Since 1970…

In 1969 Rich Stager came up with an idea to initiate a Rowing program at Washington State University.

Stager found Ken Abbey, and together began the story of Cougar Crew.

Over forty years later, WSU Men's Crew continues to thrive.

Cougar Crew history is a living document. All records are acquired and maintained by the volunteer effort. If you know something we don’t, please reach out to the CCAA webmaster via the form below.

The official history of Cougar Crew is available now from WSU Press! Written by former oarsman and Columbia Basin University professor, Dave Arnold, it is a must read for fans and supporters of the team.

The Rowing team is the largest and longest continuously running sport club at Washington State University. It was created before the Sports Federation or the Outdoor Recreation Center, in the Spring of 1970 by a group of young WSU students. Dave Atherton remembers a group of energetic students looking to form a rowing team who had rowed for Seattle clubs during high school. Instead of attending the University of Washington to row, they had come to WSU for academic pursuits and were bent on forming a team to crush their friends in Seattle.

The group found a sympathetic ear in WSU administrator, Ken Abbey. Mr. Abbey was the assistant Vice-President for Business and this position allowed him to help the team throughout his tenure. Abbey had rowed at the University of Washington in the fifties and was a peer of then UW head coach Dick Erickson. With Abbey's connections to the WSU administration and the UW's rowing team, funding, approval, and boats were obtained.

Jan Koal, a current real estate agent here in Pullman, was present at the beginning. A Vietnam veteran who had returned to WSU after his service, Koal helped the Club construct the first shellhouse at Boyer. The Army Corps of Engineers donated lumber from the Lower Granite Dam construction that was located just less than a mile from the new shellhouse. The University of Washington generously donated several shells and oars to get our first Cougar Crews out on the water.

Since they got their feet off the ground, the WSU Rowing Team has seen significant advances. Both the Men’s and Women’s Teams developed a reputation for being some of the hardest working crews on the West Coast. This hard work led to numerous prestigious race finishes and further strengthened the commitment of the student athletes. In 1992, after the passage of Title-9, the Women’s Team left the Club to join Cougar Athletics. Since that time, the Men’s Team has operated on their own and continues to compete at the Varsity level.

The 1970s

Where it all began…

  • The team is founded in 1969 by Rich Stager and Ken Abbey.

  • The first shellhouse is constructed by the crew at Boyer Park. It is completed in 1970. It shortly is destroyed by wind and rebuilt.

  • Ken “Struck” Struckmeyer arrives in 1971, is hired as a coach by Abbey and Bob Oarr.

  • The team attends and wins their first race against OSU.

  • The team enters regular competition in 1973.

  • The crew races with crimson oars featuring black chevrons, adding the gray tip to reflect school colors.

  • Trips to U of Wisconsin, Struck’s alma mater, are frequent at this time.

  • The “Meatwagon” V4 wins the 1979 IRA National Championship

The 1980s

A new boathouse is constructed

  • Paul Enquist wins the 1984 Olympic gold in men’s double sculling

  • Cougar Crew notches another IRA victory, this time in men’s V2+

  • Andy Kirk, Tim Malkow, Mike Noble, and John Holtman attend Olympic selection

  • The team builds a new shellhouse at Wawawai Landing, completed in 1985

  • The Fawley Cup dual between WSU and Gonzaga is initiated

  • The Meinhart fund is donated in 1987

  • The team visits Instanbul, Turkey for international competition

The 1990s

A time of transition

  • 1992 Lightweight 8 wins the Pac-10 Championship, Northwest Regional Championship, and bronze in the West Coast Championship

  • Coach Struckmeyer steps down

  • 1991 Lightweight 8 beats Gonzaga at the Head of the Spokane

  • 1996 V8 takes 2nd at the San Diego Crew Classic

  • 1993 Lightweight 4 takes the Pac-10 Championship

The 2000s

The Cougar Crew Alumni Association is formed

  • In 2003, commodore Danny Brevick and head coach Michelle Kistler begin outreach to alumni, culminating in the foundation of the CCAA in 2005

  • Coach Arthur Ericsson takes over as head coach in 2004

  • Cougar Crew begins participating in the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association (WIRA) championship regatta, which continues to this day

  • The 2006 V8+ takes back the Fawley Cup

  • The erg room moves to historic Hollingberry Fieldhousee

The 2010s

WIRA Team Points Champs & the club women join

  • The team takes the 2010 WIRA V8+ Championship, as well as the WIRA Team Points Trophy

  • The 2010 JV8+ takes the Fawley Cup for the first time since the 1980s

  • The lightweight club women join the team in 2010

  • Brandon Close is invited to the Senior National Lightweight team selections. Paul Ehlers and Alan Scott attend the ACRA All-Stars Camp and race in the U23 trials

  • The V4+ sets the course time for the American College Rowing Association (ACRA) 2012 regatta, edging Ohio State out of grand finals by 0.5 seconds and continuing the team’s consistent grand final placement

  • The V4+ lightweight crew takes the ACRA national championship gold in 2013

  • The Lightweight N4+ win the 2013 ACRA gold