WSU rowing heads down to Golden River, California, this weekend to race against some of the top boats in the nation in the Big Ten Invitational.
The Cougars are bringing four boat crews to compete: the first varsity eight (1V8+), second varsity eight (2V8+), first varsity four (1V4+) and second varsity four (2V4+).
Last weekend at the Fawley Cup, both of WSU’s 2V8+ and 1V4+ crews improved their times by 15 seconds or better from the San Diego Crew Classic. The 1V8+ finished roughly 15 seconds slower.
Head coach Jane LaRiviere, after the Fawley Cup, said the 1V8+ crew’s time of 7:23.04 in comparison to the 2V8+ boat’s 7:12.87 was “unusual.” To her credit, the Cougars 1V8+ performed much better at the Crew Classic, recording a 7:08.75. It had also been 371 days since the team last competed on the Snake River when it raced Gonzaga last Saturday.
The Cougs compete on Lake Natoma this weekend, a place where they raced in the fall.
“We’re familiar with where we’re staying. We’re familiar with where the [rowers] are going to eat,” LaRiviere said in her weekly press conference.
However, the competition will not be any easier. All boats will compete three times, facing the same opponents during each session.
The first racing session for all the Cougar boats is tomorrow at 10:30 a.m. Each is up against No. 9 University of California-Berkeley, No. 23 Indiana and the University of Minnesota.
Cal and Minnesota will likely be the toughest competition. Both of their varsity eight boats recorded times under seven minutes in their most recent regatta. Their 1V4+ crews also finished in under 7:45.
Last weekend, WSU’s 1V4+ finished at 8:09.51 and its 2V4+ at 8:31.24.
Indiana, despite its national rank, is the opponent WSU could upset. In both teams’ most recent regattas, Indiana had a faster crew in the 1V8+ (6:57.9) and 2V4+ (8:19.2), but WSU’s 2V8+ and 1V4+ boats recorded quicker times in their races.
The second session of racing is tomorrow evening, starting at 5:20 p.m. The Cougs will face off against Michigan State, USC, UC-San Diego and Wisconsin.
The Cougars should find success against Wisconsin, UCSD and Michigan State. The Cougs’ varsity eight boats and 1V4+ already finished ahead of both Wisconsin and UCSD at the Crew Classic. Comparing Michigan State’s most recent regatta against Eastern Michigan to how WSU performed last weekend, only the Spartans’ 1V8+ had a faster time.
USC’s varsity eight boats recorded sub-seven-minute results, and the 1V4+ posted a sub-7:40 two weeks ago. This makes them the favorites in tomorrow night’s session.
The final session of racing for the Cougs’ varsity eights and fours is Sunday morning, beginning at 9:04 a.m. They race against USC, Gonzaga, Minnesota and No. 20 UCLA.
The toughest will be USC and Minnesota, given their recent performances. UCLA could also cause trouble for WSU because the Bruins finished one place ahead of the Cougars in each race at the Crew Classic.
Gonzaga is the opponent WSU is most likely to finish ahead of, at least in the varsity eights. The Cougars’ 1V8+ only finished three seconds behind the Zags last weekend, while WSU’s 2V8+ finished 12 seconds faster than Gonzaga. If the Cougars have a better race with their best lineup, there is a chance they can get their revenge.
The Bulldogs won the 1V4+ and 2V4+ races, but the first varsity only finished two seconds before the Cougars.
This Invitational is the Cougars’ second-to-last regatta before the WCC Championships, which will determine if the team makes the NCAA Rowing Championships. The regatta can be streamed on B1G+, the official Big Ten streaming service.
