CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Washington State University women's rowing seniors Jordan Watson and Morgan Cathrea have earned Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) Region 5 First Team and Second Team honors, respectively, the organization announced Thursday.
A native of Victoria, British Columbia, Watson is in her fourth season with the Cougars, having rowed with the varsity eight crew her senior, junior and sophomore years after rowing with the novice team as a freshman in 2013. She was a part of the varsity eight crew that placed ninth at the NCAA Championships last season and 15th at the NCAA Championships in 2014. This season the Cougars are ranked 14th in the country heading into the NCAA Championships this week.
Also a native of Victoria, British Columbia, Cathrea is also in her third season with the Cougars' varsity eight boat after transferring from Michigan State prior to her sophomore year in 2014. Like Watson she was also a member of last year's varsity eight crew that placed ninth at the 2015 NCAA Championships and 15th at the 2014 NCAA Championships.
Watson is receiving first team honors for the second-straight year and becomes the 15th Cougar to receive CRCA Region 5 First Team honors (previously All-West Region) for the 22nd time and is now eligible for CRCA All-America Accolades, which will be announced following the NCAA Championships. Watson also becomes just the fourth Cougar to earn regional first team honors multiple times and the first since Sarah Waterfield in both 2006 and 2007. Cathrea becomes the 12th Cougar to receive CRCA Region 5 Second Team honors for the 13th time. This season marks the ninth time that WSU has had multiple honorees on either the first or second teams.
Eleven of the 13 first team and all seven of the second team CRCA region 5 honorees came from Pac-12 schools, led by California and Stanford with four apiece (California – three first team, one second team; Stanford – two first team, three second team), while UCLA had one selection on the first team and Oregon State had one on the second team.
To receive the CRCA honors, nominated student-athletes are evaluated on the strength of their team's regional finish, coaches' recommendations and 2,000-meter erg score. Nominees must be eligible student-athletes who have competed in their schools' varsity boat in 75 percent of races this season.
The Cougars will begin competition at the NCAA Rowing Championships Friday, May 27. Competition runs through Sunday, May 29 at Lake Natoma at Gold River, Calif.
CRCA West First Team All-Region 5
Kendall Chase, University of California, Berkeley
Inger Kavlie, University of California, Berkeley
Charlotte Seiring, University of California, Berkeley
Simone Jacobs, Stanford University
Lilly Tinapple, Stanford University
Krisztina Gyimes, University of Southern California
Athina Angelopolou, University of Southern California
Sarah Dougherty, University of Washington
Jordan Watson, Washington State University
Kara Soucek, Gonzaga University
Uche Anyanwu, University of San Diego
Marie J. Jacquet, University of California, Los Angeles
Leigh Warner, Stanford University
CRCA West Second Team All-Region 5
Jacinta Edmunds, University of California, Berkeley
Ellie Parker, Stanford University
Kay Rusher, Stanford University
Madara Strautmane, University of Southern California
Danielle Olson, University of Washington
Morgan Cathrea, Washington State University
Jessica Stewart, Oregon State University