SEATTLE – The Washington men's rowing team won all of its races Saturday morning on Montlake Cut, beating Santa Clara and Gonzaga in first and second varsity eights and taking the top spot in three races in the Husky Open.
The Huskies, who opened their season nearly a month ago with a win over Dartmouth in Las Vegas, were back in competitive action for the first time this season, having held the intra-squad Class Day Regatta last weekend.
"It was great to get back to racing," UW head coach
Michael Callahan said. "Changing the mentality from training to preparation to execution of races was the focus."
Washington took the top spot in each of its races, including a win by the second freshman crew over the first freshman boat in the Husky Open third varsity eight race.
Varsity Eight vs. Santa Clara & Gonzaga
After a relatively tight start, Washington's top boat continually stretched its lead over the course of the 2,000 meters to earn a win over the Broncos and Bulldogs. Coxed by senior
Rielly Milne and stroked by
Michiel Mantel, the Huskies finished in a time of 5:47.835, several length ahead of Santa Clara in second. Gonzaga finished a close third in 6:15.007.
Second Varsity Eight vs. Santa Clara & Gonzaga
Washington's second varsity eight earned a 31-second victory over the field in its race. With Braeden Daste at the controls and
Tennyson Federspiel rowing in the stroke seat, the Huskies got out to the lead from the start and increased it throughout. The Huskies' time of 5:55.172 was good for first, in front of Santa Clara (6:26.569) and Gonzaga (6:35.902).
Husky Open: College Men's Varsity Eight
In the first collegiate race of the Husky Open, Washington's third varsity eight beat crews from Washington State and Puget Sound. Bothell's
Evan Olson stroked the Husky boat to the win, crossing the finish line in a time of 6:01.348. WSU's first varsity eight was second (6:28.001), ahead of UPS in third (6:44.971).
Husky Open: College Men's Second Varsity Eight
In the Husky Open 2V8 race, Washington's fourth varsity eight performed similarly to the other Husky entries before it, taking the early lead and stretching it throughout the race. Led by coxswain
Kimmons Wilson, the Husky eight finished in 6:07.504, ahead of WSU's second varsity eight (6:33.566) and Gonzaga's third boat (6:36.433).
Husky Open: College Men's Third Varsity Eight
In what was easily the closest finish of the day, at least in collegiate races, the Huskies' second freshman boat (which actually included four upperclassmen) edged the Huskies' freshman eight to win by a mere 24 one-hundredths of a second. The first freshman boat led after 500 and 1,000 meters, but by the 1,500-meter buoy, freshman coxswain
Adam Gold had moved his crew in front by about a second and a half. The other Husky entry narrowed the gap considerably, but couldn't catch the Husky 2F, which finished in a time of 5:59.170. The first freshman boat had a time of 5:59.410, while freshmen entries from WSU took third and fourth place.
Up Next
The UW men return to Montlake Cut next Saturday, April 7, to face Oregon State and Stanford in a pair of dual regattas.
About Washington Rowing
Rowing at University of Washington was established in 1901 with support from the local business community. In 1903, Washington entered its first intercollegiate race and defeated California, starting their storied "Cal Dual" rivalry. From this beginning, UW crews became the champions in the nation, winning the Gold Medal in the Olympics in 1936 as described in the New York Times bestseller The Boys in the Boat. UW has continued its tradition of winning championships and Olympic medals, and today is one of the best university rowing programs in the world. With its state-of-the-art training facility located on the UW campus right on the shores of Lake Washington, surrounded by mountains and in close proximity to the iconic Montlake Cut, Washington Rowing attracts the best men and women student-athletes from the Pacific Northwest and around the world. More information at GoHuskies.com, WashingtonRowing.com and @UW_Rowing.
