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Silver, then gold...
After closing out the 20th Century with a bronze, the Seattle
Pacific University crew program began Century 21 first with a
silver medal, followed immediately by a solid gold. The Falcon
women's varsity four claimed the school's first national
championship with a convincing victory at the Champion
International Collegiate Regatta in Worcester, Mass., May 14. One
day earlier, the men's lightweight four claimed second place in
the grand final of the Sunoco Dad Vail Regatta in Philadelphia.
Those two regattas wrapped up the most accomplished season in the
24-year history of SPU rowing.
5000 miles & worth it...
The two medals made Coach Keith Jefferson's 5,000-mile
roundtrip to bring the Falcons' boats back east and then back home
all the more worthwhile. In 1999, using borrowed shells, virtually
the same SPU four had taken third at CICR, thereby ending an
18-year draught of national medals. The only significant seat
change from the crew was stroke oar Kristin Gadbois (Fr.,
Seattle, Wa./Ballard). No. 3 seat Jessie Pennington (Jr.,
Englewood, Co./Riverview Christian), No. 2 Kendra Cox
(Sr., Olympia, Wa./Tumwater) and bow oar Amy LeCount (Sr.,
Battle Ground, Wa.) were holdovers, and Christina Lovell
(Sr., Camas, Wa.) was the coxswain.
Interestingly enough...
Ironically, perhaps, the stiffest challenge for the
aforementioned rowers may have come from within their own ranks.
It was a row-off versus the other varsity four during the first
week of May which determined the destination of each boat. At the
Champion regatta, SPU went to the front early and gradually drew
away from the field to win by 7 seconds. Bucknell, which had edged
the Falcons by 2 seconds in the qualifying heat, was second. The
Falcons' second varsity four went to Dad Vail but was eliminated
in the semifinal stage, with a Bucknell boat, oddly enough,
finishing just ahead.
Lightweight in name only...
If the season had ended on Mother's Day Eve in Philly, it
still would've rated as one of the best-ever seasons for Seattle
Pacific. The men's light four became the first SPU men's crew to
earn a national medal since the '81 varsity four was third at Dad
Vail. No. 3 seat Josh Adam (Sr., Alliance, Ne.) was the
only Dad Vail veteran, having been a member of the varsity four
which went as far as the '99 semifinal. The Falcons won their
semifinal heat but were beaten by more than a boat-length by San
Diego in the grand final.
The final tally...
In all, the Falcons won 17 races in 2000. The men's light four
accounted for three victories, as did the women's varsity four,
novice four and light novice four. SPU raised its total of
conference titles to 27 since 1994 with Cascade Sprints wins by
the three aforementioned women's boats.
National champion lineup...
Women's Varsity Four Cox--Christina
Lovell (Sr., Camas, Wa.); Stroke-Kristin Gadbois (Fr., Seattle,
Wa./Ballard); 3-Jessie Pennington (Jr., Englewood, Co./Riverview
Christian); 2-Kendra Cox (Sr., Olympia, Wa./Tumwater); bow-Amy
LeCount (Sr., Battle Ground, Wa.). Alternate-Lindsay Wike (Jr.,
North Hampton, NH).
Dad Vail lineups...
Men's Lightweight Four: Coxswain-Johanna Yngvason (Sr.,
Bothell, Wa.); Stroke-Mike Lucero (So., Moses Lake, Wa.); 3-Josh
Adam (Sr., Alliance, Ne.); 2-Bryan Jones (Sr., Richland, Wa.);
bow-Tim Stuart (So., Salem, Or./Sprague).
Women's Varsity Four: Cox-Melanie Benson
(Sr., Lake Oswego, Or.); Stroke-Stacy Laube (Sr., Golden,
Co.,/Bear Creek); 3-Kristi Woolum (So., Amanda Park, Wa./Lake
Quinalt); 2-Cienna Thomas (So., Fallon, Nv./Churchill County);
bow-Vicki Conrad (Jr., Colorado Springs, Co./Mitchell).
Women's Novice Four: Coxswain-Lindsay
Dilschneider (Fr., Yakima, Wa./West Valley); Stroke-Krista Johnson
(Fr., Campbell, Ca./Westmont); 3-Joy Geffers (Fr., Oshkosh, Wi.);
2-Britta Moline (Fr., Fort Collins, Co./Heritage Christian);
bow-Sandra Richards (Fr., Brush Prairie, Wa./Prairie).
Postseason results...
Dad Vail Regatta, May 12-13
Philadelphia, Pa./Schuykill River
Men's Light Four (Grand Final): 1-San Diego, 6:41;
2-SEATTLE PACIFIC, 6:46; 3-Fordham, 6:51; 4-LaSalle, 6:53;
5-Buffalo, 6:57; 6-Coast Guard, 7:00.
Women's Varsity Four (Semifinal):
1--Pittsburgh, 7:20; 2-Bucknell, 7:21; 3-Amherst, 7:36; 4-SEATTLE
PACIFIC, 7:37; 5-Florida tech, 7:40; 6-John Carroll, 7:56.
Women's Novice Four (First round):
1-North Carolina State, 7:29; 2-Marquette, 7:36; 3-SEATTLE
PACIFIC, 7:46; 4-Florida Tech, 8:32.
Champion International, May 14
Worcester, Ma./Lake Quinsigamond
Women's Varsity Four (Grand Final): 1-SEATTLE PACIFIC,
7:36.07; 2-Bucknell, 7:43.11; 3-Pittsburgh, 7:48.39; 4-Vermont,
7:52.89; 5-Mercyhurst, 8:00.58; 6-Orange Coast College, 8:10.83.
Short strokes...
Jefferson figures to have another strong women's four in 2001,
with Gadbois and Pennington due to return to the stern and three
underclassmen oarsmen in the other boat. The men's light four
loses two seniors, including Adam...The women's novice four was a
victim of being in the wrong heat at the wrong time. Despite
finishing third in their heat, they posted the first round's
sixth-best time. Only the top two boats advanced from their heat.
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