SPOKANE, Wash. – The full spring schedule is now available for the Gonzaga women's rowing team, as announced by Head Coach Andrew Derrick on Tuesday. The Zags are chasing their sixth-straight West Coast Conference title and sixth-straight berth to the NCAA Rowing championship after the 2020 season was cancelled prematurely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
"It was a difficult year in the making, but we are so grateful to be kicking off such an exciting 2021 racing schedule," Derrick said. "We have some great opportunities on the book to travel, host, test our speed and mature through the season as we set our sights on the middle of May and the WCC Championships."
 
The Zags kick off the 2021 slate with a scrimmage at Seattle on March 6 with the V8, 2V8, 3V8 and 4V8 boats followed by spring training in Chula Vista, Calif., March 11-13. On March 14, the Zags compete in their first official regatta of the season as they face San Diego and Loyola Marymount.
 
Nearly two weeks later on March 27, Gonzaga returns to Seattle for the Husky Open, hosted by Washington—the 2019 NCAA champion—on Lake Washington. A week later the Zags travel to Pullman, Wash., for the annual Fawley Cup against Washington State on April 3. The Cougars host the event this season on the Snake River at Wawawai Landing.
 
Following the Fawley Cup, Gonzaga returns home for its lone home regatta as it hosts Portland, Seattle and Pacific Lutheran on April 10 at the Johnson Family Boathouse on Silver Lake. It will mark the first official regatta at the new boathouse as the entire 2020 spring and fall slate was cancelled due to COVID.
 
The Bulldogs complete the regular-season on the road against Pac-12 opponents Oregon State, Southern California and Washington on Dexter Lake on April 24. Following a brief break for finals week, the Zags head to the WCC Championships on May 15; the event will be held in one of three locations: Lake Natoma, Calif.; Dexter Lake, Ore., or Vancouver Lake, Wash.
 
"We have a lot of ground to cover, but I could not be more proud of the resiliency the team has shown to get to this point," Derrick said. "We need to keep our foot on the accelerator in terms of training if we want to earn the right to represent the WCC at NCAAs. Our progress continues to be encouraging. I can't wait to see how the team responds to getting to line up and compete."
 
The full 2021 schedule is available here. For up-to-date schedule information, visit GoZags.com.