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Healthy appetite. Now that they’ve gotten a taste of what it’s like to row at an NCAA Championship, the Seattle Pacific University women’s crew has developed a healthy appetite for such fare. The Falcons, who won the varsity eight petite final in their inaugural NCAA regatta, bring all eight rowers back in 2008.

Proved it. Although it was the newcomer, Seattle Pacific certainly proved it belonged in the national regatta. The women just missed making the cut for the grand final, and won with open water in the petite race. Coach Keith Jefferson was impressed with his crew’s maturity and discipline given its youth and inexperience.

“We achieved our two primary goals,” said Jefferson, alluding to the win, and a superior time to the fourht-place boat in the grand final. “We were racing for respect, and we consider this a launch point for the future.”

Them again. The West Region proved its quality and depth during the national championships. Western Washington won its third straight team crown and UC San Diego was runner-up all the way around. Those two teams had finished ahead of SPU in the regional, and they will remain the powers to overcome if the Falcons are to qualify as a team rather than an at-large eight. New York’s Dowling was third in the varsity eight.

Detailed report. The Falcons raced three times in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and they improved with each outing. In the opening heat, Western broke fast and was never threatened. The Vikings, up by two lengths on Florida’s Nova Southeastern after the first 1000 meters, coasted over the line in 7 minutes, 3.8 seconds. Trailing from the outset, Seattle Pacific matched Nova stroke-for-stroke for the final 1500 meters and was approximately two seats back in an unofficial time of 7:25.0. Needing to finish among the top two boats in the repechage, SPU was down a boat-length to Nova and a distant third to UCSD halfway through. Surging into the sprint, Seattle Pacific closed the gap to four, then to two seats before running out of time in the end. UC San Diego won in 6:59.30, followed by Nova (7:06.22), SPU (7:08.37) and FIT (7:16.55). In the petite final, the Falcons pulled even with Florida Tech at 1000 meters and finished more than a boat-length in front in 7:24.93.

Ahead of schedule. Jefferson had initially speculated that it would take 3-4 years before his program could contend for a medal in the team competition. The objective for ‘08 is for his crew to build on this foundation and also develop a quality four. His crew featured five novices and three second-year rowers. Rachel Savage (So., Encinitas, Ca/San Dieguito) was the stroke for all nine regattas, with Katie Wolff (Jr., Bridgewater, Vt./Mid Vermont Christian), Amy Burns (So., Palm Springs, Ca./Desert Chapel) and basketball convert Rachel Strand (Sr., Shoreline, Wa./King’s) completing the stern four. The bow four consisted of Kay Chikos (Fr., Renton, Wa./Kentridge), Erin Arkin (Fr., Tacoma, Wa./Academy Northwest), Melissa Blevins (Fr., Walla Walla, Wa.) and Katie Wilner (So., Everett, Wa./Everett).

Steering clear. While the rowers will return, Jefferson loses a key figure in all-WIRA and all-conference coxswain Megan Giske (Sr., Gig Harbor, Wa./Gig Harbor). The first cox in 16 years to be named the team’s oarsman of the year, Giske will begin law school in the fall after steering varsity crews for three seasons. Giske made the academic all-district and all-conference teams, and she received the university’s highest career honor, the Falcon Award for Excellence.

Awards, applause. Also earning a major honor was the men’s varsity stroke, Jeremy Bryant (Sr., Gig Harbor, Wa./Gig Harbor), who was the recipient of the Clifford McCrath 101 Scholar Athlete Award. Bryant, an accounting major with a 3.66 grade point average, owns the highest GPA of any graduating four-year letterman in any sport. He also was the male oarsman of the year. Coaches awards went to John Chevigny (Sr., Seattle, Wa./Roosevelt) and Denise Filley (Fr., Mesa, Az./Dobson), and Justin Rowley (So., Kenmore, Wa./Inglemoor) and Karene Takamura (So., Bellevue, Wa./Sammamish) were voted most inspirational.

Crew lineup

Women’s Varsity 8: Stroke-Rachel Savage (So., Encinitas, Ca/San Dieguito), 7-Katie Wolff (Jr., Bridgewater, Vt./Mid Vermont Christian), 6-Amy Burns (So., Palm Springs, Ca./Desert Chapel), 5-Rachel Strand (Sr., Shoreline, Wa./King's), 4-Kay Chikos (Fr., Renton, Wa./Kentridge), 3-Erin Arkin (Fr., Tacoma, Wa./Academy Northwest), 2-Melissa Blevins (Fr., Walla Walla, Wa.), bow-Katie Wilner (So., Everett, Wa./Everett), coxswain-Megan Giske (Sr., Gig Harbor, Wa./Gig Harbor).

NCAA Championship results.

• Varsity Eights
  • Heat 1: 1-Dowling 7:00.92, 2-UC San Diego 7:03.64, 3-Florida Tech 7:32.17
  • Heat 2: 1-Western Washington 7:03.80, 2-Nova Southeastern 7:23.35, 3-Seattle Pacific NT (unofficial 7:25.0)
  • Repechage: 1- UC San Diego 6:59.30, 2-Nova Southeastern 7:06.22, 3-Seattle Pacific 7:08.37, 4-Florida Tech 7:16.55
  • Petite Final: 1-Seattle Pacific 7:24.93, 2-Florida Tech 7:32.76
  • Grand Final: 1-Western Washington 7:03.80, 2-UC San Diego 7:09.51, 3-Dowling 7:12.93, 4-Nova Southeastern 7:28.30
• Varsity Fours
  • Grand Final: 1-Western Washington 8:08.72, 2-UC San Diego 8:14.71, 3-Nova Southeastern 8:44.83
  • Team Scoring: 1-Western Washington 20, 2-UC San Diego 15, 3-Dowling 8, 4-Nova Southeastern 5

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.