Historic Day; Zags Win WCC Championship, Earn NCAA Berth
5/18/2013 12:00:00 AM | Women's Rowing
GOLD RIVER, Calif. - Another historic day for Gonzaga University. The Bulldog women's rowing team not only won their 13th West Coast Conference Championship Saturday but earned the conferences and schools inaugural automatic berth to the NCAA Championship with their four-point victory over the University of San Diego. The Zags win broke the Toreros three-year reign and gave GU their first crown since 2009.
In the final point standings, Gonzaga finished with a total of 41 points. Last year's champion San Diego, who won the Varsity Four race to start off the morning, finished with 37 total points for second place. Loyola Marymount University, the University of Portland, and Saint Mary's College each finished with 23 points for a three-way tie for third. Creighton University (15 points) and Santa Clara University (6 points) rounded out the competition.
All three races - which took place at Sacramento State Aquatics Center on Lake Natoma - were tightly contested.
The Toreros Varsity Four bested the Bulldogs by 1.9 seconds to take a seven-point to six-point lead over GU with two races to go.
In the Eight II (Second Varsity 8+) race, the Bulldogs topped the competition, crossing the finish line 10 seconds ahead of the field with a time of 6:51.6 to bring the overall lead to 20-19 over the Toreros. USD took second in the race with a time of 7:01.6
The Championship title came down to the last race of the day, and the Gonzaga Varsity I Eight crew outlasted San Diego by 1.3 seconds to take back the Conference crown.
At the 250-meter mark of the 2,000-meter race, Gonzaga was down two seats to San Diego and fell back to four seats at the 500-meter mark. The Bulldogs clawed themselves back into the race and pulled even around the 1,000-meter mark and took the lead shortly thereafter. The Zags then held onto the lead to earn the 1.3 second victory with a time of 6:39.6. USD crossed the finish line at 6:40.9.
Gonzaga head coach Glenn Putyrae was named the WCC Coach of the Year, while Bulldog Madison Keaty earned Gonzaga's second-straight WCC Rower of the Year award.
Landing on the All-Conference squad for the Zags were Christine Powers, Keaty, Malori McGill and Naomi Medley.
Gonzaga now has two weeks to prepare for its first-ever appearance in the NCAA Championship. The NCAA Championship is set for May 31-June 2 at Eagle Creek Park in Indianapolis, Ind.
Official results and a listing of the complete 2013 All-West Coast Conference Rowing Team follow.
WCC Women's Rowing Championships
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Lake Natoma (Gold River, California)
Final Standings
1. Gonzaga - 41
2. San Diego - 37
3. Loyola Marymount - 23
Portland - 23
Saint Mary's - 23
6. Creighton - 15
7. Santa Clara - 6
I Four Race Official Results
1. San Diego, 7:35.9
(cox: Kaitlin Soper; Megan McNamara; Kathleen Petrich; Ellycia Halden; Mckenna Wray)
2. Gonzaga, 7:37.8
(cox: Laura Brasch; Wendy Wigg; Madeline Verspieren; Ingrid Stansberry; Alyssa Bashor)
3. Creighton, 7:57.6
(cox: Sarah Steffes; Libby Rolf, Christina Moore; Jessica Courtney; Anna Yarkosky)
4. Portland, 8:00.2
(cox: Taylor Nelson; Jessica Osborn; Kassie Meras; Lucy Grimm; Casey Daley)
5. Loyola Marymount, 8:06.9
(cox: Jessica Lee; Dani Ciraulo; PK Jones; Laura Lake; Alexa Carrington)
6. Saint Mary's, 8:15.5
(cox: Valerie Lim; Sarah Gleason; Alexa Gordon; Tiffany Gill; Celeste DiLullo)
7. Santa Clara, 9:19.7
(cox: Brenda Arellano; Bianca Garcia; Michileen Oberst; Laura Thompson; Ariel Ross)
II Eight Race Official Results
1. Gonzaga, 6:51.6
(cox: Jordan Schroeder; Sarah Atkins; Lily Rorick; Erin Russell; Natalie Potts; Renee Wyman; Jordan Davies; Christy Mentele; Becca Benoit)
2. San Diego, 7:01.6
(cox: Paige Walker; Allyson Ward; Cailin Bridges; Mataya McNeill; Alexis High; Kimber DeSlavo; Sara Romine; Lauren Rollins; Michelle Elrich)
3. Portland 7:12.6
(cox: Kelsey Kincaid; Molly Donahue; Kayla Russell; Hannah Johnson; Karen Christiansen; Tara Molina; Kelly Herman; Suzanne Blair; Claire Seibold)
4. Loyola Marymount 7:16.6
(cox: Emma Wright; Silvia Torsellini; Sydney Sutton-Liswith; Kelsey Dunbar; Monica Weaser; Calie Aaker; Ashley Brown; Harriet Russel; Katie Courson)
5. Saint Mary's 7:19.0
(cox: Bennett Collier; Adriana Palmiere; Marianna Irby; Allison McKenzie; Sharyl Koenig; Julia Turner; Nicolette Pierantoni; Tessa Cunha; Kylene Gilmore)
6. Creighton 7:28.1
(cox: Fang Zheng; Maria Murray; Lauren Roknich; Katie Daugherty; Meg Engler; Anna Balling; Sarah Birnbaum; Nicole Kamada; Meredith Pawlowski)
7. Santa Clara 8:00.3
(cox: Stacey Urauchi; Michlle Castro; Blair Mithcell; Katherine Kilmer; Mary Smith; Briana Wise; Samantha Nitz; Rachel Donohoe; Megan Alferness)
I Eight Race Official Results
1. Gonzaga, 6:39.6
(cox: Naseeb Bhangal; Naomi Medley; Devyn Bell; Kara Soucek; Brooklyn Beeler; Malori McGill; Casey Burt; Madison Keaty; Christine Powers)
2. San Diego, 6:40.9
(cox: Sarah White; Taylar Albertini; Taylor Kendzierski; Michelle Campbell, Brianna Lamb; Courtney Olson; Lindsey Dornes; Jennifer Travis; Avalon Koenig)
3. Saint Mary's 6:52.9
(cox: Natalie Livingston; Haley Adams; Maryann Concannon; Meagan Scott; Stacey Boss; Dana Cook; Katie Wahl; Christina Bennett; Michelle Felmlee-Gartner)
4. Loyola Marymount 6:53.2
(cox: Jen Koester; Mackenzi Sherman; Jessica Kegel; Margaret Boze; Emily Holland; Jana Sobrosa; Paulina Lindstedt; Hanna Osborne; Leane McNamee)
5. Portland 7:00.2
(cox: Hannah Dahlem; Bridget Sloat; Maggie Keller; Melissa Gomez; Molly Templin; Mia Tarte; Jamie Opra; Lauren Wilson; Sarah Donohoe)
6. Creighton 7:07.4
(cox: Haley Pilcher; Kathryn Mindt; Janesa Bakeberg; Kim Boehm; Whitney Jenich; Laura Jo Washle; Anne Marie Stonikas; Shannon Flanery; Lauren Klick)
7. Santa Clara 7:43.0
(cox: Ana Burgos-Solis; Adrienne Lohe; Carina Brocato; Veronica Herr; Margret Mendenhall; Katie Bond; Daphne Cottrell; Molly Walker; Melissa Giorgi)
2013 West Coast Conference Coach of the Year
Glenn Putyrae, Gonzaga
2013 West Coast Conference Coxswain of the Year
Kaitlin Soper, San Diego
2013 West Coast Conference Newcomer of the Year
Michelle Campbell, San Diego
2013 West Coast Conference Rower of the Year
Madison Keaty, Gonzaga
2013 West Coast Conference All-Conference Team
Briana Lamb, San Diego
Carina Brocato, Santa Clara
Christine Powers, Gonzaga
Haley Adams, Saint Mary's
Hanna Osborne, Loyola Marymount
Hannah Dahlem, Portland
Lauren Klick, Creighton
Lindsey Dornes, San Diego
Mackenzi Sherman, Loyola Marymount
Madison Keaty, Gonzaga
Malori McGill, Gonzaga
Margret Mendenhall, Santa Clara
Maryann Concannon, Saint Mary's
Mia Tarte, Portland
Naomi Medley, Gonzaga
Shannon Flannery, Creighton
Taylar Albertini, San Diego
