Ready, row. Many of the key rowers are back but the Seattle Pacific University crew will be without its admiral for the 2003 season. The Falcons, having won four women's national titles in the past three years, will race in the Daffodil Cup on Tacoma's American Lake Saturday (Mar. 29). Next week will mark their only hometown appearance, at the Husky Invitational.

His country called. Keith Jefferson, head coach of men's and women's rowing at Seattle Pacific the past 12 seasons, will miss the season while taking a leave of absence for active duty with the U.S Marine Corps. Jefferson, a major in the reserves, departed in November for a six-month hitch, beginning in Hawaii. An active member of the Marines from 1983-87, he will retire from the reserves upon his return in June. Under Jefferson, the Falcons have emerged as a regional and national force in small college rowing. Prior to last year's national crowns in the women's varsity pair and novice four, the women's varsity four won back-to-back championships in 2000 and 2001 after placing third in 1999.

The fleet is hers. Serving as interim head coach in Jefferson's absence is Jessica Pennington, assistant to Jefferson for the past year. Pennington was oarsman of the year and an all-region selection as a senior in 2001 when she rowed in the national title varsity four. She will be assisted by Trisha Sawatzky, a member of last year's national championship pair, all-region pick and SPU co-athlete of the year.

The fearsome foursome. A year ago, they left everybody in their wake, winning all 12 starts, including conference, regional and national (Dad Vail) titles. Now that Falcons' novice four has grown up and has become the varsity four and a formidable one at that. Stroke Sarah Zorn (Fr., Mercer Island, Wa./Lahser), Shannon Buehler (Fr., Yakima, Wa./Eisenhower), Heidi Visser (Fr., Wenatchee, Wa./Wenatchee) and Andi Martineau (So., Superior, Mt./Superior) opened the spring with a clear (8.5 seconds) victory at the four-school scrimmage Mar. 15 on American Lake. As novices, their average winning margin was 38 seconds, including a 7-second cushion at nationals. While the quartet of Zorn, Buehler, Visser and Martineau returns intact, they do have a slightly new look with Lindsay Dilschneider (Sr., Yakima, Wa./West Valley) now the coxswain.

For openers. The women won all three of their races at the preseason scrimmage with Puget Sound, Pacific Lutheran and Lewis & Clark. In addition to the varsity four, the SPU junior varsity and lightweight fours finished 1-2 in a combined race and the novice four won by a boat-length. The men were first in the pair, second in the light/J.V. and novice fours and a close third in the varsity four. Three of the four oarsmen-stroke Tyler Van Stright (Jr., Grand Rapids, Mi./Grand Rapids Christian), Reid Shipley (Sr., Escondido, Ca./An Pasqual) and Trevor Winters (Jr., Spokane, Wa./North Central)-from the varsity four return. Van Stright and Shipley comprise the pair. They finished fourth in the region last season.

Women's preseason scrimmage results

Women

• Varsity 4: 1-Seattle Pacific 8:27.9; 2-Puget Sound 8:36.4; 3-Pacific Lutheran 8:57.3; 4-Lewis & Clark 9:16.5; 5-Puget Sound 'B' 9:33.4.
• Lightweight/JV4: 1-Seattle Pacific JV no time; 2-Seattle Pacific Lwt +23.6; 3-Pacific Lutheran JV +41.5; 4-Puget Sound JV +43.0; 5-Puget Sound Lwt +1:07.8.
• Novice 4: 1-Seattle Pacific 9:35.0; 2-Pacific Lutheran 9:41.6; 3-Puget Sound 9:49.4; 4-Lewis & Clark 10:20.7; 5-Pacific Lutheran 'B' 10:48.5; 6-Puget Sound 'B' 11:16.0.

Men

• Varsity 4: 1-Puget Sound 7:43.7; 2-Pacific Lutheran 7:48.2; 3-Seattle Pacific, 7:50.7; 4-Puget Sound 'B' 8:01.8; 5-Lewis & Clark 8:19.9
• Lightweight/JV4: 1-Puget Sound JV 7:50.0; 2-Seattle Pacific Lwt 7:55.2; 3-Puget Sound 8:05.4; 4-Pacific Lutheran Lwt 8:17.5
• Pair: 1-Seattle Pacific 8:28.1; 2-Puget Sound 8:53.2
• Novice 4: 1-Puget Sound 8:20.2; 2-Seattle Pacific 8:30.4; 3-Pacific Lutheran 9:31.6

Women's lineups.

• Varsity 4: Stroke-Sarah Zorn; 3-Shannon Buehler; 2-Heidi Visser; Bow-Andi Martineau; Cox-Lindsay Dilschneider.
• Varsity Light 4: Stroke-Andrea Reichert; 3-Julie Vieselmeyer; 2-Elyse Cansler; Bow-Erin Cox; Cox-Joanna Hodgkiss
• Novice 4: Stroke-Katie Reed; 3-Sara Ronhovde; 2-Alicia Apple; Bow-Carley Bollen; Cox-Emily Thomas.
• Junior Varsity 4: Stroke-Sarah Zorn; 3-Andi Martineau; 2-Heidi Visser; Bow-Kristina Richards; Cox-Lindsay Dilschneider.

Men's lineups.

• Varsity 4: Stroke-Tyler Van Stright; 3-Reid Shipley; 2-Joel Braman; Bow-Trevor Winters; Cox-Emily Thomas.
• Varsity Light 4: Stroke-Joel Braman; 3-Trevor Winters; 2-Kyle Glines; Bow-David Stalsbroten; Cox-Emily Thomas.
• Novice 4: Stroke-Adam Skagen; 3-Jon Paul Ramirez; 2-David Carson; Bow-Ryan Suess; Cox-Dana Jacobe.
• Varsity Pair: Stroke-Tyler Van Stright; Bow-Reid Shipley.

Missing links. For the latest and best information on Seattle Pacific University athletics, stay where you're at -- on The Falcons Online. For updated standings and statistics, see the Great Northwest Athletic Conference web site.