April 29, 2005

Lake Natoma, CA - The Saint Mary's women's rowing team finished in a tie for fourth place in the 2005 West Coast Conference rowing championships on Friday. The Gaels finished the event with eight points and tied Santa Clara for fourth place.

The Gonzaga women's rowing team claimed its ninth straight West Coast Conference rowing title Friday afternoon at Lake Natoma, Calif. by sweeping all three events at the WCC Rowing Championships for a commanding eight point win over second place San Diego. The Bulldogs captured 30 points, followed by San Diego with 22 in second place. Loyola Marymount finished third overall with 20 points, followed by Saint Mary's and Santa Clara with eight points apiece.

Gonzaga posted a first place finish in the I-Eight event for the eighth time in the last nine years with a time of 7:51.6. San Diego captured second place in the event with a time of 8:03.1, while last year's winner in the event, Loyola Marymount, came in third with a time of 8:21.1. Saint Mary's finished fourth with a time of 8:25.9, and Santa Clara finished fifth, posting an 8:29.7 mark.

In the II-Eight event, Gonzaga finished first for the sixth straight year with a time of 7:07.5, while Loyola Marymount came in second for the second straight season with a time of 7:12.3. San Diego collected a third place finish in the event with a time of 7:21.9, and Santa Clara rounded out the field with a time of 7:42.1. Saint Mary's did not enter a boat in the II-Eight event.

Gonzaga claimed the I-Four event for the sweep with a time of 7:51.6, a year after being edged out of first place by Saint Mary's in the same event. San Diego captured second place with a time of 8:03.1, while Loyola Marymount came in third with a time of 8:21.1. Saint Mary's finished fourth, posting an 8:25.9 mark and Santa Clara came in fifth with a time of 8:29.7.

The Bulldogs were rewarded for their first place finish by landing three members on the All-WCC team in Karen O'Hagan, Kari Durgan, and Sarah Allison. San Diego also placed three members on the all-conference team in Jacquelin Harris, Christy Baker, and coxswain Alicia Cresap. Rounding out the all-conference team were Loyola Marymount's Vanessa Glendenning, SMC's Lindsay Juricich, and Santa Clara's Laura Hellenthal. San Diego's Joan O'Hara was named Coach of the Year in her first season as head coach of the Toreros.

I-Eight
1. Gonzaga, 6:58.3, 15 points
2. San Diego, 7:02.3, 12 points
3. Loyola Marymount, 7:03.3, 9 points
4. Saint Mary's. 7:25.2, 6 points
5. Santa Clara, 7:31.0, 3 points
II-Eight
1. Gonzaga, 7:07.5, 10 points
2. Loyola Marymount, 7:12.3, 8 points
3. San Diego, 7:21.9, 6 points
4. Santa Clara, 7:42.1, 4 points
I-Four
1. Gonzaga, 7:51.6, 5 points
2. San Diego, 8:03.1, 4 points
3. Loyola Marymount, 8:21.1, 3 points
4. Saint Mary's, 8:25.9, 2 points
5. Santa Clara, 8:29.7, 1 point
2005 All-West Coast Conference Rowing Team
Karen O'Hagan, Gonzaga
Kari Durgan, Gonzaga
Sarah Allison, Gonzaga
Jacquelin Harris, San Diego
Christy Baker, San Diego
Vanessa Glendenning, Loyola Marymount
Lindsay Juricich, Saint Mary's
Laura Hellenthal, Santa Clara
Coxswain - Alicia Cresap, San Diego
Coach of the Year
Joan O'Hara, San Diego