May 17, 2014

WCC Rowing Championship Results

GOLD RIVER, Calif. - The University of San Diego women's rowing team swept all three races Saturday morning to take their fourth WCC Championship in the past five years. After the Toreros edged Gonzaga in the Varsity Four and Varsity Eight II races, they closed out with a strong first place performance in the Varsity Eight to take back the WCC title. The Toreros will compete in the NCAA Championships for the first time in school history on May 30 in Indianapolis, Ind.

The Toreros finished the day with 42 points, edging out last year's champion, Gonzaga (36), by six points.

With sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-60's, the Toreros' Varsity Four kicked off the races by outpacing the field by a full 15 seconds. The reigning WCC Crew of the month clocked in at 7:48.0, with second place Gonzaga coming in at 8:03.2.

The Varsity Eight II race was much closer, but the Toreros prevailed to finish 3.1 seconds ahead of the Zags (6:53.6) with a time of 6:50.5.

The Varsity Eight, the WCC Crew of the Month for March, didn't disappoint, putting an exclamation point on the Toreros' dominant Saturday. They finished in 6:48.6, with their closest competition, Gonzaga, coming in at 6:53.9.

On top of winning all three races, the Toreros also swept all the WCC's major awards. Senior Michelle Campbell was named WCC Rower of the Year, Erica Mayer earned Coxswain of the Year honors, Nneka Anyanwu was named Newcomer of the Year, and Kim Cupini was named WCC Coach of the Year for the fifth time in the past six years

Joining Campbell and Anyanwu on the All-WCC team were Taylor Kendzierski and Brianna Lamb, who was named to the team in 2013 as well.

The Toreros, who are just outside the NCAA Top-20 at No. 23, won three straight WCC Championships from 2010-12, but came in second place to Gonzaga last season. The Toreros have now firmly established themselves as one of the top crews on the west coast.

Coming in behind the Toreros and Bulldogs were Saint Mary's and Portland, who tied for third with 27 points. LMU came in fifth with 18 points, followed by Creighton with 12 points and then Santa Clara (five points).

The Toreros will have two weeks to prepare for the NCAA Championships, which take place May 30 in Indianapolis, Ind.

I Four Official Results

1. San Diego - 7:48.0(Cox: Rachel Michel, Kathleen Petrich, Hannah Saddler, Abigail McLauchlin, Katherine (McKenna) Wray)

2. Gonzaga - 8:03.2(Cox: Laura Brasch, Micailah Donner, Madeleine Verspieren, Clare Manthey, Victoria Olney)

3. Portland - 8:21.3(Cox: Andrea Bogan, Olivia Halverson, Alexandria Miller, Lucy Kelly, Kelly Herman)

4. Saint Mary's - 8:33.6(Cox: Sabitri Dolson, Juliana Greco, Natalie Wyatt, Bailey Minardi, Rachel Alvarez)

5. Loyola Marymount - 8:47.0(Cox: Mariana Ugalde, Emily Harris, Katheryn Courson, Kelsey Dunbar, Jana Forney)

6. Creighton - 8:50.1(Cox: Jessica Hasslinger, Jessica Courtney, Anna Yarkosky, Lauren Brendel, Mollie Babich)

II Eight Official Results

1. San Diego - 6:50.5 (Cox: Karli Whittenberg, Megan McNamara, Jennifer Travis, Avalon Koenig, Carla Kinnunen, Uche Anyanwu, Rachael Kincaid, Ellycia Halden, Allyson Ward)

2. Gonzaga - 6:53.6(Cox: Jordan Schroeder, Naomi Medley, Meghan McCallum, Maddie Turbes, Lily Rorick, Alyssa Bashor, Ingrid Stansberry, Wendy Wigg, Hannah Brown)

3. Portland - 7:11.1(Cox: Kelsey Kincaid, Jessie Osborn, Claire Seibold, Suzanne Blair, Kayla Russell, Lauren Wilson, Camden Revell, Tara Molina, Lucy Grimm)

4. Saint Mary's - 7:18.3(Cox: Taylor Boss, Mariah Hemminger, Alexa Gordon, Sharyl Koenig, Kyla Dodsworth, Kiara Grey, Julia Turner, Tessa Cunha, Jessica Anthony)

5. Loyola Marymount - 7:25.1(Cox: Emma Wright, Karina Yalcin, Jessica Burns, Louisa Del Valle, Monica Weaser, Callie Aaker, P.K. Carey-Jones, Ashley Brown, Danielle Ciraulo)

6. Creighton - 7:34.6(Cox: Sarah Steffes, Maria Murray, Whitney Jenich, Laura Jo Washle, Sarah Stephani, Miranda Lonsdale, Whitney Corilon, Isabelle Buhr, Anna Cheek)

7. Santa Clara - 8:04.8(Cox: Ana Burgoes, Mary Smith, Katherine Kilmer, Laura Thompson, Michelle Castro, Ariel Ross, Analisa Goossens, Brenda Arellanoq, Sadhana Bharadwaj)

I Eight Official Results

1. San Diego - 6:48.6 (Cox: Erica Mayer, MJ Keys, Michelle Campbell, Brianna Lamb, Nneka Anyanwu, Megan Goodman, Cristina Morcom, Taylor Kendzierski, Courtney Olson)

2. Gonzaga - 6:53.9 (Cox: Naseeb Bhangal, Madison Keaty, Casey Burt, Kara Soucek, Devyn Bell, Sarah Atkins, Brooklyn Beeler, Malori McGill, Becca Benoit)

3. Saint Mary's - 7:05.9 (Cox: Natalie Livingston, Haley Adams, Maryann Concannon, Sabrina Scott, Katherine Wahl, Ashley Arancio, Marianna Irby, Adriana Palmiere, Michelle Felmlee-Gartner)

4. Portland - 7:11.4 (Cox: Hannah Dahlem, Maggie Keller, Bridget Sloat, Molly Templin, Melissa Gomez, Karen Christiansen, Mia Tarte, Hannah Johnson, Jamie Opra)

5. Loyola Marymount - 7:26.0 (Cox: Jen Koester, Silvia Torsellini, Paulina Lindstedt, Jessica Kegel, Toni Boteva, Numa Dorling, Clara Brackbill, Madison Hodgkins, Ciara Campbell)

6. Creighton 7:32.5 (Cox: Hayley Pilcher, Sarah Birnbaum, Nicole Kamada, Arianna Dalamaggas, Anne Marie Stonikas, Kaitlin Dougherty, Lauren Klick, Shannon Flannery, Meredith Pawlowski)

7. Santa Clara - 7:50.0 (Cox: Megan Alferness, Kelby Nardoni, Katie Bond, Bianca Garcia, Brittany Peters, Veronica Herr, Carina Brocato, Blair Mitchell, Molly Walker)