Washington State University Athletics
No. 16 Rowing Opens Season at Pac-12 Challenge
Cougar Rowing Opens Spring Season In Bay Area: No. 16 Washington State rowing will compete in its first races of the 2014-15 spring season at the 2015 Pac-12 Women’s Challenge...the Cougars travel to Redwood City, Calif. for the third-annual Pac-12 Women’s Challenge, Saturday March 28 and Sunday March 29...Saturday racing will being at 9:10 a.m. and the Cougars’ final race of the day will begin at 2:40 p.m...Sunday, the Cougars’ first race is at 9:10 a.m. and they will start their final race at 10:10 a.m...race updates are available by following @Pac12Challenge on twitter.
The 2015 Pac-12 Women’s Challenge: No. 5 Stanford women’s rowing hosts the 2015 Pac-12 Women’s Challenge...boats will compete in a two-kilometer race that takes place in the protected waters of the Redwood Shores community...residential developments line the course, and many spectators will be able to view the action from their backyards...other viewing points are located at the starting line, the bridge at the 1000-meter point, and along the shore and launch area...crews from No. 2 Virginia, Oklahoma, No.4 California, Oregon State, and No. 5 Stanford will compete alongside WSU...each team and its opposition will race head-to-head in an array of two-team races...WSU faces No. 5 Stanford, No. 2 Virginia, and No. 4 California, Sunday...the Cougars will race Oklahoma and No. 5 Stanford, Sunday.
Last Time at Pac-12 Women’s Challenge: The Cougars are competing in the Pac-12 Challenge for the first time and competing at Redwood Shores for the first time since the 2008 Stanford Invitational...at the Stanford Invitational, the varsity crews swept the two days of racing against Stanford, UCLA, Central Florida, Victoria, and St. Mary’s...the novice eight defeated UCLA on the first day and placed second on the second day.
WSU Head Coach Jane LaRiviere on the Start of the 2015 Season: “I think we’re a couple weeks ahead of where we typically are going into our first race. We still can’t rest on that, but we feel pretty good about it and we’ll go down to the Bay Area fit and strong. It’s time to start racing. You can only practice for so long. Racing is the fun part, so we’re ready to go.”
WSU Head Coach Jane LaRiviere on the Pac-12 Women’s Challenge: “With Virginia, Oklahoma, and four Pac-12 schools, it’s a good chance for some out-of-conference racing. We get to face Cal, who finished second at the NCAAs, and Stanford, who finished fouth, on the first day of racing and we don’t expect them to have slowed down. We know that we’ll have to be ready and hopefully we rise up to the competition.”
Coaching Staff: Jane LaRiviere is in her 13th year as head coach of the WSU women’s rowing program...the Cougars have raced in nine NCAA Championships under LaRiviere...she is joined by associate head coach Josh Adam, novice coach Devon Carroll, assistant coach Corrie McGrath and coordinator of operations Karl Huhta...Adam is in his fifth year after coaching his prior two years at Indiana...Carroll is in her third year with the Cougars and first as the novice coach...McGrath is in her seventh year at WSU, after coaching stints at Clemson and Central Florida...Huhta is in his first year as coordinator of operations and third year overall, after being a volunteer coach in 2009-10.
Pac-12 In The Rankings: Six Pac-12 rowing teams are ranked and one is receiving votes in the latest CRCA/USRowing Coaches Poll - presented by Pocock Racing Shells...California is the top-ranked Pac-12 team at No. 4...Bay Area rival Stanford is No.5...WSU's cross-state rival Washington is ranked seventh...USC is ranked 10th...the UCLA Bruins are the nation's 11th-best team...Washington State is ranked 16th...Oregon State is currently receiving votes.
Next up for the Cougars: The Cougars will host Gonzaga in the first of two spring home regattas, April 4 at 9 a.m. at Pullman, Wash. on the Snake River.
