CLEMSON, S.C. – No. 14 Washington State University rowing's second varsity eight and varsity four won their 'B' Finals, and the varsity eight defeated four other ranked crews, for third, in its 'A' Final, as the Cougars placed fourth as a team, on Lake Hartwell, Sunday, at the Clemson Invitational.
 
"The whole team showed up with a lot of grit today," said WSU head coach Jane LaRiviere. "It was great to see our toughness. All the finals were tightly packed, which was a lot of fun to watch. The Cougs battled for every meter and it was another step forward. We have more room for growth and we will start working on that, Tuesday."

Washington State, ranked 14th in the latest poll, finished with 105 total points, 60 points for third in the varsity eight, 30 for the second varsity eight and 15 for the varsity four. No. 5 Texas won the team championship with 130 points, followed by No. 4 Ohio State in second (125 points) and No. 11 Wisconsin in third (117 points). No. 10 Virginia also compiled 105 points, but falls to fifth, since WSU placed higher in the varsity eight race. No. 15 Syracuse (sixth, 100), No. 19 Duke (seventh, 92), No. 20 Indiana (eighth, 88), UCLA (ninth, 84) and Oklahoma (10th, 80) rounded out the top 10.
 
After a competitive opening day at the Invite, the varsity eight (coxswain – Jenna Mangiagli, Emily Morrow, Mihaela-Teodora Berindei, Ieva Adomaviciute, Lucie Weissova, Nicole Hare, Paige Danielson, Kristel Tohu, Isabella Watt) battled No. 5 Texas and No. 4 Ohio State in the 'A' Final. WSU nearly beat the fourth-ranked Buckeyes, crossing at 6:22.410. OSU finished the course at 6:21.298 and the fifth-ranked Longhorns won the heat at 6:15.100. WSU finished ahead of No. 10 Virginia, No. 11 Wisconsin, No. 15 Syracuse and No. 20 Indiana.
 
In the 'B' Final, WSU's second varsity eight (coxswain – Ellie Burg, Emily Morrow, Brittany Brooks, Chloe Rogers, Ivy Elling Quaintance, Jenna Kennedy, Lori VerMurlen, Jessi Howe, Taija Thompson) was able to outlast Oklahoma in the final sprint, winning by less than half of a second at 6:46.229. The Cougars also crossed ahead of UCLA, Tennessee, Gonzaga, No. 18 Louisville, and UCF.
 
Also in a 'B' Final, the Cougar varsity four (coxswain – Mikaelyn Davis, Renee Kemp, Rosalina Torcivia, Kamila Ondrackova, Sue Yu) was the second WSU boat to claim victory, Sunday. In another race decided by less than a second, it was the Cougars who had the final stroke, crossing at 7:38.204. WSU beat No. 15 Syracuse, Minnesota, UCLA, Gonzaga, Penn, and Columbia.
 
In the Cougars' final race of the day, the WSU third varsity eight (coxswain-Hannah Welzbacker, Grace Arnis, Jill Hannink, Hunter Jones, Emily Vandegrift, Sara Brevick, Madeleine Bingham, Mahal Johnson, Miranda Armstrong) placed third in its 'B' Final. Virginia 'B' and Oklahoma finished in the top two spots, and WSU completed the race at 7:36.988. The Cougars defeated four other crews including No. 19 Duke and host Clemson.
 
The Cougars will return home Saturday, April 29 against rival Washington on the Snake River at Wawawai Landing. The regatta will mark the final tune up for WSU before the 2017 Pac-12 Championships, May 14.
 
 
Clemson Invitational – Final Session
Sunday, April 23 | 7:30 a.m. ET | Lake Hartwell – Clemson, S.C.
Results – 61° & Rain– 7 mph winds
 

Team Championship Point Breakdown
Rank/Team	1V8	2V8	1V4	Total
1.           Texas	66	44	20	130
2.           Ohio St	63	40	22	125
3.           Wisconsin	54	42	21	117
4.           Washington St.	60	30	15	105
5.           Virginia	48	38	19	105
6.           Syracuse	57	34	9	100
7.           Duke	39	36	17	92
8.           Indiana	51	32	5	88
9.           UCLA	45	26	13	84
10.         Oklahoma	36	28	16	80
11.         Louisville	30	20	18	68
12.         UCF	42	18	7	67
13.         Tennessee	33	24	2	59
14.         Gonzaga	21	22	12	55
15.         Penn	24	14	11	49
16.         Columbia	27	4	10	41
17.         Navy	18	12	6	36
18.         Minnesota	12	10	14	36
19.         Clemson	9	16	3	28
20.         Oregon St.	15	6	4	25
21.         Cornell	6	8	8	22

Varsity 8+ 'A' Final (Overall Place)
1. No. 5 Texas, 6:15.100
2. No. 4 Ohio State, 6:21.298
3. No. 14 Washington State, 6:22.410
4. No. 15 Syracuse, 6:23.803
5. No. 11 Wisconsin, 6:25.410
6. No. 20 Indiana, 6:25.658
7. No. 10 Virginia, 6:28.425

WSU Varsity Eight Lineup
coxswain-Jenna Mangiagli
stroke-Emily Morrow
7- Mihaela-Teodora Berindei
6-Ieva Adomaviciute
5-Lucie Weissova
4-Nicole Hare
3-Paige Danielson
2-Kristel Tohu
bow-Isabella Watt

Second Varsity 8+ 'B' Final (Overall Place) 
8. No. 14 Washington State, 6:46.229
9. Oklahoma, 6:46.692
10. UCLA, 6:52.107
11. Tennessee, 6:54.404
12. Gonzaga, 6:55.417
13. No. 18 Louisville, 6:57.257
14. UCF, 6:58.614

WSU Second Varsity Eight Lineup
coxswain-Ellie Burg
stroke- Chloe Rogers
7-Taija Thompson
6- Jessi Howe
5-Ivy Elling Quaintance
4-Jenna Kennedy
3-Lori VerMurlen
2-Emily Thomson
bow-Brittany Brooks


Varsity 4+ 'B' Final (Overall Place)
8. No. 14 Washington State, 7:38.204
9. Minnesota, 7:38.834
10. UCLA, 7:43.090
11. Gonzaga, 7:43.273
12. Penn, 7:44.790
13. Columbia, 7:49.129
14. No. 15 Syracuse, 7:50.529

WSU Varsity Four Lineup
coxswain-Mikaelyn Davis
4-Renee Kemp
3-Rosalina Torcivia
2- Kamila Ondrackova
bow-Sue Yu


Third Varsity 8+ 'B' Final (Overall Place)
8. No. 10 Virginia 'B', 7:23.825
9. Oklahoma, 7:25.823
10. No. 14 Washington State, 7:36.988
11. Minnesota Novice, 7:40.796
12. No. 19 Duke, 7:41.270
13. Clemson, 7:50.465
14. UCF, 7:54.628

WSU Third Varsity Eight Lineup
coxswain-Hannah Welzbacker
stroke-Grace Arnis
7-Jill Hannink
6- Hunter Jones
5-Emily Vandegrift
4-Sara Brevick
3-Madeleine Bingham
2-Mahal Johnson
bow-Miranda Armstrong