Thursday, June 20, 2019
PORTLAND, Ore. – Women’s rowing will become the Great Northwest Athletic Conference’s 17th championship sport.
The addition of women’s rowing was unanimously approved in May by the conference’s CEO Board. It is the first sport to be added to the GNAC menu of offerings since women’s golf was added for the 2010-11 season.
Just the second NCAA Division II conference to sponsor the sport, joining the Sunshine State Conference, GNAC women’s rowing will be comprised of institutions which have competed as independents in the West Region since the sport earned Division II championship status in 2002. Teams include GNAC full-member institutions Seattle Pacific and Western Washington along with affiliate members in Central Oklahoma and Humboldt State.
“West Region teams in women’s rowing have a long tradition of excellence. I am excited to see those schools come together to make women’s rowing a GNAC sport,” said GNAC commissioner Dave Haglund. “This alliance holds the potential to not only strengthen the sport across all of Division II, but to also grow the sport in the western United States.”
Since being recognized as an NCAA Division II championship sport, the teams that comprise the GNAC have dominated the women’s rowing picture. Conference teams have won 12 of 18 national championships, paced by Western Washington’s eight titles. Central Oklahoma was the 2018 and 2019 national champion while Humboldt State took home trophies in 2012 and 2014. In addition, GNAC teams have finished as the national runner-up 10 times.
Three GNAC teams were selected to compete at the 2019 NCAA Division II Women’s Rowing Championships, which took place May 31 to June 2 at the Indianapolis Rowing Center. Central Oklahoma won its second consecutive title with a score of 30 points, winning both the varsity 8+ grand final and the varsity 4+ grand final. Western Washington placed third and Seattle Pacific placed fourth.
Primarily a spring sport with a handful of competitions in the fall, the GNAC Women’s Rowing Championships will be contested in April or May. The site and format of the championship is in development.