April 30, 2010

RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif. - Three was the magic number for LMU on Friday as all three of the Lions' boats came in third to push LMU to an overall third-place finish at the 2010 West Coast Conference Championships at Lake Natoma in Rancho Cordova. It is the third straight year that the Lions have finished third at the conference's marquee event and they were led by All-WCC selection junior Michelle Herrerias.

Chasing its second WCC championship since 2006, the Lions finished in the top-three for the seventh consecutive season. The day started with the varsity 4 race in which the Lions claimed their first of the three third-place finishes. LMU's boat of Kerry Small, Paris Amy, Jill Dannis, Molly Clinton, and coxwain Janel Peralez crossed the line in 8:39.3, four seconds ahead of Saint Mary's (8:43.5). The Lions gained three points from the finish, with San Diego taking the maximum five by winning in 8:00.2 and Gonzaga earning four points in second in 8:07.0.

The Second Varsity 8 was next up, with LMU's eight rowing home in 7:24.1 to secure six points on the team total. The line-up of Sydney Sutton-Liswith, Talya Courtney, Maggie Boze, Adrienne Lindstrom, Liz LaLonde, Cassidy Baine, Leanne McNamee, Harriet Russell, and coxwain Marie Simoni again beat Saint Mary's (7:55.2) but trailed race winner Gonzaga (7:06.2) and second-place San Diego (7:15.4).

The final race of the day was the marquee event in the varsity 8 and the schools did not disappoint, with LMU comfortably crossing the line in 7:11.0 to gain nine points in the final tally. LMU's boat consisted of Kat Regan, Shannon Craig, Mary Foster, Alex Silva, Michelle Herrerias, Chris Erhart, Bettina Messerli, Hanna Osborne, and coxwain Kayl Pietruszka. In front of the Lions, San Diego and Gonzaga battled down to the wire and, after a photo-finish, the Toreros were declared the winners in 6:43.6, just two-tenths of a second in front of the Bulldogs. Saint Mary's was fourth in 7:21.1 and Santa Clara fifth in 7:31.0

San Diego's victory in the varsity 8 helped it edge Gonzaga for the school's first WCC title, 28 points to 26. LMU was third with 18 points and Saint Mary's fourth with 12. Santa Clara placed fifth with three points.

Herrerias completed a fine junior year with her first All-WCC recognition. She had been LMU's lone representative on the Preseason All-WCC team and earlier this week was a finalist for the LMU Female Athlete of the Year and Female Student-Athlete of the Year awards.

LMU will remain in Rancho Cordova for the rest of the weekend to compete in the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championships, where they will be joined by the men's squad. Saturday's morning heats kick off at 8:40 with the men's novice 4, followed by the women's novice 4 at 8:50. The varsity boats take the water at 10:30 with consecutive races of the women's and men's 8. The women's lightweight 4 begins defense of its WIRA Championship at 11:20 and the men's novice 8 races its heat at 11:40. The afternoon action features LMU's men's pair of Bo BreitReed and Kyle Hutchison rows at 2:30, looking to give LMU back-to-back WIRA victories in the event after Patrick Callan and Brandon Sorbom took gold last year. Sunday's racing includes the women's varsity 4 heat at 8:10 a.m. and the JV 8 at 10:30 a.m.

WCC Women's Rowing Championships
Friday, April 30, 2010
Lake Natoma (Rancho Cordova, California)

Final Standings: 
 4's II 8's  I 8's   TOTAL
San Diego   5   8   15  28
Gonzaga 4   10  12  26
LMU   3   6   9   18
Saint Mary's    2   4   6   12
Santa Clara 0   0   3   3

I Four Race Official Results:
1.  San Diego (cox: Caitlin Soper, Nichole Norby, Taylar Albertini, Lisa O'Toole, Melanie Lucas-Conwell)    8:00.2
2.  Gonzaga (cox: Nicky Talkington, Maryssa Thompson, Jamie Hemenway, Olivia Miller, Courtney Norris)   8:07.0
3.    Loyola Marymount (cox: Janel Peralez, Kerry Small, Paris Amy, Jill Dannis, Molly Clinton) 8:39.3
4.  Saint Mary's (cox: Lisa Wickhem, Lauren Jaeckel, Blair Smith, Jessica Menzhuber, Tara Larson)   8:43.5
II Eight Race Official Results:
1.  Gonzaga 7:06.2
    (cox: Natalie Wolfrom, Lauren Miller, Alexa Bostwick, Paula Welly, Hannah Winters, Therese Yrani, Rachel Schlosser, Sophie Bluhm, Lana Bowie)
2.  San Diego   7:15.4
    (cox: Kristin Jones, Maggie Cole, Lauren Rollins, Stephanie Jegat, Sara Church, Alexandra Parker, Lindsey Dornes, Hannah Ward, Anne Lewis)
3.    Loyola Marymount    7:24.1
    (cox: Marie Simoni, Sydney Sutton-Liswith, Talya Courtney, Maggie Boze, Adrienne Lindstrom, Liz LaLonde, Cassidy Baine, Leanne McNamee, Harriet Russell)
4.  Saint Mary's    7:55.2
    (cox: Molly Chow, Elyssa Roselle, Jillian Parlee, Elaina Jones, Deanna Estes, Nicolette Pierantoni, Jacqueline Lintner, Caitlin Staat, Ann Boyd)
I Eight Race Official Results
1.  San Diego   6:43.6
    (cox: Allyn Delozier, Hannah Patrick, Christine Holloway, Katharine Petrich, Gina Schneider, Michelle Schooler, Marilyn Smith, Taylor Caldwell, Michelle Geesman)
2.  Gonzaga 6:43.8
    (cox: Emily Wilson, Chelsea Quilling, Alissa Stempson, Liz Moore, Teddi McGuire, Elise Perkins, Sam Cekovic, Chelsie Eddings, Sami Koppinger)
3.    Loyola Marymount    7:11.0
    (cox: Kayla Pietruszka, Kat Regan, Shannon Craig, Mary Foster, Alex Silva, Michelle Herrerias, Chris Erhart, Bettina Messerli, Hanna Osborne)
4.  Saint Mary's    7:21.1
    (cox: Marrah Galvin, Savina Brown, Jordan Bonadio, Miranda Ripoli, Dana Cook, Michelle Burns, Laura Kocourek, Taylor Balian, Jennifer Trowers)
5.  Santa Clara 7:31.0
    (cox: Katelyn Daley, Jennifer Bullian, Jillian Walker, Kira Kubota, Berkeley Fial, Gabrielle Alexander, Laurel Schuster, Katie Caudle, Mehanna Hoopii)