Women's Rowing 4/29/2018 4:52:00 PM Chris Brannick

No. 1 UCO Wins Twice At WIRA Championships

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The University of Central Oklahoma rowing team put on another powerful performance from its Varsity 8 boat at the Western Intercollegiate Athletics Association Championships on Lake Natoma this weekend.

SEE COMPLETE RESULTS HERE

The Bronchos, ranked No. 1 in the country, had its national champion V8 boat win its preliminary race on Saturday before repeating that performance in Sunday's Grand Final. Central won the final Sunday morning with a time of 6:45, edging UC Santa Barbara by four seconds. The Bronchos won their prelim race Saturday over UCSB by three seconds. The Bronchos, who won the Varsity 8 national championship last season with a time of 6:58, now have seven V8 wins against top-10 teams this season.

Central's Varsity 4 won its prelim race Saturday in 8:04, cruising to a 20 second win over Long Beach State. Sunday the Bronchos shaved 24 seconds off its time but came in second. Western Washington won with a time of 7:35 ahead of UCO's 7:40 mark.

UCO's two-person boat took third in its Grand Final race Sunday. The Broncho duo of Savanna Hammonds and Madison Hartenstein finished in 8:47, 10 seconds off first-place.

UCO would leave California with one more win though. It's Novice 4 earned a victory in the finals Sunday too, taking home the top prize with a time of 7:36. The Bronchos edged Loyola-Marymount's boat by three seconds.

Here are the complete boat assignments for the Bronchos from this weekend.

V8 – Baylee Roberts (coxswain), Kiele Erickson, Trista Cripe, Megan Dwarshuis, Eileen Anderson, Andrea Messenger, Erica Mitchell, Cameron Blunk, Siobhan Quirke
V4 – Maddie O'Brien (coxswain), Shelby Wackerly, Grace Hutchingson, Ali Nakvinda, Lauren Wall
N4 – Madisyn Kitchell (coxswain), Bailee Thomas, Tess O'Connor, Shannon Hoffman, Dorthy Lyman

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Players Mentioned

Eileen Anderson: 5' 10"; Junior; Varsity

Trista Cripe: 6' 1"; Senior; Varsity

Megan Dwarshuis: 5' 10"; Sophomore; Varsity

Kiele Erickson: 5' 8"; Sophomore; Varsity

Savanna Hammonds: 5' 6"; Sophomore; Varsity

Madison Hartenstein: 5' 5"; Sophomore; Varsity

Grace Hutchingson: 5' 10"; Sophomore; Varsity

Madisyn Kitchell: 5' 6"; Sophomore; Varsity

Andrea Messenger: 6' 0"; Senior; Varsity

Erica Mitchell: 6' 1"; Junior; Varsity

Players Mentioned

Eileen Anderson
: 5' 10"; Junior; Varsity

Trista Cripe
: 6' 1"; Senior; Varsity

Megan Dwarshuis
: 5' 10"; Sophomore; Varsity

Kiele Erickson
: 5' 8"; Sophomore; Varsity

Savanna Hammonds
: 5' 6"; Sophomore; Varsity

Madison Hartenstein
: 5' 5"; Sophomore; Varsity

Grace Hutchingson
: 5' 10"; Sophomore; Varsity

Madisyn Kitchell
: 5' 6"; Sophomore; Varsity

Andrea Messenger
: 6' 0"; Senior; Varsity

Erica Mitchell
: 6' 1"; Junior; Varsity