Race to the cut. With three of its crews still unbeaten, Seattle Pacific University takes its rowers across town to the Husky Invitational Saturday morning (Apr. 5). The Falcons and several other schools, including the likes of Washington, Western Washington, Puget Sound, Pacific Lutheran, Gonzaga and Portland, will race from Lake Washington through the Montlake Cut to Portage Bay. Next week SPU ventures south to Salem for the Governor's Cup.

Say it with daffodils. Extending their unbeaten string to 14 races, the SPU women's varsity four crew won the Daffodil Cup on American Lake last week. The Falcons also took first place in the women's junior varsity four and men's pair, each earning their second win in as many regattas. Seattle Pacific's varsity four, which was 12-0 as a novice boat a year ago, finished with open water on second-place Puget Sound. That lineup is stroke Sarah Zorn (So., Mercer Island, Wa./Lahser), Shannon Buehler (So., Yakima, Wa./Eisenhower), Heidi Visser (So., Wenatchee, Wa./Wenatchee) and Andi Martineau (Jr., Superior, Mt./Superior). The coxswain is Lindsay Dilschneider (Sr., Yakima, Wa./West Valley). The JV boat rowed to a 13-second win over the Loggers and the men's pair of Tyler Van Stright (Jr., Grand Rapids, Mi./Grand Rapids Christian) and Reid Shipley (Sr., Escondido, Ca./An Pasqual) coasted to a 16-second margin. Also in Tacoma, the women's novice four was second to UPS while the men's novice four and varsity four finished third and fifth, respectively.

Daffodil Cup Results

Lineups

SPU Coaches. Keith Jefferson has steered Seattle Pacific University into uncharted waters in national prominence during his 12-year tenure as head coach. In the past four years alone, Jefferson's Falcons have claimed national titles in four events, medaled in four others and won regional crowns in seven. A past oarsman, alumnus and assistant coach, Jefferson became the fifth head coach at Seattle Pacific University in the fall of 1990. This spring he has taken a leave of absence after being called up to active duty with the U.S. Marine Corps. An active member of the Marines from 1983-87, Jefferson, a major in the reserves, will retire from the reserves upon his return in June. Jessica Pennington, assistant to Jefferson for the past year, will serve as interim head coach. She will be assisted by Trisha Sawatzky. 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. Sawatzky was a member of last year's national championship pair, all-region pick and SPU co-athlete of the year. Under Jefferson, the Falcons have emerged 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. Sawatzky and Kimberly Tschetter won the varsity pair title in 2002 along with the novice four. 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 18 times at the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association and Pacific Coast Rowing Championships, including seven golds. SPU has totaled 36 Northwest Collegiate Rowing titles since 1994, punctuated by the school's first overall conference women's crown in 2001.

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.