The WSU rowing team is gathering their oars in preparation for their upcoming regatta against the Gonzaga Bulldogs Saturday at Wawawai Landing on the Snake River.

The two teams will race for the highly-regarded Fawley Cup, which has been held by the Cougars for three consecutive years and 25 times total.

The Cougars are coming off of their first win of the season which was against the Oregon State Beavers. The win on Dexter Lake in Lane County, Oregon, brought the Winchell Cup back to Pullman, which is given every year to the overall winner of the dual regatta between WSU and OSU.

In the win, the Cougars got the regatta started with a thrilling victory in the First Varsity 8 race, clocking in at 6:42.7. WSU finished the race just 2.5 seconds before the Beavers crossed the finish line.

The Beavers crossed the finish line first in the Second Varsity 8 race, with WSU coming in five seconds after with a time of 7:00.9.

The race day concluded with a Cougar win in the Varsity 4 race, as WSU crossed the finish line with a time of 7:35.2 to clutch a win in the overall meet. The Cougars will host the Beavers once more on May 1 at Wawawai Landing.

“We have a lot of respect for Oregon State, it’s our longest-standing dual meeting,” WSU head coach Jane LaRiviere said. “We always look forward to seeing them every year.”

The Bulldogs put up a strong performance in the Varsity 4 and the Varsity 8 race as they opened up the season at the CVEATC Invitational on March 14 in Chula Vista, California.

Gonzaga took second place in both races at that invitational with San Diego placing first and Loyola Marymount placing third.

Gonzaga was supposed to have another regatta against the Washington Huskies on March 27, but it was canceled due to COVID-19 protocol.

The race will be the Cougars’ first home regatta of the season. The start time has yet to be announced.