Varsity 8+ Earns Open Water Victory Over Santa Clara
3/14/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Rowing
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - What a difference a week makes. After battling rough water last Saturday in its spring season opener at Dexter Lake in Eugene, Ore., the Gonzaga University men's rowing team closed out its spring break week with ideal water conditions at the Port of Sacramento in its race with Santa Clara, UC San Diego and UC Davis Friday.
The race - which featured flat water and variable winds - saw the Bulldogs take first in the marquee Varsity 8+ matchup and the Freshman 4+/Third Varsity 4+, along with a second place finish in the Second Varsity 8+.
"We had great water today and ideal conditions for the race," explained Gonzaga head coach Dan Gehn after the conclusion of the race.
In what was the last race of the morning, the Gonzaga Varsity 8+ dominated its dual with Santa Clara to claim an open water victory. The Bulldogs closed out the 2,000-meter course in a time of 6:08.3, well ahead of the Broncos at 6:26.4.
"The Varsity boat was sharp and raced very well today," stated Gehn.
The second victory for the Zags came in the Freshman 4+/Third Varsity 4+ race and was a bit more exciting than the Varsity 8+ race.
"The Varsity 4+ had a nice come-from-behind win being down a length at the 1000," said Gehn.
Gonzaga's A boat pulled away in the last 500-meters to claim the open water victory ahead of UC San Diego. The Zags top boat finished with a time of 7:06.6. UCSD crossed the finish line at 7:14.2, followed by the Bulldogs B boat in 7:23.6.
Rounding out the racing for Gonzaga was the Second Varsity 8+ and the Freshman 8+/Third Varsity 8+ who finished second and third in their races, respectively.
The Second Varsity 8+ race was won by UC San Diego at 6:22.7. The Bulldogs finished with a time of 6:30.7.
In the Freshman 8+/Third Varsity 8+ race, UC San Diego also claimed the win with a time of 6:19.5. Gonzaga's third place time was 6:29.0.
The Bulldogs now have a few weeks to train and prepare for the San Diego Crew Classic set for April 5-6 at Mission Bay in San Diego, Calif.
Gonzaga, Santa Clara, UC San Diego, UC Davis Race Results
Friday, March 14, 2014 - Port of Sacramento - Sacramento, Calif.
Varsity 8+
1. Gonzaga, 6:08.3
2. Santa Clara, 6:26.4
Second Varsity 8+
1. UC San Diego, 6:22.7
2. Gonzaga, 6:30.7
3. Santa Clara, 6:56.2
Freshman 8+/Third Varsity 8+
1. UC San Diego, 6:19.5
2. Santa Clara, 6:26.2
3. Gonzaga, 6:29.0
4. UC Davis, 6:42.2
Freshman 4+/Third Varsity 4+
1. Gonzaga, 7:06.6
2. UC San Diego, 7:14.2
3. Gonzaga, 7:23.6
Gonzaga Lineups:
Varsity 8+: Kayla Cartelli, Joe Morris, Anthony Roeber, Ben Duermit, Alex Yuska, Rick Ruddell, Dylan Ojeda, Carsten Beckwith-Strike, Alex Lund.
Second Varsity 8+: Kayla Cartelli, Devon Billy, Connor Mitchell, Kevin MacPherson, Brandon Byrd, Atticus Patterson, Matt Hoitink, Cole Garcia, Kyle Hagmeier,
Third Varsity 8+: Steve Peterson, Connor Murray, Zach O'Connor, Hayden Nelson, Josh Hoidn, Walker Capra-Smith, Keagan Tice, David Dommermuth, Yani Gougoumis.
Third Varsity 4+ A: Steve Peterson, Zach O'Connor, Hayden Nelson, Keagan Tice, Ryan Donahue.
Third Varsity 4+ B: Marshall Powell, Connor Murray, Josh Hoidn, Kellen Kennedy, Walker Capra-Smith.
