Southbound. Trucks and trailers bearing Seattle Pacific University racing shells will be a common sight southbound on Interstate 5 the next few weeks as the next three rowing regattas take place in bodies of water ranging from Vancouver, Wa. to Humboldt Bay in California. This Saturday (Apr. 3) is the shortest drive, the NCRC Invitational on Lake Vancouver. Next week the Falcons venture to Salem, Or., for the Governor’s Cup.

Everybody in the water. This week’s races will draw crews from up and down the West Coast, from Western Washington to UC San Diego. Seattle Pacific is entered in six events: the men’s varsity four, lightweight four, junior varsity four and novice four, and the women’s varsity and JV fours. The men’s varsity open four will be pitted against Willamette, Lewis & Clark, Portland, Puget Sound and Western while the women’s varsity will face Lewis & Clark, Mills, Pacific Lutheran, Portland, UC San Diego and Oregon.

Four out of six ain’t bad. At last week’s Daffodil Cup, SPU won four of the six events it entered. The women’s four successfully defended its crown, finishing with open water on second-place Pacific Lutheran. Also taking first place were the men’s varsity pair (by 40 seconds), novice four (by two boat-lengths) and junior varsity four (by a bow over UPS). SPU, after taking the lead initially, was second in the women’s JV four. The men’s light four crew was overmatched in taking fourth among heavyweights.

Last week’s Women's results

• Varsity 4: 1-Seattle Pacific 9:04.1, 2-Pacific Lutheran 9:18.9, 3-Puget Sound "B" 9:373, 4-Lewis & Clark 9:42.6, 5-Puget Sound "A' 9:50.3, 6-Savannah 9:52.1
• JV 4: 1- Western Washington 9:50.0; 2-Seattle Pacific 10:08.0, 3-Puget Sound 10:13.7, 4-Lewis & Clark 10:41.0

Last week’s Men's results

• Varsity 4: 1-Western Washington 8:00.0, 2-Puget Sound 8:18.0, 3-Savannah 8:30.0, 4- Seattle Pacific 8:34.0, 5-Washington State 8:41.0, 6-Pacific Lutheran 8:41.7, 7-Lewis & Clark 9:04.0
• Novice 4: 1-Seattle Pacific 8:34.3, 2- Lewis & Clark 8:44.3, 3-Western Washington 9:01.7, 4-Pacific Lutheran 9:13.3, 5-Puget Sound 9:57.3
• Varsity Pair: 1-Seattle Pacific 9:23, 2-Puget Sound 10:03, 3-Savannah 10:42
• JV4: 1- Seattle Pacific "A" 8:27.51, 2-Puget Sound "B" 8:29.0, 3-Puget Sound "A" 8:36.1, 4-Pacific Lutheran 8:52.1, 5-Lewis & Clark "A" 8:55.0, 6-Seattle Pacific "B" 8:57.5, 7-Lewis & Clark "B" 9:11.0, 8-Western Washington 9:21.01

Women’s lineups.
Varsity 4: Stroke–Sarah Zorn; 3–Andi Martineau; 2–Alicia Apple; Bow–Carly Bollen; Coxswain–Joanna Hodgkiss.
Junior Varsity 4: Stroke–Heidi Visser; 3–Elise Spencer; 2–Megan Sweeney; Bow–Laura Colby; Coxswain–Sue Weiseth

Men’s lineups.
Varsity 4: Stroke–Joel Braman; 3–Trevor Winters; 2–David Stalsbroten; Bow–Ryan Suess; Cox–Emily Thomas.
Varsity Light 4: Stroke–Joel Braman; 3–Trevor Winters; 2–David Stalsbroten; Bow–Ryan Suess; Cox–Emily Thomas.
Novice 4: Stroke–Ryan Flynn; 3–Jeremy Bryant; 2–Jason Mobley; Bow–Danny Simmons; Coxswain–Emily Fletcher
Varsity Light 4: Stroke–Joel Braman; 3–Trevor Winters; 2–David Stalsbroten; Bow–Ryan Suess; Cox–Emily Thomas. Varsity Pair: Stroke–Dave Carson; Bow–John Paul Ramirez.
Junior Varsity 4: Stroke–Dave Carson; Bow–John Paul Ramirez; 3-Jason Mobley; Bow–Ryan Flynn; Coxswain–Kristina Richards

SPU Coaches. Keith Jefferson has steered Seattle Pacific University into uncharted waters in national prominence during his 13-year tenure as head coach. In the past five years alone, Jefferson’s Falcons have claimed national titles in six events, medaled in four others and won regional crowns in eight. A past oarsman, alumnus and assistant coach, Jefferson became the fifth head coach at Seattle Pacific University in the fall of 1990. In 2003 he took a leave of absence after being called up to active duty with the U.S. Marine Corps. A lieutenant colonel in the reserves, Jefferson was an active member of the Marines from 1983-87. Jefferson succeeded Jim Schultz as coordinator of the program 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. Keith and his wife Lori have a son, Randy, and reside in the Greenwood neighborhood of Seattle. Jessica Pennington served as interim head coach in 2003 and returns as an assistant for her third season. 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.

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