SPOKANE, Wash. -
ON TAP: Coming off a very successful weekend at the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association (WIRA) Championships, the Gonzaga University women's rowing team now turns its attention to the 26th annual Windermere Cup set for Saturday, May 5 on Montlake Cut and Lake Washington in Seattle and co-hosted by Windermere Real Estate, the Seattle Yacht Club and the University of Washington.
MONTLAKE CUT: Montlake Cut is a 2,000-meter spring that begins from a floating start parallel to the 520 Bridge in Lake Washington and runs east to west through the Montlake Cut and to the finish line near the mouth of Portage Bay in Lake Union.
ABOUT THE WINDERMERE CUP: The Windermere Cup/Opening Day races are annually attended by thousands of spectators, both on land and in boats along Montlake Cut and Lake Washington in Seattle, Wash. The featured races' sponsorship by Windermere Real Estate, Inc. began in 1987 and draws major national and international crews each year to the Windermere Cup races. The Opening Day Regatta has been a traditional part of the opening of yachting season since 1970 and women's intercollegiate races were added to the schedule in 1976. The regatta is the preliminary event to the annual yacht club parade, signaling the beginning of boating season in the Northwest. The Cup itself is European cut-crystal and is roughly 14" tall, weighing a little over seven points. The base of the Cup, engraved with the name of each winning crew since 1987, is granite and weights around 25 pounds.
RACING IN THE WOMEN'S WINDERMERE CUP ARE: The Gonzaga University women's rowing Varsity 8+ will race both the University of Washington and the Argentina National team at 11:35 a.m. Argentina's visit to the Windermere Cup marks just the second-ever appearance by a South American crew in the event, and the first from a Spanish-speaking nation. The Argentines are coming off a successful season that saw the program rack up eight medals at the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico, which tied the USA for the most overall.
RACING IN THE WOMEN'S ERICKSON CASCADE CUP ARE: The Gonzaga University women's rowing Second Varity 8+ will face the University of Washington, Western Washington University and Otago, a university crew from New Zealand, in the Women's Erickson Cascade Cup at 11:20 a.m.
ALSO RACING IS THE BULLDOG VARSITY 4+: The Gonzaga University women's rowing Varsity 4+ boat will also race Saturday. The Bulldogs are set to face the University of Washington, Western Washington University, University of Victoria, and the University of Portland. Their race is set for 10:40 a.m.
WINDERMERE CUP SCHEDULE:
10:40 a.m.: Women's Varsity 4+
Lane 1: Washington
Lane 2: Gonzaga
Lane 3: Washington
Lane 4: Western Washington
Lane 5: Victoria
Lane 6: Portland
11:20 a.m.: Women's Erickson Cascade Cup (Second Varsity 8+)
Lane 1: Otago
Lane 2: Washington
Lane 3: Western Washington
Lane 4: Gonzaga
11:35 a.m.: Women's Windermere Cup (Varsity 8+)
Lane 1: Argentina
Lane 2: Washington
Lane 3: Gonzaga
WHERE TO WATCH: Spectators are encouraged to view the Windermere Cup races from the shorts of the Montlake Cut on Saturday, May 5. This is a free community event with parking available at surrounding University of Washington lots. Parking in the large Montlake Lot (E-1) is $15. Please note that the Montlake Bridge will be closed to traffic from 9:40 a.m. to 3 p.m. The races being at 10:20 a.m. and are followed by the boat parade. The Montlake Bridge will be raised and remain open during the boat parade.
GONZAGA LINEUPS:
Varsity 8+: Jordan Schroeder, Naomi Medley, Paula Welly, Elise Perkins, Chelsea Quilling, Teddi McGuire, Olivia Miller, Malori McGill, Madison Keaty.
Second Varsity 8+: Natalie Wolfrom, Christine Powers, Erin Russell, Casey Burt, Anna Olson, Mari Schramm, Sarah Atkins, Jordan Davies, Christy Mentele.
Varsity 4+: Naseeb Bhangal, Renee Wyman, Natalie Potts, Wendy Wigg, Agatha Oleksiak.
HEAD COACH GLENN PUTYRAE'S THOUGHTS ON THE UPCOMING WINDERMERE CUP: "We are extremely excited about the Windermere Cup. A normal spring regatta has races 10-15 minutes apart; at the Windermere Cup boats are coming down the course at three to four minutes intervals. It is more of an event that most regattas. As much as it has the traditional competition to it, with the top rowing schools in the nation participating, it also has a spectacle or pageantry feel to it.
"We have been working hard on improving and focusing on only what is going on in our boat. We are hoping to do our best to enhance and maximize our speed independently of what is going on around us."
FIRST TIME AT WINDERMERE CUP SINCE 2007: This will be the first time since the 2007 season that the Gonzaga University women's rowing team accepted an invitation to participate in the Windermere Cup. At the 2007 Windermere Cup, the Bulldogs won the Erickson Cascade Cup, the Open 8+ and Novice 8+ races.
