How to win the West. Graduating from the conference to regional championship level this week, Seattle Pacific University will send five crews to the Sacramento area and the WIRA (Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association) Championships beginning Saturday (Apr. 30) on Lake Natoma. The women’s varsity four will no sooner return to Seattle than board an eastbound flight for the ECAC National Invitational Championships May 7-8 in Worcester, Mass.

Going forward. Coach Keith Jefferson has entered the Falcons in the men’s and women’s varsity fours, men’s and women’s novice fours and in the men’s pair this week. SPU is the two-time defending champion in the women’s four and has taken either first or second place each of the last five years. The men won last season’s lightweight four crown. While the pair must be among the top three in it’s qualifying heat to reach Sunday’s grand final, the other boats must finish among the top two of their respective Saturday heats to advance. Petite and third finals are Saturday afternoon.

Teams to beat. Seattle Pacific’s combined regional plunder over the last four years includes eight golds in four events. However, while this year’s women’s four is bound for nationals it is not the dominant crew of the past couple years. Last week the Falcons were beaten at the NCRC Championships for the first time in seven years by Puget Sound. Still, that crew is seeded along with Gonzaga, last year’s runner-up, and Long Beach State, which defeated SPU April 2. The men’s pair is another frontrunner for a gold.

Conference call. SPU brought home a gold medal to go along with two silvers and a bronze at the NCRC last week. Carly Bollen (Jr., Missoula, Mt./Valley Christian) and Andi Martineau (Sr., Superior, Mt.) won the women’s pair title, with the women’s varsity four finishing second to a revamped UPS lineup and the men runner-up to the Loggers in the men’s pair. In their first race together this season, Bollen and Martineau–the stern pair of the four–stroked to a decisive 46-second win over Willamette in 8 minutes, 25 seconds. Puget Sound finished 6 seconds in front of SPU in the women’s four final. The Falcons had beaten the Loggers by 9 seconds a month ago. Jeremy Bryant (So., Gig Harbor, Wa./Gig Harbor) and Jason Mobley (Sr., Burien, Wa./Highline) were second to UPS in the men’s pair by 10 seconds. The men were third in the second varsity four race.

Women’s results.

• Varsity 4: 1-Puget Sound 7:06.8, 2-Seattle Pacific 7:12.1, 3-Western Washington 7:19.0, 4-Pacific Lutheran A 7:19.3, 5-Willamette 7:26.4, 6-Lewis & Clark 7:35.3, 7-Humboldt State 7:38.9, 8-Pacific Lutheran B 8:15.9
• Pair: 1-Seattle Pacific 8:25.6, 2-Willamette 9:11.0, 3-Puget Sound 9:14.7, 4-Pacific Lutheran 10:20.0 Novice 4: 1-Western Washington 7:48.9, 2-Pacific Lutheran 8:01.2, 3-Puget Sound A 8:02.9, 4-Humboldt State 8:15.1, 5-Puget Sound-B 8:24.1, 6-Seattle Pacific 8:32.3, 7-Willamette 8:35.1, 8-Lewis & Clark 8:46.6
• Second Varsity 4: 1-Humboldt State 8:03.9, 2-Western Washington 8:07.5, 3-Pacific Lutheran 8:11.0, 4-Seattle Pacific 8:16.0, 5-Willamette 8:21.3, 6-Puget Sound A 8:29.9, 7-Lewis & Clark 8:35.6, 8-Puget Sound B 8:52.8

Men’s results.

• Varsity 4: 1-Puget Sound 6:28.9, 2-Lewis & Clark 6:34.4, 3-Humboldt State 6:40.8, 4-Western Washington 6:41.2, 5-Seattle Pacific 6:45.3, 6-Willamette 6:47.3
• Novice 4: 1-Lewis & Clark 6:44.8, 2-Puget Sound A 6:45.7, 3-Western Washington 6:48.9, 4-Puget Sound B 7:07.4, 5-Seattle Pacific 7:17.0, 6-Willamette 7:23.9, 7-Humboldt State 7:55.2
• Pair: 1-Puget Sound-A 7:31.5, 2-Seattle Pacific 7:41.9, 3-Willamette 7:56.0, 4-Pacific Lutheran 8:23.8, 5-Puget Sound B 8:40.7, 6-Lewis & Clark 9:31.2
• Second Varsity 4: 1-Puget Sound 7:09.0, 2-Humboldt State 7:22.4, 3-Seattle Pacific 7:27.5, 4-Lewis & Clark 7:32.3, 5-Willamette 7:35.8, 6-Western Washington 7:41.1

Women’s lineups.

• Varsity 4: Stroke–Carly Bollen; 3–Andi Martineau; 2–Alicia Apple; Bow–Megan Sweeney; Coxswain–Megan Giske
• Novice 4: Stroke–Kimberly Leinstock; 3–Katie Bobson; 2–Carolyn Robbins; Bow–Claire Walter; Coxswain–Megan Giske

Men’s lineups.

• Varsity 4: Stroke–Jeremy Bryant; 3–Jason Mobley; 2–Ben Zupke; Bow–Jon Paul Ramirez; Coxswain–Jeney Wierman
• Novice 4: Stroke–Ben Zupke; 3–Nate Shockey; 2–Charles Lowenkopf; Bow–Matt Hall; Cox–Jeney Wierman

SPU Coaches. Keith Jefferson has steered Seattle Pacific University into uncharted waters in national prominence during his 14-year tenure as head coach. In the past six years alone, Jefferson’s Falcons have claimed national titles in seven events, medaled in four others and won regional crowns in 10. 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 n 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 daughter, Emma, and reside in the Greenwood neighborhood of Seattle. Jessica Pennington served as interim head coach in 2003 and returns as an assistant for her fourth 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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