Troubled waters no more. Plugging a potential gap in the schedule, the Seattle Pacific University crews will venture farther south into Oregon Saturday (Apr. 12), competing at the Covered Bridge Regatta rather than the originally-scheduled Governor's Cup. The latter was canceled due to high water and swift current on the Willamette River. Near Eugene, the Falcons will be joined by teams from Evergreen, Lewis & Clark, Oregon, Oregon State and Portland on the waters of Dexter Lake. The following weekend SPU travels to northern California for the Blue Heron Redwood Sprints.

Four makes it 15 in a row. Seattle Pacific remained undefeated in women's varsity four races, prevailing by 27 seconds in its heat at last week's Husky Invitational in Seattle. The Falcons won for the second year in the Montlake Cut. They moved to 3-0 on the season and the lineup of rowers 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) is now 15-0 as collegians. They finished more than three boat-lengths ahead of Washington's No. 3 boat. The top two UW crews went 1-2 in the other varsity four heat. An SPU lightweight crew took third behind the Huskies' two boats in its men's varsity four heat and, fielding eights for the first time this spring, the women and men each finished third in their respective heats.

Husky Invitational 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.