ROWING WINS ANOTHER WIRA CHAMPIONSHIP AFTER CAPTURING THE TEAM POINTS TROPHY

4/29/2007

GOLD RIVER, Calif. – Sacramento State’s women’s varsity eight, second varsity eight, novice eight, varsity four, novice four and pair each finished among the top five boats in their respective grand finals to earn the Hornets the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association (WIRA) Championships team points trophy Sunday morning at the Sacramento State Aquatic Center.

Today marks the second consecutive year the Hornets have won the WIRA team points trophy, as the WIRA’s serve as the program’s conference championship. Teams accumulate points with finishes in grand final events, and the Hornets were able to earn enough points with top five finishes in six different grand finals to win the team title. Sacramento State, which has arguably its deepest roster (top to bottom) in school history, advanced six boats to grand final events for the first time since the program gained intercollegiate status in 1995.

The varsity eight title, which is the biggest race in magnitude, went to Gonzaga who crossed the 2,000-meter finish line with a time of 6:43.2. For Gonzaga, it marked the program’s third varsity eight championship in the last six years (2002, 2005, 2007). In fact, either Gonzaga, Loyola Marymount (2003-04) or Sacramento State (2000, 2001, 2006) has won the WIRA varsity eight title every year since 2000.

Sacramento State grand final finishes today included the varsity eight (fourth), second varsity eight (third), novice eight (fifth), varsity four (fourth), novice four (second) and pair (third). The Hornets were the only team at the 33-school competition that advanced boats to the grand final of all six of those events.

The WIRA team title represents another conference championship for the Sacramento State athletics program. The Hornets have also won conference titles this year in volleyball, gymnastics, men’s indoor track, women’s golf, men’s tennis, men’s golf (Div. I Independent Championships) and rowing. Should the women’s tennis team win its conference championship later today when they face Northern Arizona, a total of eight teams will have already won league titles. Sacramento State has a total of 20 intercollegiate programs.

In today’s varsity eight competition, Gonzaga’s winning time of 6:43.2 was followed by UC Davis (6:47.2), Western Washington (6:47.7), Sacramento State (6:55.7), San Diego State (7:02.4) and Loyola Marymount (7:03.9). The Hornets’ varsity eight has now finished among the top four boats at the WIRA Championships every year since 1999.

In the second varsity eight race, UC Davis finished with a winning time of 6:55.2, followed by Gonzaga (6:58.2), Sacramento State (7:05.9), San Diego State (7:12.3), Western Washington (7:21.4) and Puget Sound (7:24.5). The bronze medal for the Hornets marked the second varsity eight’s fifth medal at WIRA’s in the last six years. Junior Ashley Loucks, who was a member of today's second varsity eight, was named second team all-WIRA.

The remaining times for the Hornets’ grand final participants can be found below. All six Sacramento State boats reached their grand final events by placing among the top two boats in their respective heats yesterday.  

Sacramento State concludes the regular season in two weeks when the team competes at both the Pacific Coast Rowing Championships (Saturday, May 12) and the Pacific-10 Conference Championships (Sunday, May 13). Both regattas will take place at the Sacramento State Aquatic Center at Lake Natoma.

SACRAMENTO STATE’S LINEUPS

VARSITY EIGHT: Ashley Platner at coxswain, Aimee Chenard at stroke, Meghyn Cox at seven, Janine LaCrosse at six, Krista Hill at five, Holly Hopkins at four, Constance Deslauriers at three, Chelsea Semrau at two and Ruthie Van Esso at bow.

SECOND VARSITY EIGHT: Kelly Major at coxswain, Anne Morrison at stroke, Kellie Cook at seven, Ashley Loucks at six, Michelle McMullen at five, Lenore Meehan at four, Megan Riggs at three, Kristin Carlson at two and Justine Fernandez at bow.

NOVICE EIGHT: Katie Bossenmaier at coxswain, Kayla Wright at stroke, Alyse Marlatt at seven, Michelle Stern at six, Jenna Tofanelli at five, Molly Davis at four, Victoria Jackson at three, Rayelynn Majoewsky at two and Kaitlin Schnaars at bow.

VARSITY FOUR: Erin DeGoede at coxswain, Dani Thole at stroke, Catherine Woerner at three, Kyle Johnston at two and Aleisha DeCindis at bow.

NOVICE FOUR: Teresa Seich at coxswain, Megan Emmons at stroke, Natalie Thomas at three, Lauren King at two and Vanessa Dotson at bow.

PAIR: Jenna Duale at stroke, Sherry Payne at bow.

SACRAMENTO STATE’S RESULTS FROM SUNDAY

NOVICE FOUR GRAND FINAL
1. Western Washington  7:56.2
2. Sacramento State  8:00.0
3. San Diego  8:06.5
4. Humboldt State  8:11.7
5. Sonoma State  8:24.6
6. Portland  8:33.5

PAIR GRAND FINAL
1. Long Beach State  8:09.0
2. San Diego  8:10.1
3. Sacramento State  8:26.3
4. Saint Mary’s  8:40.7
5. Loyola Marymount  8:46.6
6. Pacific Lutheran  8:57.6

VARSITY FOUR GRAND FINAL
1. Saint Mary’s  7:43.6
2. San Diego  7:47.8
3. Orange Coast College  7:58.8
4. Sacramento State  8:07.6
5. Willamette  8:17.1
6. UC San Diego  8:38.8

NOVICE EIGHT GRAND FINAL
1. Gonzaga  6:57.1
2. UC Davis  7:14.4
3. Humboldt State  7:21.3
4. San Diego State  7:21.6
5. Sacramento State  7:25.2
6. UC San Diego  7:25.6

SECOND VARSITY EIGHT GRAND FINAL
1. UC Davis  6:55.2
2. Gonzaga  6:58.2
3. Sacramento State  7:05.9
4. San Diego State  7:12.3
5. Western Washington  7:21.4
6. Puget Sound  7:24.5

VARSITY EIGHT GRAND FINAL
1. Gonzaga  6:43.2
2. UC Davis  6:47.2
3. Western Washington  6:47.7
4. Sacramento State  6:55.7
5. San Diego State  7:02.4
6. Loyola Marymount  7:03.9