Conference cruise. A sensational start for Seattle Pacific University's rowers and the women's crews in particular will be put to the test Saturday (Apr. 27) when the Falcons join their fellow oarsmen for the Northwest Collegiate Rowing Championships on Lake Stevens. SPU is the defending overall women's team champion and five boats will be trying to repeat as winners. The Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championships follow May 4 in Sacramento.

Change of venue. Known as the Cascade Sprints until recently, the NCRC regatta gets a new venue as well this season. After being held on Tacoma's American Lake for each of the last seven years, the races move north to Snohomish County. Seattle Pacific rowers are somewhat familiar with the setting, having raced on Lake Stevens twice last fall.

Defending champs. The Falcon women are three-time defending champions in the varsity four and novice four categories, and have won the last two years in the light four. Last year they also took first in the second novice four and edged Western Washington, the winner of four races in the eights, for the conference crown. The SPU men rowed to a gold medal in the light four. Puget Sound took the men's overall title, followed by Western. Others expected to compete are Humboldt State, Pacific Lutheran, Willamette, Lewis & Clark, Oregon and Seattle University.

Streak extended. Seattle Pacific remained undefeated in women's lightweight and novice fours this season and the Falcons notched their fifth victory in six outings in the varsity fours at the 19th annual Blue Heron Redwood Sprints last week on Humboldt Bay. Also winning for SPU were the men's light four and women's single, pair and junior varsity four. In fact, Seattle Pacific won each of its six women's races and the men took second place in two of their three. The Falcons withstood stiff challenges from Oregon in both the women's varsity and light fours. They beat the Ducks by a bow in the open race and by just over a boat-length in the lights. The novice four cruised to a 33-second win over host Humboldt State. In the men's light four, Seattle Pacific picked up its third win of the season by edging California by 3 seconds. Willamette was the winner in the varsity and novice fours. Steadily increasing winds forced event marshals to shorten the course from its full 2,000 meters as the day progressed.

Last week's results:

Varsity 2: 1-Seattle Pacific 7:32; 2-Willamette 7:41
Varsity 4: 1-Seattle Pacific 6:40; 2-Oregon 6:41; 3-Willamette 6:53; 4-Saint Mary's 6:55; 5-Humboldt State 7:09
Light 4: 1-Seattle Pacific 6:40; 2-Oregon 6:45; 3-Humboldt State 6:54; 4-California 6:58; 5-Saint Mary's 7:23
Singles: 1-Seattle Pacific 7:56; 2-Humboldt State 11:15
Novice 4: 1-Seattle Pacific 5:40; 2-Humboldt State 6:13; 3-Saint Mary's 6:16; 4-Oregon 6:22; 5-Mills 7:00; 6-Pacific 7:33
JV 4: 1-Seattle Pacific 7:33; 2-Oregon 7:44; 3-Humboldt State 7:59
Team Standings: 1-Humboldt State 61; 2-Willamette 32; 3-Seattle Pacific 27; 4-California 24; 5-Oregon 21; 6-Saint Mary's 9; 7-Mills 6

Men's Results
Varsity 4: 1-Willamette 6:18; 2-Seattle Pacific 6:28; 3-Saint Mary's 6:51; 4-Oregon 7:21
Light 4: 1-Seattle Pacific 6:33; 2-California 6:36; 3-Oregon 7:08; 4-Saint Mary's 7:19
Novice 4: 1-Willamette 4:57; 2-Seattle Pacific 5:08; 3-Saint Mary's 5:09; 4-Humboldt State 6:06; 4-Pacific 6:15
Team Standings: 1-Willamette 27; 2- California 24; 3-Saint Mary's 22; 4-Seattle Pacific 13; 5-Oregon 6; 6-Humboldt State 4; 7-Mills 0

Women's lineups.

• Varsity 4: Stroke­Andrea Reichert; 3­Trisha Sawatzky; 2­Kimberly Tschetter; Bow­Julie Vieselmeyer; 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: Stroke­Sarah Zorn; 3­Andi Martineau; 2­Heidi Visser; Bow­Shannon Buehler; Cox­Lindsay Dilschneider.
• Varsity Pair: Varsity Pair: Stroke­Kimberly Tschetter; Bow­Trisha Sawatzky.

Men's lineups.

• Varsity 4: Varsity 4: Stroke­Mike Lucero; 3­Reid Shipley; 2­Joel Braman; Bow­Trevor Winters; Cox­Jennifer Helseth.
• Varsity Light 4: Stroke­Mike Lucero; 3­Trevor Winters; 2­Peter Small; 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.