SPOKANE, Wash. (October 18, 2025) – The Washington State women's rowing team got off to a strong start to the 2025-26 season with a trio of first-place finishes at the Head of the Spokane on Saturday morning.
"Today was a solid day of racing top to bottom," said Head Coach
Jane LaRiviere. "A lot of improvements between races – a great team effort."
The day's opening flight started with the Women's Collegiate Eights pushing off, which resulted in the WSU 1V8 finishing first with the best time of 16:46, followed by the WSU 2V8 in third (17:08) and the 3V8 in seventh (18:23).
WSU's 1V4 also placed first in the first flight of the Women's Collegiate Four with a time of 19:14, and the Cougar 2V4 right behind them in second (19:31).
The second flight started at 10:30 with the Women's Collegiate Fours, seeing the Cougar 2V4 place second (19:24) and the 1V4 immediately following in third (19:25).
In the second flight of Women's Collegiate Eights, the WSU 3V8 placed second (18:40) between Gonzaga's 1V8 and 2V8 shells.
The day ended with the Women's Collegiate Pairs and the Cougars taking the top three spots with the 2A crossing first (19:52), followed by the 2C in second (20:09) and the 2B in third (20:14). Then came the WSU 2D in fifth (20:28), 2H in seventh (20:46), 2E in eighth (20:48), 2G in ninth (21:06), and 2F in 11th (21:21).
Next weekend, the Cougs continue the fall portion of their schedule at the Head of the American on Saturday, Oct. 25 at Lake Natoma in Gold River, Calif.
Head of the Spokane Results
Flight #1
Women's Collegiate 8+
1) Washington State 1V8 – 16:46 (Sam Eden, Megan van Leeuwen, Jaeve Proberts, Freddy Todhunter, Siena Snow, Harriet Thompson, Elsie Talbot, Saskia Steltman; Coxswain Vera Lichvarcik)
2) Gonzaga 1V8 – 16:53
3) Washington State 2V8 – 17:08 (Emery Town, Adela Mrakova, Lis Ana Johansen, Elle Kadir, Charlotte Bohannon, Lucy Munro, Phoebe Dedlow, Isabelle Delavoye; Coxswain: Phoebe Nagy)
4) Gonzaga 2V8 – 17:20
5) Gonzaga 3V8 – 17:50
6) Gonzaga 4V8 – 17:52
7) Washington State 3V8 – 18:23 (Josie Walters, Mariah Zepeda, Brianna Brownlee, Olivia Sloma, Wendy Kissinger, Ava Jared, Natalie Spring, Kate Schroeder; Coxswain: Avary Wagner)
8) Gonzaga N8 – 18:43
Women's Collegiate 4+
1) Washington State 1V4 – 19:14 (Anna Otto, Makayla Tuley, Kati Chow, Daniella Vicente; Coxswain: Sara Torres)
2) Washington State 2V4 – 19:31 (Poppy Montgomery, Ella Steidle, Elle Donohue, Abby Cady; Coxswain: Eesha Raj)
Flight #2
Women's Collegiate 4+
1) Gonzaga 2V4 – 19:17
2) Washington State 2V4 – 19:24 (Poppy Montgomery, Ella Steidle, Elle Donohue, Abby Cady; Coxswain: Eesha Raj)
3) Washingtyon State 1V4 – 19:25 (Anna Otto, Elle Kadir, Phoebe Dedlow, Daniella Vicente; Coxswain: Sara Torres)
4) Gonzaga 1V4 – 20:01
Women's Collegiate 8+
1) Gonzaga 1V8 – 18:36
2) Washington State 3V8 – 18:40 (Jennifer Rogg, Kennedy Cardona, Sophia Lim, Olivia Sloma, Wendy Kissinger, Ava Jared, Natalie Spring, Kate Schroeder; Coxswain: Keira Johnson)
3) Gonzaga 2V8 – 18:44
Women's Collegiate Pairs
1) Washington State 2A – 19:52 (Siena Snow/Harriet Thompson)
2) Washington State 2C – 20:09 (Sam Eden, Saskia Steltman)
3) Washington State 2B – 20:14 (Elsie Talbot/Megan van Leeuwen)
4) Gonzaga 2B – 20:20
5) Washington State 2D – 20:28 (Isabelle Delavoye/Freddy Todhunter)
6) Gonzaga 2A – 20:34
7) Washington State 2H – 20:46 (Makayla Tuley/Emery Town)
8) Washington State 2E – 20:48 (Lucy Munro/Lis Ana Johansen)
9) Washington State 2G – 21:06 (Jaeve Proberts/Kati Chow)
10) Gonzaga 2F – 21:14
11) Washington State 2F – 21:21 (Adela Mrakova/Charlotte Bohannon)
12) Gonzaga 2E – 21:44
13) Gonzaga 2C – 21:56
