The women’s crew competed in the last regatta of its regular season on April 26 at Newport Harbor against Chapman University and UC Santa Barbara. Though UCSD has only had a handful of races away from Mission Bay, Newport, Calif., was a home away from home for the Tritons who competed in five races, finishing first in three. UCSD finished first in both of the novice eight races, first in the novice four, second and third in the varsity four, and second and fourth in the varsity eight races. UCSD is ranked second in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II Western division.
“”It’s been a crazy week for varsity,”” said head coach Patti Pinkerton. “”We’ve had a lot of girls ill; six were out last week.””
The crew entered two boats in the varsity eight race, the UCSD A boat and a UCSD lightweight boat. In this race, UCSB finished in first place with a time of 7:16.0, UCSD A next with 7:19.7, Chapman with 7:24.4 and UCSD lightweight last with 7:49.2.
UCSD’s A boat included Emily Gray, Jen Hasty, Sarah Smolley, Sara Patton, Monica Miller, Stefanie Barriere, Natalie Seitz, Morgan Dawirs and Alexis Kleckner. Rowing in UCSD’s lightweight boat were Anne Roddy, Stephanie Wuerz, Liz Record, Amber Hopkins, Joyce Chang, Bryn Moser, Mel Kaelberer and Tess Kornfield.
Next, UCSD would race in the novice eight. UCSD finished first with 7:12.5, followed by UCSB with 7:24.3 and Chapman at 7:30.4.
UCSD’s boat included coxswain Jen Hildebrand, Lauren Ruiz, Becky Gianotti, Megan McCarty, Kelly Rayome, Karry Davis, Lauren Cooper, Ashley Adams and Dannan Hodge.
UCSB would not be able to beat UCSD in the second novice eight race. UCSD finished with a time of 7:34.6, 17.6 seconds before UCSB.
Rowing for UCSD, were coxswain Arianna Pilram, Sarah Jones, Alex Lloyd, Merilee Parnell, Katie Morris, Carly Moore, Megan Kelly, Alicia Bennett and Jamaica Grace-Bishop.
In the varsity four race, UCSD entered two boats. UCSB finished first at 7:58.0, UCSD lightweight at 8:10.1, UCSD at 8:17.3 and Chapman at 8:24.9.
UCSD’s lightweight boat included coxswain Phoebe Lee, Emily Gray, Tess Kornifield, Stephanie Wuerz and Liz Record. The other varsity four boat included coxswain Claire Doyle, Amanda Shirley, Jen Watters, Amber Hopkins and Lauren Cooper.
The last race of the day was the novice four. UCSD finished at 8:32.6, followed by UCSB at 8:48.4, and Chapman last with 9.08.7.
“”For the first time since I’ve been here, our novices may medal (at WIRA),”” Pinkerton said.
The competition against UCSB and Chapman was the last regatta before the team’s first competition of the postseason. This weekend, May 3 and May 4, UCSD will compete in the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championships at Lake Natoma, near Sacramento. At WIRA, UCSD will compete for a place at the Pacific Coast Rowing Championships two weeks later. The ultimate goal is to get a chance to take part in the NCAA Division II Rowing Championships in Indiana, May 30 through June 1.
“”There will be 23 colleges competing [at WIRA] from California, Oregon (mostly Portland) and Washington,”” Pinkerton said.
Pinkerton’s predictions: JV will probably finish 15th or 16th, varsity four will make it to the finals, the lightweights should medal, and the novice may medal.
“”As one of the five nonscholarship schools, if varsity can make it into the top 12, that would be great,”” she said.
This week, especially Monday and Tuesday, the crews will be working on their starts while the coaches “”nail down”” the final seating arrangements. At the championships, the rowers cannot overlap and row in more than one boat.
