Thursday, May 11, 2023

DEXTER, Ore. – When the teams hit the water for the GNAC Women’s Rowing Championships on Saturday at Dexter Lake, it is truly anyone’s title to win.

Both Cal Poly Humboldt and Central Oklahoma have claimed the No. 1 spot in the CRCA/Pocock Division II Coaches Poll this season. At some point this season, all four GNAC teams have claimed spots in the top four of the coaches rankings.

Comparing head-to-head competition does not make the picture any clearer. In an any-given-day season, no one conference team has emerged stronger than any of the others.

Western Washington enters as the defending champion. The Vikings claimed a close title in 2022, beating Seattle Pacific by one point and Central Oklahoma by two points. The Vikings won the title thanks to a tight victory in the varsity 8+, winning by 0.9 seconds over Seattle Pacific. The momentum carried through to the NCAA Championships where the Vikings finished as the national runners-up.

The Vikings have raced the fewest regattas of any GNAC team this spring and have performed well against conference foes. Western Washington claimed three varsity 4+ races at April’s Covered Bridge Regatta, which yielded head-to-head wins over Cal Poly Humboldt. At last weekend’s Windermere Cup/Opening Day Regatta, WWU placed third in the open eight race and fourth in the Cascade Cup varsity 8+.

Cal Poly Humboldt enters the GNAC Championships with the most to prove and the most to gain. After finishing fourth in the GNAC Championships a year ago and unable to compete in 2021 due to boat issues, the Lumberjacks enter the meet as the No. 1 ranked team in the CRCA/Pocock Poll and No. 2 in the NCAA Division II West Region Rankings (both as of May 3).

The Lumberjacks opened the season with a pair of strong varsity 8+ and varsity 4+ wins against Division I and club teams at the Hornet Invitational before winning both college varsity 4+ races the next weekend at the Husky Open.

They added a varsity 8+ win at the Covered Bridge Regatta before capturing their first championship race of the season, winning the D2/D3/Club grand final at the WIRA Championships. The team’s time of 6:59.884 was four seconds better than Central Oklahoma and six seconds better than Seattle Pacific.

Competing under first-year head coach Jen Gilbert, Central Oklahoma spent the first month of the spring season rowing at home against Division I teams. Rowing for the first time against Division II talent at the FIRA Championships, the Bronchos won both of their varsity 4+ and varsity 8+ races. The field included top-ranked South Region team Embry-Riddle (Fla.).

Central Oklahoma went head-to-head with Seattle Pacific at the Knecht Cup in April and proceeded to win the DI/DII varsity 4+ grand final and took second in the DII/DIII varsity 8+ grand final, beating the Falcons in both races. The Bronchos took second in the D2/D3/Club varsity 8+ grand final at the WIRA Championships, finishing behind Cal Poly Humboldt, and third in the D2/D3/Club varsity 4+ grand final behind Seattle Pacific.

Ranked No. 2 in the CRCA/Pocock Division II poll, the Bronchos are the No. 1 in the latest NCAA Division II West Region Rankings (both as of May 3).

Seattle Pacific started its spring season strong, winning six of seven races it competed in at the PLU Open in early March. After a trio of second-place finishes in both the four and the eights at the Husky Open, the Falcons proceeded to take six races in head-to-head competition from Western Washington at the Falcon Regatta.

The Falcons joined UCO at the Knecht Cup, making both DII/DIII grand finals and placing third in the varsity 8+ race. At the WIRA Championships, Seattle Pacific finished second in the D2/D3/Club varsity 8+ grand final behind Cal Poly Humboldt and second in the varsity 4+ grand final, the highest-placing Division II team. Last weekend, the Falcons placed second in the Cascade Cup varsity 8+ race at the Windermere Cup.

Seattle Pacific is ranked No. 3 in the latest CRCA/Pocock Division II Coaches Poll and is third in the NCAA West Region Rankings (as of May 3). The Falcons top the regional rankings list in the fours.

The GNAC Women’s Rowing Championships is comprised of three races. Placing in the varsity 4+ and the varsity 8+ races will count towards scoring for the team championship.

For the second straight year, the GNAC Championships are being staged in conjunction with the Pac-12 Conference, which will conduct its championship races on the Dexter Lake course on Sunday, and the Oregon Association of Rowers.