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Jump in a lake. Adding to its repertoire of rowing venues, the Seattle Pacific University fleet jumps into a lake this week. The Falcons will join crews from Western Washington, Humboldt State and UC San Diego among others, at the Northwest Collegiate Rowing Conference (NCRC) Invitational Saturday (Mar. 31) on Vancouver Lake (Wa.). Next week SPU makes the first of back-to-back trips to Oregon for the Governor’s Cup in Salem.

Now this. So far, Seattle Pacific’s shells have coursed canals and ocean currents. In the next couple weeks lakes and rivers will be added to the fare. While the Pacific Ocean was tricky last week, Vancouver Lake has become synonymous with near-sinkings. A year ago, high winds and rough water prevented all but one SPU boat from racing. Back in 2005, steady rain and crosswinds nearly swamped several crews. Fortunately, there’s no mention of high winds or significant rain in this weekend’s forecast.

The matchups. All four eights from last year’s NCAA West Regional will be in Vancouver for the NCRC Invitational’s women’s varsity race. This will be the first meeting with Western Washington and UC San Diego, while SPU raced Humboldt State last week. Both varsity fours must go through qualifying heats. The men are pitted against Willamette, Seattle University, Pacific Lutheran and Gonzaga, with the women opening with Willamette, Humboldt State, Seattle U., Gonzaga and Portland.

First in a fog. Seattle Pacific won three of the four varsity encounters with host Humboldt State at the Blue Heron Redwood Sprints. The Falcons were first in both the women’s varsity eight and four, and also posted a win in the men’s four. Tides and currents posed the usual problems, but the wild card was dense fog which rolled in to Humboldt Bay. Coach Keith Jefferson said that while SPU won by a boat-length in the women’s varsity eight, fog hung over the final 1000 meters and an incoming tide made steering an adventure for the coxswains. The Falcons won in a time of 7:32.42–7 seconds ahead of the fastest HSU boat. In the women’s four, Seattle Pacific won with plenty of open water. Humboldt’s novice eight and lightweight four won, with SPU placing third in each. In the men’s varsity four, rough water and a poor start could not deter the Falcons from winning handily. In a rare varsity eight outing SPU was second to HSU.

Last week’s results.

Women's Results

• Varsity 8 -- 1-Seattle Pacific 7:32.42, 2-Humboldt State ŒA' 7:39.98, 3-Humboldt State ŒB' 7:47.66, 4-Humboldt State ŒC'7:50.75
• Varsity 4 -- 1-Seattle Pacific 7:36.11, 2-Humboldt State 8:04.67, 3-Mills College 8:17.00
• Novice 8 -- 1-Humboldt State ŒA' 7:12.98; 2-Humboldt State ŒB'7:21.19, 3-Seattle Pacific 7:32.93, 4-Mills College 8:02.47
• Lt 4/JV4 -- 1-Humboldt State ŒA' 7:52.97, 2-Humboldt State ŒB' 8:10.93, 3-Seattle Pacific 8:26.07, 4-Mills College 9:01.58

Men's Results

• Varsity 8 -- 1-Humboldt State 6:21.62, 2-Seattle Pacific 6:32.91, 3-Cal Maritime 7:40.09
• Varsity 4 -- 1-Seattle Pacific 7:32.42, 2-Humboldt State ŒA' 7:39.98, 3-Humboldt State ŒB' 7:47.66, 4-Humboldt State ŒC' 7:50.75
• Novice 4 -- 1-Humbolt State 6:49.78, 2-Seattle Pacific 7:11.06, 3-Cal Maritime 7:30.29
• Lightweight/JV 4 -- 1-Humboldt State 6:45.77, 2-Seattle Pacific 7:18.36

Crew lineups this week.

• Varsity 8: Stroke-Rachel Savage, 7-Katie Wolff, 6-Amy Burns, 5-Zanie McMillan, 4-Kay Chikos, 3-Heather Waggoner, 2-Melissa Blevins, bow-Katie Wilner, coxswain-Megan Giske
• Varsity 4: Stroke-Rachel Savage, 3-Katie Wolff, 2-Amy Burns, bow-Katie Wilner, coxswain-Megan Giske
• Junior Varsity/Lightweight 4: Stroke-Holly Allan, 3-Karene Takamura, 2-Denise Filley, bow–Jessica Bosarge, coxswain-Tricia Omoto
• 2nd Varsity 8: Stroke-Denise Filley, 7-Karene Takamura, 6-Kay Chikos, 5-Heather Waggoner, 4-Melissa Blevins, 3-Zanie McMillan, 2-Holly Allan, bow-Erin Arkin, coxswain-Tricia Omoto

• Varsity 4: Stroke-Jeremy Bryant, 3-Justin Rowley, 2-Ben Zupke, bow-John Chevigny, coxswain-Jeney Wierman or Matt Shi
• Junior Varsity/Lightweight 4: Stroke-Zeke Schellberg, 3-Mark Figueroa, 2-Michael Willcockson, bow-Matt Shi, coxswain-Rose Velasquez
• Novice 4: Stroke-Kris Williams, 3-Erik Bright, 2-Michael Willcockson, bow-Mark Figueroa, coxswain-Rose Velasquez

SPU Coaches. Keith Jefferson has steered Seattle Pacific University into uncharted waters in national prominence during his 16-year tenure as head coach. In the past eight years alone, Jefferson’s Falcons have claimed national titles in seven events, medaled in five 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 is in her fifth year as assistant. She was oarsman of the year and an all-region selection as a senior in 2001. Kip Wassink, who stroked a varsity four at Dad Vail in 1999, returns for his second season on the staff.

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.