Women's Rowing 3/27/2021 5:53:00 PM Chris Brannick

The 'Chos Are Back

SEATTLE – The University of Central Oklahoma rowing team picked up a handful of wins Saturday at the Falcon Regatta, officially opening the 2021 season for the two-time defending national champions.

Central, which won it all in 2018 and 2019 before seeing the 2020 season cancelled, won twice in Varsity 8+ racing and once more in Varsity 4+ racing through a 2,000-meter course in the Lake Washington Ship Canal. UCO also won one Novice 4+ race.

"It was just great to be out there," UCO head rowing coach Brian Ebke said. "We did well today and we really found out where we are as a team. It's been so long since we got to race against anyone else and to do it here against some good teams, I think we did pretty well."

The Central V8+ boat, led by coxswain Madisyn Kitchell, beat Seattle Pacific and Western Washington with a 6:53.6 mark in the first of two races Saturday for the eights. Central crossed the finish line an incredible 0.7 seconds before Seattle Pacific. The Bronchos beat WWU by 18 seconds.

The three schools lined it up again later in the day and Central came away with its second win, but this time the margin was even closer. UCO crossed the finish line in 6:51 while SPU was clocked at 6:51.3.

UCO's Varsity 4+ boat, led by coxswain Yesenia Gil-Salazar, finished second in its first 2,000-meter race since 2019. The Broncho boat that included Hope Brooks, Kelsey Woellmer, Allison Staley and Keondra Whisenhunt finished in 7:52.7, just two and a half seconds behind Seattle Pacific.

But Central responded as the team's lined up for a second go. The Bronchos won with a similar 7:52.4 and edged out SPU by a fraction over five seconds.

Central started the day Saturday with an Open 4+ race and finished second behind Seattle Pacific with a time of 8:20.3. In the Novice 4+ race right after that, the Bronchos picked up their first win of the day with a time of 7:55.2, edging SPU's A boat by six seconds and SPU's B boat by 47 seconds. UCO also took second in a Second Varsity 8+ race with a time of 7:37.1.

Here are Saturday's results:
Flight I
Open 4+
1. SPU, 8:01.6; 2. UCO, 8:20.3
Novice 4+
1. UCO, 7:55; 2. SPU A, 8:01.9; 3. SPU B, 8:42.6
Varsity 4+
1. SPU, 7:50.2; 2. UCO, 7:52.7; 3. WWU, 8:15.6
Varisty 8+
1. UCO, 6:53.6; 2. SPU, 6:54.3; 3. WWU, 7:11.5
Flight II
Second Varsity 8+
1. SPU, 7:25.4; 2. UCO, 7:37.1
Varsity 4+
1. UCO, 7:52.4; 2. SPU, 7:57.6; 3. WWU, 8:37.8
Varsity 8+
1. UCO, 6:51; 2. SPU, 6:51.3; 3. WWU, 7:11.4

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Players Mentioned

Yesenia Gil-Salazar: 5' 3"; Junior; Varsity

Madisyn Kitchell: 5' 6"; Senior; Varsity

Allison Staley: 5' 8"; Junior; Varsity

Keondra Whisenhunt: 5' 2"; Junior; Varsity

Kelsey Woellmer: 5' 6"; Sophomore; Varsity

Hope Brooks: 5' 9"; Freshman; Varsity

Players Mentioned

Yesenia Gil-Salazar
: 5' 3"; Junior; Varsity

Madisyn Kitchell
: 5' 6"; Senior; Varsity

Allison Staley
: 5' 8"; Junior; Varsity

Keondra Whisenhunt
: 5' 2"; Junior; Varsity

Kelsey Woellmer
: 5' 6"; Sophomore; Varsity

Hope Brooks
: 5' 9"; Freshman; Varsity