West Coast, East Coast. They went thatta way. Seattle Pacific University points its crews in the direction of northern California this week, and once they return, puts three of them on planes bound for the East Coast as rowing’s stakes are incrementally raised. The Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association (WIRA) Championships begin Saturday (May 1) near Sacramento. Next week divides the men and women between the Dad Vail Regatta in Philadelphia May 7-8 and the ECAC National Invitational Championships in Worcester, Mass., May 9.

Four get to go. Seattle Pacific is entered in four categories at the WIRA Championships, and the Falcons must be considered top contenders in a couple of those. Coach Keith Jefferson will take the defending regional and national champion women’s varsity four, the unbeaten men’s lightweight four, men’s pair and men’s novice four to Lake Natoma. While the pair and lightweight crews will go directly to the finals Sunday (May 2), the women’s varsity and men’s novice four must finish among the top two to advance. Petite and third finals are Saturday afternoon. Jefferson is already committed to taking the women’s varsity to Massachusetts to defend their crown while the men’s lights and novices will go to Dad Vail.

The teams to beat. The Falcons have come home with gold medals in six events over the last three years, and three rowers have experienced nothing but triumph at the regional level. The women’s four’s Sarah Zorn (Jr., Mercer Island, Wa./Lahser), Heidi Visser (Jr., Wenatchee, Wa.) and Andi Martineau (Jr., Superior, Mt.) were WIRA champs in the varsity class last season and as novices in 2002. As a novice rowing in the varsity boat, Joel Braman (Sr., Wyoming, Mi./Calvin Christian) was a member of the men’s light four which took first in 2001. Seattle Pacific won Northwest Collegiate Rowing Conference titles in both the women’s four and men’s light four last week. The women have won five of six this season and 13 of 16 over two years. The men are now 4-0 this year.

A day at the races. Bouncing back from its only loss, Seattle Pacific won its sixth straight women’s varsity four NCRC title last week on Lake Stevens. The SPU women jumped ahead quickly and went on to finish more than two boat-lengths ahead of Willamette, which had pulled an upset a week earlier in Eureka, Calif. In the men’s light four final, the Falcons coasted to an 9-second margin of victory over Willamette. Bringing home conference silver medals were the men’s novice four, varsity pair and single. The novices held the lead until a wake caused them to catch a crab with 500 meters remaining. In the pair, Puget Sound prevailed by 1 second. Seattle Pacific’s junior varsity women were eighth in the varsity race and fourth in the junior varsity category.

Last Week’s Women's Results

• Varsity 4: 1-Seattle Pacific-A 7:49.5, 2-Willamette 8:01.2, 3-Puget Sound 8:07.8, 4-Humboldt State 8:11.4, 5-Western Washington 8:11.8, 6-Lewis & Clark 8:17.5, 7-Pacific Lutheran 8:18.9, 8-Seattle Pacific-B 8:22.9
• Junior Varsity 4: 1-Puget Sound 8:12.7, 2-Humboldt State 8:13.6, 3-Western Washington 8:18.5, 4-Seattle Pacific 8:20.5, 5-Pacific Lutheran 8:21.1, 6-Willamette 8:47.6, 7-Lewis & Clark 8:50.2

Last Week’s Men's Results

• Varsity 4: 1-Puget Sound 6:48.9, 2-Western Washington 6:54.7, 3-Humboldt State 7:00.6, 4-Portland 7:04.5, 5-Seattle Pacific 7:12.7, 6-Lewis & Clark 7:13.1, 7-Pacific Lutheran 7:14.1, 8-Willamette 7:21.1
• Lightweight 4: 1-Seattle Pacific 7:15.5, 2-willamette 7:24.4, 3-Puget Sound 8:02.8
• Junior Varsity 4: 1-Willamette 7:16.1, 2-Puget Sound 7:21.1, 3-Lewis & Clark 7:31.6, 4-Western Washington 7:33.3, 5-Humboldt State 7:45.1, 6-Pacific Lutheran 7:51.5, 7-Seattle Pacific 7:52.7
• Pair: 1-Puget Sound 8:03.5, 2-Seattle Pacific 8:04.5, 3-Western Washington 8:07.4, 4-Pacific Lutheran 8:17.9, 5-Willamette 9:46.2
• Single: 1-Willamette 9:27.3, 2-Seattle Pacific 9:46.3
• Novice 4: 1-Lewis & Clark 7:40.6, 2-Seattle Pacific 7:49.1, 3-Puget Sound 8:01.4, 4-Pacific Lutheran 8:25.5

Women’s Lineups

• Varsity 4: Stroke–Sarah Zorn; 3–Andi Martineau; 2–Heidi Visser; Bow–Carly Bollen; Coxswain–Joanna Hodgkiss.
  
• Junior Varsity 4: Stroke–Megan Sweeney; 3–Alicia Apple; 2–Elise Spencer; Bow–Laura Colby; Coxswain–Kristina Richards

Men’s Lineups

• Varsity Light 4: Stroke–Joel Braman; 3–Trevor Winters; 2–David Stalsbroten; Bow–Ryan Suess; Cox–Emily Thomas.
  
• Varsity Pair: Varsity Pair: Stroke–Dave Carson; Bow–John Paul Ramirez
  
• Single: Tyler Van Stright
• Junior Varsity 4: Stroke–Dave Carson; 3–Jeremy Bryant; 2–Jason Mobley; Bow–John Paul Ramirez;Cox–Kristina Richards
• Novice 4: Stroke–Phil Chase; 3–Jeremy Bryant; 2–Jason Mobley; Bow–Danny Simmons; Coxswain–Emily Fletcher

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.

Missing links. For the latest and best information on Seattle Pacific University athletics, stay where you're at -- on The Falcons Online..