalists, and is determined to get off to a fast start. Gonzaga set a course record with 15:25 in last years’ event, beating WSU’s time of 15:51. The Men’s Varsity are bringing three 8s to Spokane, with the JV8+ and 3V+ consisting largely of rowers from last years’ Novice class. Head Coach Arthur Ericsson remarked "we are a young and promising team, and this race marks the beginning of what I hope will be the next cycle of both speed and depth."
The Novice will see their first race as collegiate athletes, and are looking forward to giving Gonzaga a good fight. They are bringing four 8s to Spokane. Coach Peter Brevick says "I'm excited for the novice oarsmen and coxswains to have their first race. They have put together some good rowing on the Snake River, and some good workouts on campus, and it will be great to see what they can do at their first race."
The Lightweight women are taking the V8+ and 1N8+ to race Gonzaga and the WSU Women’s team. They are returning four bronze medalists from the V8+ at WIRAs last May.
For directions and more information visit www.cougarcrew.com, call Paul Lund (575)-590-8073 or email paulaslund@gmail.com
The Washington State University Cougar Crew team will hold its annual Row-A-Thon on the Glenn Terrell Mall October 17 and 18. 100% of this year’s donations will go the Jaimeson Jones Memorial Scholarship Fund which helps siblings of college stricken families attend college.
Jaimeson Jones survived cancer the first time around and became a member of Cougar Crew when he enrolled as a freshman the fall of 2008. His spirit and endurance inspired his teammates to work hard towards being not only fast rowers, but also great people.
After the 08/09 season was over, Jaimeson shared with the team that he again had been diagnosed with testicular cancer. He was not able to attend school the following year, but stayed in touch with his teammates and attended as many races as possible. After a long battle, Jamison passed away October 7 2010.
Members of the Men’s Novice and Varsity, and Women’s Lightweight team will row on stationary rowing machines, knows as “ergs” all day Oct 17 and 18 to raise money for the Jaimeson Jones Memorial Scholarship Fund. Cash or check donations in any amount will be accepted from 6:00am-6:00pm.
WHO: Competitive, athletic men or those willing to train hard enough to be. Lightweight division is 160# and under. Openweights are anything above that.
Extra-lightweight men or women to be trained in the important role of coxswains. Coxswains steer the boat, execture practice and race plans with the coach and crew, and help the rowers row their best, technically and mentally. No experience needed.
WHEN: Aug. 29 and 30. All practices start at 3:30pm. Come on the first day that your schedule allows, the sooner you start the faster you will improve. Then just keep coming on the next day. We hope to start heading down to the river on Aug. 31st. The more experience you have before that the better. Wear shorts (not too baggy) and running shoes.
WHERE: Hollingbery Fieldhouse, room 201. Enter in the alley alongside Bohler. Go upstairs. It is the room directly above the ORC.
Contact Coach Arthur Ericsson if you have any questions: 509-863-5913 or wsucrewcoach@gmail.com
WHO: Competitive, athletic women or those willing to train hard enough to be. Lightweight division is 140# and under.
Extra-lightweight women to be trained in the important role of coxswains. Coxswains steer the boat, execture practice and race plans with the coach and crew, and help the rowers row their best, technically and mentally. No experience needed.
WHEN: Aug. 29 and 30. All practices start at 6:00am. Come on the first day that your schedule allows, the sooner you start the faster you will improve. Then just keep coming on the next day. We hope to start heading down to the river on Aug. 31st. The more experience you have before that the better. Wear shorts (not too baggy) and running shoes.
WHERE: Hollingbery Fieldhouse, room 201. Enter in the alley alongside Bohler. Go upstairs. It is the room directly above the ORC.
Contact Coach Arthur Ericsson if you have any questions: 509-863-5913 or wsucrewcoach@gmail.com
rowingrelated.com
Daily Evergreen - Jaimeson Jones Link
Daily Evergreen - Head of the Spokane Link
WSU Today piece on Palouse Rowing Link
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