UW Rowers Earn Top Honors At Burnaby Lake Small Boat Invitational

BURNABY, B.C., Canada – The Washington women's rowing team opened its fall season by taking top honors in the women's pairs at the 10th annual Burnaby Lake Small Boat Invitational Sunday.
 
Two UW pairs shared the victory by winning each of the two stages of the two-part event.  McKenna Bryant and Isabel van Opzeeland won the 4,000-meter head race and, later in the day, Ella Cossill and Teal Cohen won a 250-meter sprint, contested among the top-six finishers in the 4K.
 
The regatta was split into two stages for the 18 various race categories, which included men's and women's singles, doubles and pairs over various age groupings. In each case, all competitors raced in a 4,000-meter time trial. For the women's pairs, which included eight UW entries and another seven from the University of British Columbia, the top six finishers in the 4K then raced in a 250-meter sprint for the final places.
 
In the 4K race, Washington took the top three places, followed by pairs from UBC in places four through seven.
 
The pair of Bryant and van Opzeeland finished the 4,000-meter course in 16:28.06, less than one second faster than Cossill and Cohen, who finished in 16:28.78. Washington's Brittani Shappell and Nikki Martincic took third place, in 16:34.18, more than 12 seconds ahead of UBC's top pair.
 
In the afternoon sprint race it was Cossill and Cohen who came out on top, winning the sprint in 51.31, more than two seconds ahead of a UBC pair that took second.
 
Bryant and van Opzeeland finished third and fourth, respectively, with the two remaining UBC crews taking fifth and sixth.
 
The Washington women have just two more events this fall, as they co-host the Head of the Lake on Nov. 7 before traveling to the Head of the Lagoon Nov. 13 in Foster City, Calif. Next Saturday, the Washington men compete for this first time this fall, at the Head of the Housatonic, in Connecticut.
 
UW Results
Women's Pairs
 
4,000-meter head race:
1. McKenna Bryant & Isabel van Opzeeland – 16:28.06
2. Ella Cossill & Teal Cohen – 16:28.78
3. Brittani Shappell & Nikki Martincic – 16:34.18
8. Taylor Buell & Fiona Shields – 17:27.94
10. Grace Epp & Ines Blondel – 17:53.34
12. Grace Vander Griend & Victoria Park – 18:06.49
13. Claire Marion & Laurel Safranek – 18:12.47
14. Haley Stoker & Katie Dolan – 18:23.56
 
250--meter sprint race:
1. Ella Cossill & Teal Cohen – 51.31
3. McKenna Bryant & Isabel van Opzeeland – 54.27
4. Brittani Shappell & Nikki Martincic – 55.09