Huskies men dominate rowing nationals
The top-ranked Washington Huskies captured their third straight men’s rowing national championship by winning all five Grand Final races on Sunday’s final day of the 111th Annual IRA Championship Regatta on Lake Natoma in Gold River, Calif.
It was Washington’s 16th overall rowing championship. The Huskies also won their seventh straight Ten Eyck award, given to the team that earns the most overall points. No other school has won more than four in a row.
The Huskies are the only team to sweep all five Grand Finals and they have now done it the past two seasons.
Washington won its third straight Varsity 8 Grand Final, clocking in at 5 minutes, 39.68 seconds. Harvard (5:42.25) was second, while Brown (5:42.54) was a close third.
The Gonzaga Bulldogs had a school-best 11th-place overall showing after placing fifth in the Open 4 Petite Final in 7:05.68. The Bulldogs also had a fourth-place finish in the Varsity 8 Fourth Final and a sixth-place effort in the Second Varsity 8 Third Final.
Women’s rowing
The Washington State Varsity 4 boat finished sixth to help the Cougars place 14th overall at the NCAA Rowing Championships at Eagle Creek Park in Indianapolis.
WSU amassed 62 points to finish four points behind 13th-place Notre Dame and seven behind 12th-place Michigan.
Ohio State scored 126 points – two points ahead of runner-up California – to earn its first national championship.
WSU’s sixth-place effort was the second best in school history. The Cougars placed fourth in 2006.
The Cougars’ Varsity 8 boat placed second in their heat and 14th overall after being seeded 16th.
WSU’s second Varsity 8 boat finished second in their heat and 14th overall after being seeded 17th.
The Gonzaga Bulldogs won two Fourth Finals and placed fourth in a Third Final to finish 19th overall among 22 teams.
GU’s Varsity 8 and second Varsity 8 picked up victories, while the Varsity 4 placed third in a higher Final race.
It was Gonzaga’s first trip the the championships.
• The Western Washington Vikings placed third at the NCAA Division II National Championships, also at Eagle Creek Park in Indianapolis.
The Vikings have finished in the top three every year since the regatta began in 2002.
Nova Southeastern (Fla.) won the team title, while Barry (Fla.) was second.
Kate Nelson of Moscow was a member of the Vikings’ Varsity 4 boat that placed third in the Grand Final.