Rowing Continues Fall Season in Spokane
WSU Rowing Travels to Spokane: The Washington State women’s rowing team will compete in its second regatta of the fall season. The Cougars travel to Spokane, Wash. for the Head of the Spokane regatta at the Gonzaga Boathouse on the Spokane River Saturday, Oct. 25.
The 2014 Head of the Spokane: Racing will begin at 9 a.m. Saturday at the Gonzaga Boathouse on the Spokane River...the race is in head format, in which the boats start at intervals, racing both the clock and each other...the Head of the Spokane is hosted by the Gonzaga men’s and women’s rowing teams...the race covers a 5,000-meter stretch of the Spokane River.
Last Year at the Head of the Spokane: Last year in Spokane, the Cougars competed against Gonzaga in their second regatta of the fall season…the WSU varsity eight recorded the second fastest women’s time of 16:38...the Cougars finished the five-kilometer race just four seconds behind Gonzaga’s varsity eight (16:34)...WSU’s second varsity eight crossed the finish line next with a time of 16:50...the women out-stroked both Gonzaga’s second varsity eight (17:41) and third varsity eight (17:43)...the Cougar third varsity eight finished in 18:20...in a later heat, the varsity four A finished in 18:30 followed by varsity boat B (19:07) and varsity boat C (19:23)...the Cougar novice eight also raced in the second flight...the women out-stroked all three of Gonzaga’s novice eight boats and finished with a time of 21:11...in the final flight, WSU’s second novice eight competed and gathered a time of 22:55.
WSU Head Coach Jane LaRiviere on the Head of the Spokane: “It’s the closest event where there’s Division I competition, and Gonzaga is always a worthy foe. It’s also a regatta where we get a lot of parents, boosters, supporters and friends who make the trip up from Pullman or the trip over from the west side. So, it’s usually kind of a festive environment. The weather has been so good around here, I’m not sure what to expect, but that river in Spokane always seems to be pretty cold. So, if you come watch us this weekend, bundle up.”
WSU Head Coach Jane LaRiviere on the progress this fall: “It’s been good. We are still kind of keeping in touch with the smaller boats. I had a few out there on Saturday. We’ve been forming crews and it ends up being a reward for the kids that worked really hard this summer. They end up usually showing pretty well and moving the small boats is a way to get into the big boats. I’m happy with the way things are coming along. We have a few sicknesses and injuries and things like that we have to overcome, but it’s only fall and those sorts of things will work themselves out.”
Coaching Staff: Jane LaRiviere is in her 13th year as head coach of the WSU women’s rowing program...the Cougars have raced in eight 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.
Next up for the Cougars: WSU will close out the fall season Sunday, Nov. 2 at the Head of the Lake, hosted by Washington.