University of Washington
Pac-12 Championships
UW Women's Crew Wins Three Golds At Pac-12 Championships
May 17, 2015 | Women's Rowing
LAKE NATOMA, Calif. – UW women's crew took first place in the varsity four, third varsity eight and second varsity eights on its way to a second-place overall finish at the Pac-12 Conference Championships Sunday, May 17, on Lake Natoma, Calif.
“I was really pleased with the performance of our winning boats,” UW head coach Bob Ernst said. “Those victories show the quality and depth of our team from top to bottom, and we've got a bright future.”
The Huskies took second in the overall point standings. The varsity eight finished in third in its race behind Cal and Stanford, dropping UW to second overall. The Bears took the team conference championship.
“I thought this was the best chance we've had in a long time to win the conference championship, so to come up just short is really disappointing,” Ernst said. “We've just got to move on and get ready for the NCAAs.”
UW women's crew won its first race of the day in dominating fashion, taking first in the third varsity eight with a time of 6:47.34, ten seconds ahead of the next fastest squad. The Huskies had a two-seat lead just 100 meters in. The lead rached a length at 750 meters and UW continued to extend on its way to victory.
The varsity four won a close race against in-state rival Washington State, as the two finished separated by less the two seconds. The Huskies finished in 7:29.95 to the Cougars' 7:31.28. Cal came in third with a time of 7:36.28. UW took an early lead and extended it to a length at the 750-meter mark. WSU charged in the second half of the race to make it interesting, but the Huskies held off the Cougars to win their second race of the day.
The Huskies took first in the second varsity eight, winning by more than a length over Cal. The second varsity boat has yet to lose a race this season. UW finished with a time of 6:39.49.The Huskies got out to a quick start with a five-seat lead at the 250-meter mark. The Huskies would extend to a seven-seat advantage halfway through and ended up with a comfortable victory.
The varsity eight took third in a tight race. Cal and Stanford opened a lead from the start, and the Huskies hung around but couldn't crack the top two. The Bears pulled away as UW inched its way back to within striking distance of the Cardinal, but the Huskies ended up losing by a slim margin to Stanford with a time of 6:38.83.
The Huskies will conclude their season at the NCAA National Championships. Streaming information for the IRA National Championships will be distributed when it is made available. Follow the Huskies on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at @UWHuskyCrew for updates and coverage.
