Back to Tacoma. Better weather and tougher opposition likely awaits the Seattle Pacific University crews Saturday (Mar. 30) when they return to Tacoma's American Lake for the Daffodil Cup regatta. The Falcons, who encountered snow and winds on those waters a couple weeks ago, will meet rowers from Western Washington, Willamette, Puget Sound and Lewis & Clark. Next week they race at the Husky Invitational through the Montlake Cut.

Primer course. Seattle Pacific will get a good look at a few of its traditional rivals for Cascade Sprints and conference titles this weekend. Western Washington narrowly lost the women's overall title to SPU in 2001 and the Vikings were runner-up to UPS for the men's crown. Unlike past years, the Cascade Sprints will be contested not on American Lake but rather Lake Stevens Apr. 27. Both the Falcon women's varsity and novice fours have enjoyed great success in Tacoma, each winning their last four races there, dating back to March of 2000.

Rolling a seven. The Falcons went seven-for-seven at last week's Raptor Cup with Seattle University. Both the men's and women's lightweights defeated the Redhawks in the varsity four categories. SPU also won both pairs, the women's novice four and women's varsity eight. There was plenty of open water in each event with the closest race (37 seconds) coming in the men's pair.

Last week's results:
Women's Varsity 2: 1-Seattle Pacific, 8:02; 2-Seattle University, 9:52
Men's Varsity 2: 1-Seattle Pacific, 7:42; 2-Seattle University, 8:19
Women's Varsity 4: 1-Seattle Pacific (LW); 8:02; 2-Seattle University, 8:45
Men's Varsity 4: 1-Seattle Pacific (LW), 7:09; 2-Seattle Pacific (Nov), 7:24; 3-Seattle University, 7:50
Women's Novice 4: 1-Seattle Pacific, 7:58; 2-Seattle University, 9:21
Women's Varsity 8: 1-Seattle Pacific, 7:31; 2-Seattle University, 8:23

Women's lineups.

• Varsity 4: Stroke­Andrea Reichert; 3­Julie Vieselmeyer; 2­Elyse Cansler; Bow­Trisha Weber; Cox­Lindsay Dilschneider.
• Varsity Light 4: Stroke­Andrea Reichert; 3­Julie Vieselmeyer; 2­Elyse Cansler; Bow­Erin Cox; Cox­Joanna Hodgkiss
• Novice 4: Stroke­Sarah Zorn; 3­Shannon Buehler; 2­Heidi Visser; Bow­Andi Martineau; Cox­Emily Thomas.
• Junior Varsity 4: Stroke­Kimberly Tschetter; 3­Trisha Sawatzky; 2­Heidi Visser; Bow­Shannon Buehler; Cox­Lindsay Dilschneider.
• Varsity Pair: Stroke­Kimberly Tschetter; Bow­Trisha Sawatzky.
• Varsity 8: Stroke­Andrea Reichert; 7­Julie Vieselmeyer; 6­Kimberly Tschetter; 5­Trisha Sawatzky; 4­Sarah Zorn; 3­Andi Martineau; 2­Elyse Cansler; Bow­Trisha Weber; Cox­Lindsay Dilschneider.

Men's lineups.

• Varsity 4: Stroke­Mike Lucero; 3­Trevor Winters; 2­Kyle Glines; Bow­Joel Braman; Cox­Jennifer Helseth.
• Varsity Light 4: Stroke­Mike Lucero; 3­Trevor Winters; 2­Kyle Glines; Bow­Joel Braman; Cox­Jennifer Helseth.
• Novice 4: Stroke­Phil Walter; 3­Peter Small; 2­David Johns; Bow­Brandon Cooper; Cox­Kristina Richards.
• Varsity Pair: Stroke­Tyler Van Stright; Bow­Reid Shipley.

SPU Coaches. A past oarsman, alumnus and assistant coach, Keith Jefferson has steered Seattle Pacific University into uncharted waters in national prominence during his 11-year tenure as head coach. Jefferson, 40, became the fifth head coach at Seattle Pacific University in the fall of 1990, and has overseen the rise of the Falcons as a regional force in small college rowing. Both men's and women's boats have proved competitive at the national level in recent years. The women's varsity four won back-to-back Avaya Collegiate Championships in 2000 and 2001 after placing third in 1999. The men's four finished fifth in the Intercollegiate Rowing Association in 1995, the lightweight four was second at Dad Vail in 2000 and the novice four third in 2001. Regionally, Jefferson's fleet has medaled 14 times at the Pacific Coast Rowing Championships, including six golds. SPU has totaled 32 Cascade Sprint titles since 1994, punctuated by the school's first overall conference women's crown in 2001. Jefferson succeeded Jim Schultz as coordinator of both the men's and women's programs after serving two seasons as an assistant. A graduate of Bothell High School, Jefferson rowed for Seattle Pacific from 1979-83. He was a member of the light four which advanced to the semifinal at the Dad Vail Regatta in Philadelphia in 1982. Jefferson is a current member of the U.S. Marine Corps reserves, holding the rank of captain. He served his active duty in the Marines from 1983-87. Returning for his second year as an assistant is Josh Adam, a member of the light four which took second at the 2000 Dad Vail. Jessie Pennington, a rower on both of the varsity national champions, joins the staff this season.