Results

WEST WINDSOR, Wash. — The Pacific Lutheran University women's rowing team was back at the NCAA Division III Championships on Friday for the first time since 2022, with the Lutes' varsity eight and second varsity eight boats both logging a pair of fourth place finishes.

"What a journey! We're so proud of this team and how they have handled the new pressures of a national championship so far," said first-year Head Coach Matt Oclander. 

"From the busy, wild waters of the practice sessions, to finally lining up and seeing the speed of the field. We have big goals and targets to compete at the highest levels in DIII, which we saw up close and personal today, but we have to go about our journey to get there. We need to be where we are now before we get to the next level, and the team understands that. We're lucky to be competing here with such a young and enthusiastic squad."
 
The Lutes' second varsity eight opened the day, finishing fourth in their preliminary heat with coxswain Sylvie Manz and the crew of Sareena Dhaliwal, Kaylyn Sanford, Carleigh Templin, Ashley Teague, Mackenzie Poppe, Miram Greer, Suzie Roberts, and Sophia Pancoast navigating the 2,000-meter course on Mercer Lake in eight minutes, 49.984 seconds. 
 
Defending NCAA Champion Tufts University won the race in 7:02.132 with Bates College and Wellesley University finishing second and third, respectively. 
 
The 2V would shave off five seconds in the afternoon's repechage race, clocking a time of 8:45.864. The Lute 2V's afternoon effort included rowing the second half of the race faster than the first half, closing the final 500-meters in 2:10.09.

Wellesley snagged the win in the 2V repechage race, clocking a time of 7:11.589 with Ithaca College runner-up. 

PLU's varsity eight boat had a fast start in the preliminary race, covering the opening 500-meters in 1:47.984 and finishing fourth overall in 7:27.035. Louisa Compton was coxswain for the varsity eight that was crewed by Riah Heil, Kennadi Jones, Adia Carei, Tate Trahan, Maddie Anderson, Abby Andrews, Kat Judd, and Makayla Hall. 

Tufts won the preliminary race with a time of 6:51.046 with Bates and Ithaca the next two boats across the line. 

The repechage race saw the PLU 1V finish fourth in 7:28.955, filling in behind crews from Ithaca, Saint Mary's College of Maryland and Wellesley. Ithaca boasted a winning effort of 7:00.496.

"The V8+, in the Spirit of Ollala, has been really solid in their process this week. Each practice session got better and better, and the execution of their race plan from the heat to the rep was a great step up. Also our 2V in the Spirit of '02 raced a more consistent piece to take four seconds off of their heat time. We have one more race for both boats in the petite finals, and we're ready to race hard and leave everything on the water! Go Lutes!"

PLU, the automatic qualifier from the Pacific Region, is making its seventh trip to the NCAA Championships and first since the 2022 season. The Lutes previously raced as a team on the national stage in 2022, 2021, 2019, 2018, 2016, and 2002, while sending a varsity eight boat to the regatta in 2017.
 
The Lutes are back on Lake Mercer tomorrow morning, with the II eight racing at 8 a.m. (Eastern) and the I eight rowing at 8:16 a.m. (Eastern). The 2V will be racing Saint Mary's in the Petite Finals with the 1V squaring off against Wellesley.